 Hello everyone, I am Dr. Lushali Zadhav, Consultant, Obstetrician and Gynecologist at Malipalk Hospital, Kharadi, Pune. Today, I would like to speak upon lactation or breastfeeding. We are celebrating first week of August as Lactation Week or a Breastfeeding Week. The benefits of lactation are numerous to the mother and the baby. For the mother, it's a convenient thing. She can feed her child anywhere, anytime. It is an economical method of feeding the baby. It reduces the chances or the risk of breast and oberian cancer in the mother. It reduces the chances of developing type 2 diabetes and development of hypertension in later life of the mother. Breastfeeding also helps in reducing weight. It mobilizes fat. It reduces the amount of stress and increases the positive vibes in the mother. It helps create an intimacy or bonding between the mother and the baby. It is the most powerful interaction between the child and the mother. Some mothers are working. Even they can breastfeed their child. They can express their milk and when at work the expressed breast milk can be stored at room temperature for 6-8 hours and in the refrigerator for 3 days. Breastfed babies are healthy. They are likely to be healthier later in life also. The chances of infection are reduced. They have a better immunity as compared to non breastfed babies. We at Manipal encourage the mother to breastfeed her child within first hour of delivery, whether a normal delivery or a caesarean. We have a team which is trained. We have a lactation consultant and all of us encourage the mother to breastfeed her child. Exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of the baby's life i.e. not even water is given to the baby is very important for preventing future complications or future diseases in the baby's life.