When you have a baby, the most important and difficult decision is whether to breastfeed or bottle feed. Choosing to breastfeed or bottle feed is a personal decision. This is the first big decision you make as a new parent. Both have their advantages and disadvantages.
The issue has been controversial over the years, often leading parents to be judged for choosing infant formula over breast milk. Don`t let people frustrate you in any way.
There is no right or wrong choice; it`s only the best and healthiest choice for you and your baby. You need to know all the facts before deciding on one.
If you`re unsure how to breastfeed your baby, read on to learn more about each method.
Why should women Breastfeed their infants?
Breast milk provides ideal nutrition for babies. It contains the right amount of easily digested and readily available nutrients. Mothers should breastfeed their babies for the first six months and continue after the introduction of solid foods until at least one year of age or older. Our doctors recommend breastfeeding for up to two years. This may seem like a long time, but for a good reason. Most experts agree that breastfeeding is the best way for newborns and infants to receive nutrition and significant health benefits. Starting breastfeeding within the first hour of birth has additional benefits. Here are some health benefits for you and your child.
Benefits of Breastfeeding
It is a natural feed for your baby and has many benefits both for mother and child. Some are given below.
Breastmilk availability is unlimited.
Breastfeeding is free, except for the cost of any lactation consultants, and accessories such as Pumps, bottles, milk, and other breastfeeding products can be expensive.
Breast milk does not require any preparation. It is always at the right temperature. When your child is ready, his feed is prepared.
Breast milk supplies adequate nourishment for babies.
Our doctors recommend breastfeeding for at least six months or more. Breast milk contains everything a baby needs in the right proportions for the first six months. Even its nutrients change with the child`s changing needs, especially during the first month of life.
Breast milk contains essential antibodies.
Breast milk is rich in antibodies that help your baby fight off viruses and bacteria, which are crucial in the first few months. It protects babies from illness.
Breastfeeding may reduce disease risk.
Exclusive breastfeeding from a reliable source, where the baby receives only breast milk, is incredibly beneficial. You can reduce your child`s risk of many diseases, including:
Middle ear infection: Breastfeeding, especially for as long as possible, can prevent infections in the baby`s rear middle ear, throat, and sinuses.
Respiratory infection: Breastfeeding can prevent many acute respiratory and digestive diseases.
Colds and infections: Babies exclusively breastfed for six months may be less likely to get bad colds and ear or throat infections.
Intestinal infection and tissue damage: It works with a reduction in intestinal infections and with a lower incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis.
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS): Breastfeeding is associated with a lower risk of SIDS, especially when breastfeeding only.
Allergic disease: Breastfeeding reduces the risk of asthma, atopic dermatitis, and eczema.
Diabetic patients. Breastfeeding is associated with a reduced risk of type 1 diabetes and non-insulin-dependent (type 2) diabetes.
Childhood leukaemia: Breastfeeding is associated with a lower risk of developing leukaemia in children.
Breast milk promotes healthy baby weight.
Breastfeeding helps to gain a healthy weight and helps prevent childhood obesity.
It shows that breastfeeding for more than four months significantly reduces the odds of being overweight and obese in children. Breastfed babies also self-regulate their milk consumption. They are best at eating until they are complete, which helps them develop healthy eating habits.
Breastfeeding can make kids smarter.
It is observed that there are significant differences in brain development in breastfed over formula-fed infants. This difference may be due to physical intimacy, touch and eye contact, and nutritional content associated with breastfeeding. Breastfed babies have higher IQs and are less likely to develop behavioural problems and learning difficulties as they age.
However, it shows that breastfeeding has a significant positive impact on children`s long-term brain development.
Some Exceptional Benefits of Breastmilk Feeding for Mothers
Here are some health benefits for mothers.
Quick Recovery: It can help the uterus return to its pre-pregnancy size more quickly.
Oxytocin hormone that releases during pregnancy stimulates uterine contractions and reduces bleeding, which helps the uterus return to its previous size.
Help in weight loss: Milk produced by the body burns extra calories, which can lead to weight loss.
Breastfeeding burns more calories; after three months of breastfeeding, your fat burning may increase compared to a non-breastfeeding mother.
Preserve Iron: Breastfeeding can prevent your periods from returning, preventing iron deficiency after childbirth.
Prevent menstruation: Breastfeeding can also stop ovulation and menstruation. Blocking periods may be a natural way to ensure a period between pregnancies.
Produce Happy hormones: It allows your body to release hormones (like oxytocin) that help you bond with your baby.
Antibodies: Breast milk contains antibodies and other elements that protect your baby from illness and chronic disease.
Reduce the risk of diseases: It can reduce the risk of breast and ovarian cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, and high levels of fat in the blood.
Reduced risk of postpartum depression: It reduces frustration, and depression suffered mostly by new mothers.
If you choose to breastfeed, your Doctors may advise you to do so for as long as you can and still feel comfortable. The longer you breastfeed, the greater these health benefits for you and your baby.
Challenges For Breastfeeding Mothers
While breastfeeding is healthier and more beneficial for you and your baby, it can also present some challenges. With the help of a lactation consultant and some perseverance, many problems can be overcome.
- Be patient if it takes a while to get it right.
- You feel comfortable after the first few days or weeks.
- There is no way to measure how much your child is eating.
- You need to monitor your medicine, caffeine, and alcohol intake. You get things passed on to your baby through your breast milk.
- Newborns eat often. Keeping up with your feeding schedule can be difficult if you need to get back to work or run a business. (Although pumping can help!).
Why do some women prefer Formula Milk over Breastmilk?
Commercially prepared infant formula is a nutritional substitute for breast milk and contains some of the vitamins and nutrients breastfed infants need from supplements.
Commercial formulas produced under sterile conditions attempt to replicate breast milk using a complex mixture of proteins, sugars, fats and vitamins that cannot be produced at home. So if you`re not breastfeeding, it`s vital to use commercially prepared formula instead of trying to make your own.
Advantages of Formula Milk
In addition to medical issues that may prevent breastfeeding, breastfeeding can be very difficult or stressful for some women. Here are other reasons why women might choose formula milk feeds:
Easement for mother.
Any parent (or another caregiver) can bottle-feed the baby at any time (though this also applies to women expressing breast milk). This allows the mother to share her feeding responsibilities and helps her partner become more involved in the critical feeding process and the connection that often ensues.
Time flexibility.
Once the bottle is made, a breastfeeding mom can leave the baby to a partner or caregiver, knowing that feeding the younger child is her responsibility—no need to pump or schedule work, commitments and other activities around your child`s feeding schedule. Breastfeeding mothers do not need to find a private place to breastfeed in public.
The time and frequency of manure because the formula is less digestible than breast milk, formula-fed infants generally need to eat less than breastfed infants.
Diet of a mother.
They don`t have to worry that the food they eat or drink might affect their baby.
Formula Feeding Challenges
As with breastfeeding, there are some challenges when deciding whether to breastfeed.
Antibody deficiency.
None of the antibodies in formula milk, as found in breast milk. Therefore, formula milk does not provide infants the extra protection breast milk provides against infection and disease.
Various Manufacturer
The complexity of breast milk is unparalleled. Manufacturers still have to replicate the complexities of breast milk, which changes as the needs of babies change.
Plan and organize.
Unlike breast milk, which is always available, unrestricted and supplied at the right temperature, feeding your baby breast milk requires planning and organization to ensure you get what you need when you need it. Parents should buy formula and ensure it`s always available to avoid late-night trips to the store.
It`s always important to keep essential supplies (such as bottles and pacifiers) clean, easily accessible, and readily available; otherwise, you`ll have to react to a starving and irritable child. Feed 8-10 times in 24 hours; if parents are not prepared and organized, they can tire quickly.
Heavy on the pocket.
Recipes can be expensive. The powdered formula is the cheapest, followed by the powdered formula, and the ready-to-use version is the most costly. Speciality formulas (such as soy and hypoallergenic formulas) cost more, sometimes even more than basic formulas.
Health issues
Possibility of gas and constipation. Formula-fed infants may have more gas and firmer bowel movements than breastfed infants.
Final Thoughts
Deciding how to feed your baby can be a difficult decision. Only when your child is born will you know what`s best for your family.
Many women decide on a prenatal approach and then change their minds after the baby is born. Many women choose breastfeeding and nutritional supplements because they find them the best option for their family and lifestyle.