Like many of us, Sarah, is starting the new year off to a healthy start. There’s no better way for a new mom and baby to get a more healthy start than by breastfeeding. There are excellent short and long-term benefits to breastfeeding for both mom and baby.

Breastfeeding strengthens the bond between mom and baby and lifts the mom’s mood, while also improving her quality of sleep. A great short-term benefit of solely breastfeeding is the baby receives all of mom’s active immunities, meaning if mom had a flu shot then baby is also protected from the flu. For the mom looking to improve her physical health, one bonus to breastfeeding is burning up to 500 calories per day.

Breastfeeding offers many long-term benefits like lowering mom’s risk of certain illnesses like some cancers and osteoporosis. Breastmilk helps lower the baby’s risk of getting many types of illnesses like asthma, allergies, and some childhood cancers. Even the act of breastfeeding helps the muscles in the baby’s mouth develop properly lowering the likelihood of needing braces later in life.

To all new moms like Sarah in 2016, keep it simple: relax, cuddle, and breastfeed your baby.

This article was written by Erin Wells an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and owner of Lily Lactation a private lactation consulting business. Wells is a guest writer for 23ABC News.