The debate between breast feeding and formula feeding has been a heated one for many years. There are many factors to consider when making the decision whether to breast feed, either completely or partially, or formula feeding your new baby is a personal one that only you can make.
What’s The Deal With Breastfeeding?
1. Baby’s Health
Breastfeeding is considered the healthiest option for most new mothers and their babies. Breast milk contains vital nutrients that a newborn child needs to grow, develop, and build up defenses. The first milk that your body produces is rich in immunoglobulin, which is a key factor for the immune system. This milk guards new born babies from germs and bacteria because it forms a protective layer in their intestines. Studies also show that breast fed babies have much lower occurrences of stomach viruses, ear infections and meningitis than formula fed babies.
2. Allergies
Immunoglobulin, the same hormone that protects the immune system in new born babies, also prevents food allergies. The mucous-y protective layer that is provided by immunoglobulin (only found in breast milk) also prevents leaks of the intestine walls, which causes allergic reactions and other serious health issues.
3. Brain Development
Research has shown a significant connection with breast milk and cognitive development in infants. Multiple studies have been done following thousands of infants from birth through age seven that concluded that prolonged and exclusive breastfeeding leads to a higher IQ, advanced vocabulary, and higher mental development scores than children who where formula fed.
4. Bonding
Breast feeding your child means you have to hold them close to you. This provides important emotional bonding time for both mommy and baby.
5. Your Health
While it is widely known that breast feeding is ideal for infant health it is also wonderful for mommy’s health as well. Breast feeding greatly lowers the chances of experiencing postpartum depression, because the hormone oxytocin is released, which causes your body to relax. This hormone is also linked to lower blood pressure. Losing your post pregnancy weight also comes much easier if you breastfeed. Breastfeeding uses up 100’s of calories a day!
Getting Real About Formula
1. No Other Choice
For many new mothers the decision to formula feed instead of breast feed their new born was not their own, but their body’s. In some cases the women just doesn’t lactate and produces very little or no breast milk. It can be caused by breast cancer, thyroid imbalances, breast surgery, or problems with the glandular tissues in the breast. This can be very discouraging for new mothers, and formula feeding is the only option.
2. Still Nutritious
Many people believe that formula has less nutrition than breast milk. While breast milk does have certain things that formula does not offer that does not mean that formula doesn’t provide the nutrients your baby NEEDS. Many formulas provide a full spectrum of the nutrition your baby needs for healthy growth.
3. No Diet Worries
If you opt to formula feed your child then there is one worry that you do not have to concern yourself with, your diet. Many breastfeeding mothers have to cut certain foods out of their diet, including very spicy foods and alcohol, because they can harm their baby.
4. Less Frequent
Getting your baby on a feeding schedule is much easier with formula feeding. Formula takes longer for a baby to digest so they do not need to eat as often. This is particularly noticeable in the first 5 months.
5. You Still Bond
Many people claim that breastfeeding promotes better bonding. This is untrue. Bottle feeding your baby provides you with the same bonding experience as breast feeding. Feeding in general is an important factor to bonding because it is the act of nurturing your child.
Differences Between Breast and Formula Feeding
1. Cost
Cost is an obvious, but big difference when choosing to breast or bottle feed your child. Breastfeeding is…free and nothing is required to feed your child but you and your body. Formula feeding can be very expensive, the cost of formula, bottles, nipples, and other required tools add up quickly and are a reoccurring cost.
2. Nutrition
While neither are considered “bad” for a newborn, breastfeeding indisputably provides a more pure and well balanced form of nutrients than formula. It has been proven that breastfeeding improves immune functions as well as mental development more effectively than formula.
3. Who Can Feed
When a baby is being formula fed anyone can step in a feed the baby. This provides valuable bonding time for other important members of the baby’s family, such as their father. With breastfeeding only the mother can feed because she is the only one that is producing milk.