Health Tip: Breast-feeding With Diabetes

Diabetic moms, after talking with their doctors, should still try to breast-feed their babies, some experts say.

The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development says potential benefits of breast-feeding, despite maternal diabetes, may include:

• For baby, improved defense against illness and infection.
• For baby, the right balance of nutrients.
• For mom, burning extra calories and losing some extra pounds acquired during pregnancy.
• For many moms who developed gestational diabetes (diabetes that emerged during pregnancy), better fasting blood glucose, and lower blood sugar levels overall.