The Benefits of Breastfeeding: Natures Own Way is Often the Best

One of the most basic of all human instincts is to provide the best possible conditions for our children. The great joy of having a new baby is compounded by a great sense of responsibility and desire to protect and nurture a new life. The newborn infant is completely reliant on help for everything from staying warm and clean, to getting enough stimulation and love, to the basic needs of getting sleep and nutrition. They are quite good at letting you know when they want something done, but they rely completely on our judgment for what they will wear and what they will eat.

The decision to breastfeed or bottle-feed a baby comes immediately when you become a mother, and for many it can be difficult to know what is the right decision, there are many myths related to breastfeeding and also a lot of misinformation as well as social pressure. The decision can be difficult, especially since it involves something as crucial as feeding your newborn, and it has to be made before you know much about yourself as a parent and even your child.

This article highlights some of the implications that will result from either choice, and provide factual information that will help make this important decision the right one.

Before we start, I must point out that I am not a doctor, the information in this article is a combination of my experiences raising children, and my own research. Always make sure to check with your doctor if you and your baby are healthy enough to breastfeed.

There are many great benefits to breastfeeding, but there are also some drawback that should not be overlooked, so before getting into the reasons why breastfeeding is a good choice, let's look at some of the factor that also has to be considered.

Things to consider

When you are breastfeeding, you are the only one who can feed the baby, many breastfed babies will refuse to take formula from a bottle. A baby that is bottle-fed can be fed by anyone at any time, which makes it easier for the mother to take the occasional night off with friends. Many lucky parents have children that will take the bottle even if they are primarily breastfed, and if that is the case, extracting milk using a breast pump and giving it from a bottle can be an excellent way of getting the best of both worlds.

Another factor that has to be considered is the social implications of breast feeding. Unfortunately, there is still some awkwardness in America when a mother nurses in public. Although this is slowly changing for the better, nursing mothers might have to face disapproving or overly interested stares in public while breastfeeding. This really should not be an issue, but unfortunately, a mothers right to feed her child in public is not as widely accepted in the US as in many European countries for example, where nursing mothers are a common sight in public. Some basic steps to insure discreteness will go a long way, but some mothers will still not be comfortable with breastfeeding in public.

Breast feeding can also be a physical strain on a mother, the baby will take all the nutrition it needs which can be very draining in more ways than one, in addition the nipples can get very sore from breastfeeding, and once the child starts teething it can be downright scary. In most cases, the soreness subsides with training and proper technique, but still, bottle feeding will not make anybody sore. In addition the hormones released while breastfeeding may cause a nursing mother to feel tiered and forgetful.

Lastly, if you are smoking or drinking alcohol or using other drugs, many of these substances will transfer into the mothers milk. Of course, smoking around a new born baby is not recommended in any case, but heavy smoking and alcohol consumption might affect the quality of the breast milk and in such cases, bottle-feeding should be considered as a potentially safer way to feed your baby.

Now, with the disadvantages out of the way, let's take a look at the many benefits of breastfeeding your baby.

Benefits to the baby

When baby formula was first introduced, it was marketed as the best possible nutrition for a baby, scientifically balanced to provide the best variety of nutrients. Many people still think that this is the case, and while baby formula keeps improving, nothing comes close to the quality of breast milk. Nature provides the perfect amounts and ratios of nutrient to support the development of your baby. In addition to the milk being perfectly balanced, it also contains important hormones and anti bodies that is not present in formula.

When breastfeeding, anti bodies are transfered from the mother to the child, strengthening the immune system of the infant. Breastfeeding babies have a far greater protection against infections than bottle fed babies. Breast milk also protects the child from diarrhea, which can be a serious condition for a new born baby. There are also some indications that breastfeeding can reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome.

It has also been shown that breast fed babies have higher intelligence on average than formula-fed babies.

Breast feeding also gives several long term health benefits. Children who are breastfed have less risk of getting diabetes, and are less likely to become obese. In fact, the longer a child is breast feed, the less likely the child is of developing obesity. Breast feeding also protects against a long list of other ailments.

In general, a breast fed baby tends to be healthier than a bottle fed baby, especially with common infections like colds, you will notice a big difference in breastfed and bottle-fed babies. Breastfeeding will also often be a great relief to a new mother, since she can always be assured that the milk is of the best possible quality and her child is getting all the nutrients it needs.

So, the benefits from breastfeeding are many for the child, but there are actually many more great benefits for the mother as well.

Benefits for the mother

First of all, feeding your baby is always a great way of bonding with the child, and this is true no matter if you breast- or bottle-feed. However, when breastfeeding, hormones are released that strengthen the bond between a mother and her child. The hormones will relax the mother and make her feel more nurturing, and if breastfeeding is started soon after the birth, the same hormones will help the uterus contract faster, and reduce the bleeding associated with child birth.

Most women will gain weight while pregnant, some of the added weight will be in the form of fat stored for the milk production that is about to start. Breastfeeding can help with loosing this added fat, especially if you breastfeed for an extended period of 6 months or longer.

Just like there are long term health benefits for a child that is breastfed, the same is true for women who breastfeed. Breastfeeding has been shown to have a positive effect on diabetes, as well as reducing the risk of osteoporosis as well as ovarian cancer. Studies have also linked women who were breast fed as babies with a reduced risk of breast cancer.

Finally, breastfeeding is very economical, buying formula is expensive, and requires a lot of work. Bottle feeding a baby requires a lot of bottle cleaning, getting up at night, and formula mixing, and the inevitable incorrect mixing, while breastfeeding is a lot more convenient, it's always available, always the right temperature, and best of all, always the best possible mix of everything a baby needs to grow and be healthy. Just the simple benefit of not having to get up and out of bed for night feedings can make a great difference in having a newborn in your house. Everyone knows that babies means less sleep at night, but if you breastfeed, you will save yourself the trouble of having to prepare bottles of formula in the middle of the night.

The benefits of breastfeeding are many, and breastfeeding is endorsed by a long list of doctors and nurses organizations world wide. As long as there are no medical conditions that prevent breastfeeding, the benefits of natural food are so great that breastfeeding your baby should always be something you consider. Also remember, that if you are unsure of what will be right for you, if you start bottle-feeding your baby right after birth, you will lose the milk rather quickly, but if you start breastfeeding right after birth, you can always change to bottle feeding if you find that will work better for you and your child.