Breastfeeding or bottle feeding

"Mothers are strongly encouraged to breastfeed their babies unless there is a medical reason to do so." Ultimately, the decision to breastfeed or formula-feed is made by the parents, but parents should strongly consider breastfeeding as a very health-conscious option. Since breastfeeding provides numerous health and relationship benefits, it is highly recommended by the entire medical community.

Sometimes there are medical reasons for not breastfeeding (illness, medication, etc.) or a woman cannot produce enough breast milk; these are understandable barriers to breastfeeding. If there are serious health problems, we recommend that you follow your doctor's instructions. If the problem is not enough breast milk, be sure to try ways to increase your production and talk to a lactation consultant. If you are still not producing enough milk, it is recommended that you feed it with breast milk and then supplement it with formula.

Even a small amount of breast milk (especially in the first 6 months) can benefit your baby!

The following table lists many of the issues to consider when deciding whether to breastfeed, formula-feed, or use a combination of the two.

Breastfeeding

Perfect balance of nutrients
Contains a large amount of nutrients
Easy to digest and absorb
The content varies depending on the stage of milk production, which meets changing nutritional needs.
The infant determines the amount consumed
Milk is free
Nursing pads, nursing bras, etc.
Always the perfect temperature
No time to prepare
Milk is easily available anytime, anywhere
Breast milk contains immunoglobulins that provide passive immunity to the child.
Skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding release a bond that maintains a hormone in the mother's body (oxytocin).
The mother must be available to breastfeed or provide expressed milk if she is absent
The mother must pump if a feed is missed (engorgement)
Early breastfeeding can be uncomfortable
Some medicines can interrupt breastfeeding

Bottle-feeding with formula

Not as efficiently used/absorbed as breast milk
Nutritional content depends on proper preparation (human factor)
Some children are intolerant of certain nutrients.
The pediatrician determines the amount consumed
The infant determines the amount consumed
Bottles, nipples, etc.
Breast pump (optional)
Anyone can feed the baby
Heating formula at the right temperature
Preparation time varies
The baby may not tolerate formula milk well (diarrhea)
Always carry bottles, cooking/mixing items
The formula does not contain immunoglobulins (no passive immunity)
Reminders of possible formulas

It is important to note that we do not fully know the composition of breast milk and do not fully understand all the changes that it undergoes as the child grows. This means that formula manufacturers will never be able to accurately mimic the composition of breast milk.

The passive immunity and oxytocin-controlled attachment that occurs with breastfeeding cannot be replaced by a bottle or formula. (Tethering can still occur to some extent with bottle feeding. It helps when the baby is bottle fed by holding it close to the mother's breast, preferably skin to skin.)

What is passive immunity? When a child is young, their immune system is functional but not sensitized or prepared for many of the common bacteria or viruses that a person encounters. Parts of the immune system's response, called immunoglobulins (Ig), are passed from the mother's immune system to the baby through breast milk and give the baby temporary immunity to things the mother has been sensitized to. It is called "passive" because it is not the immunity that the baby created, but it was given to him.

Other factors that accompany immunoglobulins and help protect the baby are factors that promote digestion and maturation of the lining of the digestive tract, proteins that protect against bacteria, fungi and viruses, as well as blood cells, maternal protein. This is one reason why breastfed babies are often healthier, digest milk better, and tend to have fewer digestive upsets than babies who are primarily formula fed.

What is oxytocin? Oxytocin is a hormone produced shortly after birth and during breastfeeding. Helps to drain milk from the breast. Perhaps the most interesting part of the response to oxytocin is the stimulation of attachment and maternal behavior. Without breastfeeding, the mother will have less oxytocin - less feelings of attachment, attachment, calmness, and less stress.

Physical benefits of breastfeeding for mom and baby

"Breastfeeding is an investment in health, not just a lifestyle." From studies and studies, they have identified the benefits for mother and baby of breastfeeding:

For infants, the risk is reduced: