I’ve always pictured breastfeeding my kids, but when I was expecting my first baby, my psychiatrist recommended that I not breastfeed for my health and my son’s

Sleep disruption is a well-known risk factor for mental illness episodes at any time, as well as in the postpartum period.

The best (randomized) breastfeeding data do show small short-term benefits for babies, like 4 percent fewer gut infections and 3 percent less eczema in the first year , along with lower risk of breast and ovarian cancer for mothers.

Some 83 percent of mothers attempt breastfeeding, but only 1 in 4 still exclusively breastfeed by six months .

Psychiatrists routinely recommend against breastfeeding to protect maternal mental health in clear-cut cases.

Parents and children are a unit whose health is intertwined, and a health challenge for a parent can fundamentally affect the baby's health.