Breastfeeding, Formula, And Your Baby

The question of breastfeeding vs. formula feeding has been around for some time now, and amazing quite controversial even among mothers.  Nearly every medical association worldwide advocates for the benefits of breastfeeding, not just nutritional, but emotional as well, and it is well documented that breastfeeding provides a solid line of defense against infections, allergies, and other problems that may occur later in life.

The American Academy of Pediatrics advises that babies should be breastfed exclusively for the first six months of life, and that it should be continued to a degree up to twelve months.  Breastfeeding is recognized as the most nutritional source for newborns, although some women may be unable to breastfeed successfully for a variety of reasons.  Lifestyle, comfort level, and medical issues may be some of the primary reasons for women to decide against breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding advocates tend to negate the benefits of formula, perhaps to an unreasonable degree.  Formula still provides much needed nutritional value for your baby, and the emotional connection that comes from a mother feeding her baby is still established.

Of course as with any controversial issue, there are benefits and advantages to both sides.

Breastfeeding has an automatic advantage in that it is perfectly natural, what Mother Nature intended.  Antibodies are passed from the mother’s body to the infant, allowing for more effective immunity protection from bacteria and viruses, ear infections, diarrhea, respiratory infections, and even meningitis.  Studies have concluded that breastfed babies have far less occurrences of allergies, asthma, diabetes, obesity, or sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

In addition, breast milk is designed with a newborns delicate digestive system in mind, and as a result is usually far more easily processed by nursing babies.  Breast milk has often been call “nature’s perfect food”.

Obviously there is also a financial benefit to breast milk, as it is quite obviously free.  Formula costs will really stack up over time.  Breastfed infants also tend to be sick far less often than their formula fed counterparts.

Breast milk also provides for a variety of different tastes for the baby to experience and enjoy.  Unlike formula, which pretty much tastes the same from feeding to feeding, the taste of breast milk may be altered depending on what the mother has recently eaten.

There is also a convenience factor at work with breastfeeding, as nursing mothers never have to make late night Kroger runs.  Breast milk is always fresh and readily available whenever baby needs to be fed or comforted.

While not exactly proven, some studies have indicated that breastfed babies are actually more intelligent in many areas than babies who were formula based.

Of course the emotional connection of breastfeeding, the skin to skin contact, is beneficial for both mother and baby.

One little reported benefit of breastfeeding is the number of calories burned, shrinking the uterus and helping the mother return to her pre-pregnancy shape.  In addition, breastfeeding has been shown to drastically reduce the chance for problems later in life such as breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and cardiovascular disease.

Some of the more challenging areas of breastfeeding concern personal comfort, such as pain that accompanies “latching on”, at least until the baby gets the hang of it.  There is also the time and frequency of feedings, at all times day and night, which requires a substantial commitment on the part of the mother (whereas formula feedings can be effectively split between mom and dad.

Of course the advantages of formula feeding are obvious, since either parent or pretty much any caregiver can feed the baby, resulting in more flexibility in schedule without the concern of whether or not the baby’s needs will be taken care of.

In addition, formula tends to digest slower than breast milk, which means the need for and frequency of feedings will be reduced.  In addition, since what the mother eats or drinks will not be passed to her baby, mothers who formula feed to not have to be as discerning in the dietary choices.

The disadvantages of formula are also obvious, most notably the lack of antibodies that are found in mother’s milk, antibodies that can be passed on to the baby and provide much needed protection from viruses and antibodies.

Formulas may also produce excessive gas and constipation, as well as more, shall we say, “interesting” bowel movements in infants.

Formula also cannot compete with the complexity of breast milk.  Breast milk changes as baby’s needs change, something formula cannot duplicate.

In the end, there is no right or wrong decision on how to feed your baby.  It basically comes down to a matter of what is most beneficial for you and your child.