Why Breastfeeding is Better than Formula?

(July 13, 2010)

Breastfeeding Better Than Formula

A friend or a relative may ask you to put your baby on formula milk even as you plan to breastfeed your baby. This advice is wrong. Breastfeeding the baby for at least six months is important. Breastfeeding involves lot of hard work and is quite tiring. However as far as the welfare of your baby is concerned breast milk is the best option.

Studies have suggested that babies who are fed on formula milk earlier in life are prone to more infections as compared to those who are breastfed. Breastfeeding increases the immunity of your baby and as a result your baby develops good resistance. Also, if you have a family history of some allergies, you can pass the antibodies to your baby by breastfeeding your child. These antibodies will protect your baby against many illnesses and infections. These antibodies are essential as your baby’s body will not be able to produce these antibodies for some time. If you feed your baby formula milk, he or she will not get these antibodies and may fall prey to infections and allergies.

Formula milk is expensive and by breastfeeding your baby, you can actually keep your bills down - at least for few months or even years. When your baby sucks on your breast for the milk, his/her jaw alignment takes place and the cheekbones develop well too.

Apart from convenience, breastfeeding is good for your baby for the simple reason that breast milk is easy for the baby to digest when compared to formula milk. You need not go scouting for the right milk for your child as breast milk changes over a period of time as per the baby’s developmental needs. As far as formula milk is concerned, you need to get the right one every time you buy some, since your baby has gotten a little older.

Breast milk has all the essential vitamins, minerals, calcium and proteins that your baby needs for his/her development, which may not be the case in formula milk. Keep in mind that the baby’s suckling will help your breasts and uterus to get back in shape as soon as possible. Plus, you can burn calories and shed those extra pounds that you have gained in pregnancy through breastfeeding your baby.

Breastfeeding creates a special bond between the mother and the child which the formula milk may not have the capacity to do.

Submitted by P T on July 13, 2010 at 05:10