There are many benefits of breastfeeding, which is why there has been a great increase in the number of breastfeeding moms in recent years. Check out some these breastfeeding benefits to mom and baby:

The colostrum or “first milk” for the baby is very important for health and immune development. Colostrum is produced in the first few days after giving birth and is more condense and thicker than regular breast milk. The baby gets a lot of nutrients, vitamins and the benefit of your immune system in colostrum. Because of all the benefits of colostrum it is now available to adults in pill form in some health food stores. It is very beneficial for health.

Breastfeeding is better overall for the health of mommy and baby. The baby continues to get nutrients and vitamins that mom takes in everyday, and is able to work up immunities to allergies through mom’s milk. As for mom, her body will go back to normal faster after childbirth by simply breastfeeding. It is a natural process that that helps mom and baby ease into natural health and well being.

In the mother, the uterus goes back to normal faster, shrinking back to its pre-pregnancy size. Because it goes so much faster there will be some cramping, usually felt during nursing sessions but it is very mild usually helpful in bringing your uterus back to its pre-pregnancy state..

Many moms lose baby weight faster when they breastfeed. After having baby and by breastfeeding, you will burn more calories everyday to keep up with the baby’s diet. You are feeding someone else and maintaining your own body systems so this means the extra calories you burn will help you lose the weight you gained during pregnancy faster than if you were bottle feeding.

Babies often thrive when fed breastmilk. Formula has synthetic vitamins and minerals, made in labs, and they aren’t as healthy as the ones that come from mom. Nothing can replace breast milk, it is naturally one of the most healthy things we can ingest.

Babies also use breastmilk to develop an immune system in early weeks. During the first few months and weeks of baby’s life he or she has no immune system of their own. By breastfeeding they are still using mom’s until they are able to build one of their own. This means less colds, less infections and overall a healthier beginning to life.

Brestfeeding has also been linked to a lower incidence of SIDS. Although scientists aren’t quite sure why, studies show that babies who are breastfed have a lower chance of dying from SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome). Some have theories as to why this is but the numbers show breastfeeding may very well offer protection against this mysterious phenomena.

A great bonding experience between mom and baby can be yet another large benefit. Because mom is the only one able to feed the baby for the first few weeks at least of life they have more time to bond. The baby’s eyes can only focus so far from their face, about 8-10 inches, which just happens to be how far from mom’s face they are when breastfeeding. The eye contact, skin to skin contact, and early interaction provide a wonderful bonding experience.

The saying “breast is best” is still alive after all this time. If you have to formula feed, don’t feel guilty, but if you can breastfeed, even some, it will be completely worthwhile for you and your baby.

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When it comes to having children, one very important issue will be the decision on how your child will be educated. You will have many options to consider such as public funded schools, private schools, charter schools, and home school. Many parents don’t give homeschooling any thought, but there are many benefits to homeschooling that you should consider.

When your child goes to school it is normally 20 or more students to one teacher, at least in public schools. In some areas it can be up to 30 students for each teacher. This means that children get very little of the teacher’s undivided attention. Homeschooled children typically get one-on-one time and this helps them to learn for efficiently and retain what they learn.

Learning at the pace the child is ready to learn at is important. When it is just you and a couple of children you are able to take the time to let them learn things according to their own schedule and skills. Children all have different strengths and learning styles and don’t understand the same things at the same time. In public school there isn’t time to let the kids learn at their own pace, that’s why they get so much homework. Homeschooled children need not made to meet these unrealistic expectations.

Each child learns things a different way. Many teachers only teach one way. Some children are visual learners, some learn by listening, and some learn by doing. Some teachers only teach one way though, which leaves the rest of the kids out. One of these kids might be yours…

Homeschooling also allows for more life skills training. This is one of the best parts of homeschooling in fact. You see 18 year olds coming out of high school that have no practical life skills that will help them get a job. They usually feel they need to jump right into secondary education instead. Can they budget money for their new apartment, balance a checkbook, or fix things that break around the house? Many times the answer is no. For the last 16 years they have been too busy learning how to do algebra, trigonometry, and learning definitions of huge words they will never use. Homeschooling can allow you to teach your child more practical things they can actually utilize later in life. You can teach them about saving, investing and paying bills. You can teach them about how fix things around their home, like the car, the toilet and electronics or computers. Homeschooling can give them the advantage they need.

The absolute best thing about homeschooling though is the fact you get to spend so much time with your children. No teacher will enjoy your child as much as you, nor will they enjoy watching your child learn as much as you.

No parent ever says “I wish I hadn’t home schooled and spent that much time with my kids” Think about it, in the end what are going to say? Consider homeschooling, you won’t regret it.

It is generally believed that little babies have no control over the muscles used in elimination functions. The truth is that a newborn baby does have control over those muscles. Whether baby pees or poops in a diaper or in a container, the baby often does so consciously and deliberately. An observant and in tune parent can work with her baby on the timing and location of those elimination functions. The result is another way to bond with baby and the use of a few less diapers.

People who practice elimination communication (EC) do so on a number of different levels. You have the people who believe diapers are evil and get their babies completely out of diapers within a few months of birth. On the other end, there are parents who keep their babies in diapers for pretty much as long as is normally expected and they work on elimination communication on a part time basis. It is my belief that most of us will fall into that second category. While it is possible to completely potty train an infant, it is a rather time consuming process and you will have a lot of misses, and therefore messes, along the way. I want to establish right now that elimination communication is not an all or nothing proposition, and it does not mean you have to dump your diapers. You can successfully practice it part time. Any amount of time spent working with your baby on elimination will benefit both of you and will lay a good foundation for future potty learning. In other words, you have nothing to lose by trying.

You can start working with a baby on potty functions at any time. However, it is easier if you start before the baby is four months old. I’d recommend beginning somewhere around ten days to two weeks after baby’s birth. In my experience any earlier is overwhelming, though more die hard ECers say it’s best to start with the baby’s meconium movement. In the time that you’re not ECing your baby, you’re most likely noticing when the baby is wetting and soiling his diaper. Maybe baby pees right after nursing, or poops at ten every morning. A real good time for elimination is first thing after baby wakes up and right after a nap. When you start noticing a pattern over a few days, you can anticipate your baby’s elimination and be ready with a container of some sort.

The container can be a small potty, your sink, bathtub or toilet. It can even be a dry diaper. Remove baby’s diaper before he goes, hold him over your chosen container and wait. You can hold baby gently by his thighs and allow him to rest on your forearms. When baby eliminates, give him a cue. It can be a “psss” sound or a phrase. You will use the same cue each time you see baby eliminating. At first, you wait until baby eliminates to give him the cue. After a while, you can use the cue to encourage baby to go.

Once you catch one pee or poo, EC can get pretty addicting because it really is a lot of fun. Here are some important points to remember: This should be fun for both you and your baby. If it stops being fun, it’s a good idea to take a break for a few days. It’s not about catching everything or seeing how quickly you can get baby out of diapers. It’s about bonding and learning with your baby. It should never ever be punitive in any way. While some of us may indeed find we can confidently take our baby out of diapers much earlier than what’s considered normal, most of us will just steadily EC our babies a little here and there and one day, that ECing will morph into gentle potty learning for our toddler.