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2nd August 2020
11:49pm BST

Mother is breastfeeding her baby.[/caption]
In fact, so hard-working were my boobs that they even started leaking at random when other people's babies cried. Yup - it's true.
And it didn't even stop there. Here are five more amazing facts about breastfeeding you might not know yet:
1. Your boobs keep upping their game
Your body is constantly making the perfect milk for your baby. Milk changes its composition as baby grows (milk made for a 3-month-old is different than for a 9-month-old). Breastmilk can even change day-to-day. For example, water content may increase during times of hot weather and baby-sickness to provide extra hydration.
As well as this, white blood cells known as leukocytes, which help to protect against infection, increase dramatically in mum’s milk supply when her baby is sick.
2. Your boobs are a built-in thermometer
Did you know your breasts can detect even a one-degree fluctuation in baby’s body temperature and adjust accordingly to heat up or cool down baby as needed? This is one reason skin-to-skin contact in the early days is so crucial.
3. Breastfeeding helps you recover from labour quicker
Breastfeeding your baby helps you heal faster in the postpartum, helping the uterus return to pre-pregnancy size faster and lowering overall postpartum blood loss. It also helps with post-partum weight loss, as it takes over 500 calories a day on average to produce those golden drops.
4. Your milk helps your baby sleep better
Human milk contains substances that promote sleep and calmness in babies (who doesn’t love that?). As well as this, breastfeeding also calms mama and helps her bond with her baby. Also, studies have shown that breastfeeding mums get on average 45 minutes more sleep every night compared to those who formula feed.
5. You need to eat 500 extra calories a day when you are breastfeeding
Producing breast milk is hard work for your body, mama - in fact, it consumes a whopping 25 percent of the body’s energy - in comparison, the brain only uses 20 percent. How's that for hard-working boobs?!Explore more on these topics: