There are a number of advantages and disadvantages to both breastfeeding and formula feeding your baby. Your method of feeding is a personal choice and a number of factors should be taken into consideration. While experts agree that breastfeeding for any length of time is of benefit to you and your baby, some mothers may not have this option, and thus formula feeding can serve as a safe and healthy alternative.
Antibodies and Nutrients
According to the American Pregnancy Association, breast milk is the best source of nutrition for at least the first six months of a baby's life because it contains the appropriate amounts of carbohydrate, protein and fat, and provides digestive enzymes, minerals, vitamins and hormones that a baby needs. Furthermore, breast milk contains antibodies that can help fight infection. Formula ingredients do not match the complexities of milk and do not contain antibodies, and also produce more gas and cause constipation in babies.
Convenience
Breastfeeding requires very little preparation since the breast milk is always the same temperature and milk is available at any time and place, which is not the case for mothers who prepare formula for their babies. Formula feeding is also convenient since anyone can feed the baby. Breastfeeding mothers may suffer from discomfort from nipple soreness, breast engorgement and leaking breasts, which are not issues for women who formula feed.
Disease Prevention and Maternal Health
The antibodies passed from a nursing mother to her baby can help reduce the baby's risk of conditions like ear infections, diarrhea, respiratory infections, allergies, asthma, diabetes, obesity, sudden infant death syndrome and meningitis. Breast milk also helps strengthen the immune system by increasing the barriers to infection and decreasing the growth of bacteria and viruses. Breastfeeding is also beneficial to the mother as it burns calories and helps shrink the uterus, helping mothers get back in shape. In addition, a study performed by the National Institutes of Health Women's Health Initiative demonstrated that women who breastfed their babies for at least the first seven to 12 months after giving birth had a reduced risk of developing heart disease.
Expense
Breast milk is free, while the cost of formula quickly adds up. During the first year of life, formula can cost around $1,500 depending on the brand. Breastfed infants are sick less often than infants who receive formula because of the antibodies in breast milk, therefore they visit the doctor's office less and require less medication, which translates to lowered health care costs.
