Mother’s Milk is Best for Mother Earth

Mother’s Milk is Best for Mother EarthEarth Day, April 22nd, is an especially appropriate time to point out the environmental benefits of breastfeeding. In an ecological sense, when it comes to breastfeeding your baby, it’s easy being green:

• Breastmilk is a natural, renewable resource and is all the baby needs for the first six months of life.


• It requires no resources for packaging, shipping, or disposal.


• No precious energy is wasted, as with the production of artificial baby milk and related products. No land needs to be deforested for pasture or crop production.


• It does not create pollution from manufacturing.

The benefits of breastfeeding to the health of mother and baby are widely known, and experts are unanimous in recommending that babies are exclusively breastfed for at least the first six months of life. Though many mothers around the world initiate breastfeeding, the majority do not achieve this mark. Lack of knowledge and support is one reason for failure to exclusively breastfeed for six months. Mothers may not realize that breastfeeding, though natural, is a learned art. For almost fifty years, mothers have benefited from the support and education offered by La Leche League International (LLLI) through its various programs.

For more information, visit http://www.lalecheleague.org/.