When it comes to feeding your baby, Mother Nature knows best. Breast milk has just what a baby needs to grow and thrive. Plus, breastfeeding is good for you too.

Here are some of the benefits you'll both enjoy.

Breast milk has the right mix of protein, fat, sugar and water. It's also easy for a baby to digest.

Breast milk helps protect your baby from illness, such as an ear infection. It lowers the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome), and breastfed babies have a lower risk for problems like asthma and diabetes later in life.

Breastfeeding your baby may help you burn calories. You may lose baby weight more quickly. Plus, it can lower your risk for breast cancer, diabetes and other illnesses.

Don't forget all that bonding time with your little one. It's priceless.

Get ready to breastfeed before your baby arrives. Take a childbirth class. You'll learn great tips on how to feed your baby.

Know that it can take some time for you and your baby to get the hang of things. Talk to a lactation consultant for help. Your health care provider can also help.

Be sure to go to your checkups after your baby is born too. Your provider will check your overall health. And you can ask any questions you still have about breastfeeding.

It's best to give your baby breast milk for as long as possible—a year or more. If you have to go back to work, don't worry. You can pump breast milk so your baby can have it in a bottle when you are at work.

No matter how long or short a time you breastfeed your baby, be glad you did. You'll know you gave your baby a great start.

Sources: American Academy of Pediatrics; American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; March of Dimes; National Institutes of Health