Today I would like to comment on the ABC news "Rosa Merlos, pediatrician, on breastfeeding: "Breastfeeding reduces the risk of diabetes and releases oxytocin""since these types of articles seem especially valuable to me because they focus on prevention, information and long-term care, without drama or simplistic messages.
Pediatrician Rosa Merlos reminds us of something that is sometimes lost in the noise of everyday life: breastfeeding not only benefits the baby, but also has a real and measurable impact on the mother's future health, including a significant reduction in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, especially in women who have had gestational diabetes.
From our perspective as a community of people with diabetes, this is key.Diabetes does not appear out of nowhere.In many cases there is a previous history, small signs, vital stages - such as pregnancy - where information and support can make an enormous difference.Knowing that breastfeeding can reduce this risk by around 30% is not a minor fact: it is a health tool.
But there is something even more important that underlies the article, and that connects a lot with what we defend in the forum: breastfeeding should be an informed, free and accompanied decision, not an imposition or a source of guilt.The doctor insists that only when the mother is well informed and feels supported, can the experience be truly positive.And that goes for breastfeeding… and for diabetes.
There is also talk of oxytocin, emotional bonding, psychological well-being and the possible reduction in the risk of postpartum depression.All of this reminds us that metabolic health and emotional health go hand in hand.Something that many people with diabetes know very well, because managing the disease is not just about controlling numbers, but about taking care of your head and your environment.
That hospitals like Hospital Vithas Valencia 9 de Octubre are committed to training, support and multidisciplinary teams is good news.Because real prevention is not based on slogans, but on giving resources, time and community.
And here I link to something that we repeat a lot in the forum: when knowledge is shared from experience and not from fear, it is empowering.It happens with breastfeeding and it happens with diabetes.That is why initiatives like this article help break the idea that everything is risk and limitation, and remind us that there are daily decisions that add to long-term health.
If you have a partner, daughters, friends or family members who are going through a pregnancy or have just become mothers, sharing this type of information is a simple way to support.And if you also want them to better understand what it means to live with diabetes—from prevention to day-to-day life—giving away or recommending the book “Living with Diabetes: The Power of the Online Community” is another direct way to care for, accompany, and build community.
Because in the end, that's what this is all about: shared knowledge, conscious decisions and mutual support.💙
