MOTHERS also benefit from breastfeeding past infancy

• Extended nursing delays the return of fertility in some women by suppressing ovulation (References).
  
• Breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast cancer (References). Studies have found a significant inverse association between duration of lactation and breast cancer risk.
  
• Breastfeeding reduces the risk of ovarian cancer
  (References).
  
• Breastfeeding reduces the risk of uterine cancer
  (References).
  
• Breastfeeding reduces the risk of endometrial cancer
  (References).
  
• Breastfeeding protects against osteoporosis. During lactation a mother may experience decreases of bone mineral. A nursing mom's bone mineral density may be reduced in the whole body by 1 to 2 percent while she is still nursing. This is gained back, and bone mineral density may actually increase, when the baby is weaned from the breast. This is not dependent on additional calcium supplementation in the mother's diet. (References).
  
• Breastfeeding reduces the risk of rheumatoid arthritis. (References).
  
• Breastfeeding has been shown to decrease insulin requirements in diabetic women (References).
  
• Breastfeeding moms tend to lose weight easier (References).