Why Do Women Use Breast Feeding?

The audience intended for this paper are mothers that have a desire to breastfeed, employers, clinicians, breastfeeding advocacy groups and federal and state legislators involved in policy change.

So, we know that breastmilk is best for the infant, what could be in it and what does it do? There are many things to learn about the breast milk. Breastmilk has been proven to provide the best autoimmune defenses and nutrition for the infant because it contains all the essential nutrients, antibodies, and other factors important for growth and development, especially the first moment that a mother breastfeeds. Whatever it contains cannot be replicated in any other way. Some scholars and medical practitioners, however, think formula can be as good as breastmilk. For example, Doctor Nivin Todd says that, “Formula feeding is also a healthy choice for babies. If you use a formula, your baby will get the best possible alternative to breast milk” (WebMD). She said this in comparison to cow milk that other mothers may opt for as an alternative. This should be a relief for those mothers who are forced to choose an alternative method of feeding their infants.

As you get ready to welcome your baby and introduce her to this world, you are flooded with thoughts of how to take care of your little one in the best possible way. You find that motherhood is not only about loving and caring, it is also about making a few conscious decisions to help your child grow in a healthy manner. One such decision is whether to breastfeed your baby or to offer her formula nutrition.

Breastfeeding protects babies against Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), as well as sepsis in pre-term babies. Breast milk contains antibodies that help babies fight off infections like otitis media and respiratory problems like meningitis and bronchitis. It has been found to reduce the incidence and intensity of atopic diseases. Babies who breastfeed tend to suffer from colds less frequently and have fewer incidents of colic. (Davis)

DiSanto states that there are advantages to bottle feeding as well. Formula contains vitamins and minerals that breast fed babies need to get from supplements (DiSanto, 2012). With bottle feeding there is no need to schedule activities or work around the babies feedings because another caregiver can feed the baby (DiSanto, 2012). Because formula is harder for babies to digest they do not need to eat as frequent as breast fed babies (DiSanto, 2012). Women who bottle feed to not need to worry about what they eat or drink affecting their baby (DiSanto,

Choosing whether to breast feed or formula feed can have an impact on the mother’s health and eating habits. A nursing mother will need to eat a variety of well balanced foods because she needs more daily calories. Formula feeding allows the mother to eat whatever she wants because she doesn’t require the extra daily calories or nutrients that nursing mothers do.

Infant nutrition is vital for growth and development. According to a Web page posted by KidsHealth, “Breast milk contains antibodies, lactose, protein, and fat…,” which are

You might be wondering why you can’t receive the same benefits from formula and here’s why. It’s impossible for formula to compare to the complexity of breast milk. Your milk is custom-made just for your baby. Your body responds to pathogens that you are exposed to, and actually creates a substance in your milk to protect your baby from exposure. Pretty amazing huh? In one study, The National Institute of Environmental Sciences determined your baby will have a 20 percent less chance of dying in the first year of life if breastfed. Not only does breastfeeding protect your baby from developing illnesses in the early stages of life, but it will also help avoid diseases in the future. Breastfed babies are less likely to have diabetes, high cholesterol, and inflammatory bowel disease in their adult life. I know, as a parent, you want to do everything you can to protect your children from harm. After all, it doesn’t matter how old they get, they’ll always be your babies.

Breastfeeding provides unique nutrients for the baby, protects from disease, has health benefits for the mother, and provides a unique bond between mother and baby.

Breast feeding has been associated with the neurodevelopment of an infant. According to Stuebe and Schwarz (2011), studies shown that breast-fed and formula fed-infants produced evidence of developmental differences. For example, infants who didn’t exclusively breast feed until 6 months of age crawled later and were less like to walk than the infants were exclusively breast-fed. Also, formula fed-infants had IQ scores that were 7.5 points lower when they were at age 6.5. From this study, only basic information is such as walking and IQ score shown at a grade school age is seen it is hard not to see what the picture would be life if the trend of a slower neurodevelopment continues into the later years of a child. A child who will be lacking in this department can hinder growth in many areas such as motor skills. Showing a decline in IQ scores can also delay a child in succeeding academically future in life. These two factors alone can affect other areas of life. Knowing these facts as a parent would be beneficial. As parents, you would want the best for your child and want to give them the best opportunity possible. The missing link between breast milk and formula milk is long-chain poly unsaturated fatty acids which is said to

Breast-feeding is nutritionally, emotionally and physically superior for a mother and her child. “Human breast milk is not standard nor is it interchangeable with cow’s milk. It is a dynamic fluid that changes in composition to meet the needs of the baby as it grows” (“Giving your Baby... Diet.” par. #10). Breast milk contains growth factors and antibodies which stimulate the growing baby and protect it from illness such as diarrhea, ear infections, rashes, allergies, asthma, skin problems, pneumonia, respiratory illness and other serious illnesses. Breast-feeding also improves a baby’s chance of remaining healthy. These antibodies are not found in formula. They can not be sustained. Breast-fed babies are also neurodevelopmentally more

In conclusion, breast milk is the natural "feeder" for babies. However, in present day it is not uncommon to see babies being formula fed. Breast milk is the ideal food for babies and should be the babies food source for the first six months. As stated there can be complications with breast feeding that makes formula a more reliable

Becoming a mother is every girls dream. You image how they will look, or if they will have a head full of hair. Regardless, there is always a decision to make when you have your child: breastfeeding or bottle feeding. Many new mommies don’t know the benefits of breasting, or how it is healthier for their children rather than formula. Breastfeeding is best for babies because they get more nutritional value than formula. Breastfeeding is better in so many ways, for example; flexibility, cost, convenience, and health benefits.

Throughout most of human history, breast milk has been the one food that infants have thrived on. Breastfeeding is recognized throughout the world as the preferred method of feeding infants due to its health benefits and nutritional quality. Recommendations by leading health organizations echo the importance of breastfeeding by setting forth guidelines.

A lot of these problems seen in formula feed babies are due to the fact that the particular composition of the formula doesn’t suit their digestive system. Breast milk consists of the optimum proportions of fats, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals and water. It is extremely digestible for a new-born baby because the milk is naturally refined to perfectly suit the baby’s digestive system. The milk also contains growth factors such as, epidermal growth factor (EGR) and insulin-like growth factor. The epidermal growth factor works by helping to prepare the lining of the gut to absorb the nutrients from the milk consumed. Insulin-like growth factor is believed to be one of the primary factors regulating early growth and development. Breast milk also contains essential fatty acids that are not present in most formula milk products. The two essential fatty acids present in breast milk are docosahexaenoic acid and arachidonis acid. Both of these play a vital role in optimal development of the central nervous system, intellectual and visual development in babies. Furthermore, one of the most prominent advantages associated with breast feeding over formula feeding babies is that, breast milk naturally changes composition to correspond to the stage of development of the infant. For example, colostrum is the name given to the first milk produced post-delivery. It has an abundance of white cells and antibodies, it also contains a