One of the first decisions you make as a parent could decrease your risk of both depression and anxiety for up to a decade.
When we talk about the benefits of breastfeeding, it’s most often in the context of what’s best for the baby. Offering “the perfect nutrition,” according to the Cleveland Clinic, it’s been linked with a healthier immune system, lower risk of certain chronic health problems, and even reduced chances of childhood hospitalization. Now, growing evidence suggests that the practice comes with a surprising bonus to the mother’s health, too—even a decade after the fact.
A small, observational study, led by a cooperative team of researchers representing Ireland’s University College Dublin, has found that breastfeeding may be linked to a lower risk of depression and anxiety well into midlife.
The research, published January 2026 in the journal BMJ Open, followed 168 women from the ROLO Longitudinal Cohort for 10 years after childbirth. At the final assessment, the average participant age was 42, a life stage when many women reportedly experience renewed mental health vulnerability.
Over the course of the study, women regularly documented their mental health, including depression, anxiety, and medication use. Meanwhile, lifetime breastfeeding behavior was assessed at the 10-year mark.
Nearly three-quarters of participants had breastfed at some point, though duration varied widely. About 38% accumulated at least 12 months of breastfeeding over their lifetime, though the median duration for exclusive breastfeeding was just 5.5 weeks. Overall, one in five women reported experiencing depression or anxiety at some point during the 10-year follow-up, and 13% were affected at the decade mark.
The researchers concluded that women who had breastfed were significantly less likely to report depression or anxiety 10 years after giving birth. Longer periods of exclusive breastfeeding and breastfeeding for a year or more over a lifetime were also associated with lower odds of mental health difficulties across the entire study period.
In practical terms, each additional week of exclusive breastfeeding was linked to a small but measurable 2% reduction in risk.
Researchers emphasize that these results show an association—not proof that breastfeeding directly prevents depression or anxiety. Additionally, women with previous anxiety or depression experiences “are at risk of lower breastfeeding success, compounding the association,” according to a university press release.
Notably, there can be real barriers to breastfeeding—social norms, family support, employment and child care, and lactation problems are just some of the reasons people stop or never start. However, the study’s researchers hope their findings offer an “argument for policymakers to further promote breastfeeding,” explaining that this could reduce the effects of depression on individual people and families, as well as healthcare organizations and even economies.
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