Also see
Common Concerns
It's inexpensive
It presently costs
upward of $1,200 dollars per year to formula feed an infant in the
United States. If you factor in the added medical cost you are
statistically likely to incur, that brings the cost up to around $2,500
per year. If your baby happens to require a hypo-allergenic formula, you
will have to pay considerably more.
Any way you look at
it, you'll spend a lot more money if you choose to formula feed. The
added calories a nursing mother must take in are a negligible expense,
and nursing clothes are optional. If you need to pump, excellent pumps
are available for between $50 and $225. A good pump can be used for more
than one child, so they are really an investment. Do be sure to buy a
pump manufactured by a company specializing in their manufacture. Beware
of pumps made by formula companies. Many woman report these pumps to be
inefficient at best, and painful at worst.
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It's readily available
Breasts and babies are portable. Diapers
are disposable. Travel is simple. With a little practice, mothers can
breastfeed anywhere. Breastfeeding requires no mixing, no measuring and
no clean-up making nighttime feedings quick and easy.
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Contains important nutrients
Breast milk is the most complete form of
nutrition for infants. A mother's milk has just the right amount of fat,
sugar, water, and protein that is needed for a baby's growth and
development. Most babies find it easier to digest breast milk than they
do formula.
As a result, breastfed infants grow exactly
the way they should. They tend to gain less unnecessary weight and to be
leaner. This may result in being less overweight later in life.
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Lessens vaginal bleeding
Breastfeeding infants causes the release of
oxtocin, a hormone produced in the body which makes the uterus contract.
This limits the amount of vaginal bleeding and returns the uterus to its
non-pregnant size sooner.
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Moms tend to lose weight
faster
Breastfeeding
requires an average of 500 extra calories per day and breastfeeding
mothers who eat a normal diet lose the extra weight they gained during
pregnancy faster than moms who choose to bottle feed. In one study,
mothers who breastfed exclusively or partially had significantly larger
reductions in hip circumference and were less above their pre-pregnancy
weights at 1 month postpartum than mothers who fed formula exclusively.
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Reduces chances for breast
cancer
If
all women who do not breastfeed or who breastfeed for less than 3 months
were to do so for 4 to 12 months, breast cancer among parous
premenopausal women could be reduced by 11 percent, judging from current
rates. If all women with children lactated for 24 months or longer,
however, then the incidence might be reduced by nearly 25 percent. This
reduction would be even greater among women who first lactate at an
early age
Women who were formula-fed as infants have higher
rates of breast cancer as adults. For both premenopausal and
postmenopausal breast cancer, women who were breastfed as children, even
if only for a short time, had a 25 percent lower risk of developing
breast cancer than women who were bottle-fed as infants.
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Lowers common health risks
Breastmilk contains important nutrients as
well as special protective enzymes, nature's way of safeguarding the
immature newborn against infections. As a result, breastfed babies have
fewer illnesses, fewer doctor visits, and fewer hospitalizations. It
lowers the risk of asthma, colic, food allergy and eczema in those
infants with a family history of allergy.
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Reduces the chance of SIDS
Sadly, as of now, researchers have not yet discovered any one factor to account
for SIDS. However, there are a number of studies showing a possible link between
lack of breastfeeding and SIDS. A Swedish study has found that babies who were
breastfed exclusively for less than 8 weeks had a 3 - 5 times greater risk of
dying from SIDS than babies who were breastfed exclusively for four months.
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Have higher IQ
Human breast milk
enhances brain development and improves cognitive development in ways
that formula cannot. One study has found that the average I.Q. of 7 and
8 year old children who had been breastfed as babies was 10 points
higher than their bottle fed peers. All of the children involved had
been born prematurely and tube fed the human milk, indicating that the
milk itself, not the act of breastfeeding, caused this difference in
I.Q. level. Another study to support this statement was done in New
Zealand. Here an 18 year longitudinal study of over 1,000 children found
that those who were breastfed as infants had both higher intelligence
and greater academic achievement than children who were infant-formula
fed.
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Bonds Mother and Baby
Feeding your infant provides more than just
good nutrition. It also gives you a chance to hold your newborn close,
cuddle him, and make eye contact. These are relaxing and enjoyable
moments for you both, and they bring you closer together emotionally.
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Common
Concerns
There are no disadvantages to
breastfeeding. However, there are certain factors which some women may
find bothersome. Because of this, some mothers choose to breastfeed for
a shorter period of time. Remember, any amount of breastfeeding will
benefit you and your baby.
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Breastfeeding may limit your freedom
for the first 4-6 weeks while you are building a milk supply and
learning to breastfeed. However, this gives you a chance to rest and
get to know your baby.
-
Leaking can be annoying in the early
weeks when babies are feeding at irregular times, however, leaking
is a good sign of milk production and milk release.
-
Breast nipples may be tender in the
beginning when the baby first attaches to the breast. This is
normal. However, do not confuse tenderness with pain. Breastfeeding
should not be painful if the baby is positioned correctly on the
breast.
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The quantity of milk taken at each
feeding cannot be measured. However, frequent, watery stools let you
know that your baby is getting enough to eat.
-
Because breast milk is easily digested,
breastfed babies may feed more often and may not sleep through the
night for several weeks or months. However, the same is true of many
formula-fed babies. When your baby is 6-12 weeks old you can begin
to lengthen the nighttime sleep period if necessary. You can delay
nighttime feedings by diapering, walking and rocking.
-
You will need to limit your alcohol
intake. However, you do not need to avoid certain foods unless they
make your baby fussy or you have a family history of allergies.
-
Natural child spacing can be achieved
with unrestricted, unsupplemented breastfeeding. However,
breastfeeding schedules and routines that delay or decrease
breastfeedings or include early fertility (ability to get pregnant).
If pregnancy is not desired, birth control is recommended. Methods
of birth control include birth control pills (progestin only),
condom, diaphragm, IUD (intrauterine device), vaginal sponge,
cervical cap, spermicidal cream, foam or jelly, Norplant (implant)
and Depo-Provera (injection). Birth control pills that contain
estrogen and progestin (combination pills) are not recommended.
Estrogen decreases breast milk production and may affect growth and
development of babies. However, birth control pills that contain
progestin only are safe and may be taken by nursing mothers.
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