And what about me?

It is often argued that breastfeeding means that a mother is sacrificing her personal being to het child; breastfeeding apparently being the healthiest choice  and every mother surely wants only the best for her child. But breastfeeding is not only for the child’s wellbeing, it’s good for mom, too. Research already showed that breastfeeding aids in lowering breascancer risk in women and osteoporosis and certain forms of cancer int the female reproductive organs are seen more in women who never breastfed. More recent studies by Swedisch researcher Uvnäs-Moberg and her team (Handlin et al, 2009; Jonas et al, 2008) show that on the short term breastfeeding is beneficial for women. During and after breastfeeding her bloodpressure lowers and that is not bad at all for many. The combination of breastfeeding and skincontact increases oxytocin levels and lowers the levels of stress hormones cortisol and ACTH in het blood. Allthough not explicitely stated in the stusies boh lowered bloodpressue and lower stresshormone levels and icreasedd oxytocin levels might very well be interconnected.
Handlin L, Jonas W, Petersson M, Ejdebäck M, Ransjö-Arvidson AB, Nissen E, Uvnäs-Moberg K: Effects of sucking and skin-to-skin contact on maternal ACTH and cortisol levels during the second day postpartum-influence of epidural analgesia and oxytocin in the perinatal period. Breastfeed Med. 2009 Dec;4(4):207-20.
Jonas W, Nissen E, Ransjö-Arvidson AB, Wiklund I, Henriksson P, Uvnäs-Moberg K: Short- and long-term decrease of blood pressure in women during breastfeeding. Breastfeed Med. 2008 Jun;3(2):103-9.