Breastfeeding is an unequalled way of providing ideal food for the healthy growth and development of infants; it is also an integral part of the reproductive process with important implications for the health of mothers. Breastmilk is the natural first food for babies, it provides all the energy and nutrients that the infant needs for the first months of life, and it continues to provide up to half or more of a childâ€(tm)s nutritional needs during the second half of the first year, and up to one-third during the second year of life. (see Exclusive Breastfeeding)