Prod_&_Cons_of_Breast_Feeding

To Breast Feed or Not To Breast Feed The pile of baby books on her nightstand is enough to give her nightmares. For the past nine months, the expectant mother has dedicated a great amount of time engaging herself in hardback copies of parenting books, noting everything she needs to know about her baby. Her only difficulty is pondering the question of whether to breast feed or bottle feed. She has considered both options but is still unsure about her final verdict. The pain of the breast feeding and convenience of the bottle feeding make her decision easy, but she still can’t help thinking which one is more beneficial. New mothers often find it difficult to choose between breast feeding and bottle feeding. Some mothers decide which method suits them best as soon as they find out they are pregnant, while some contemplate the decision up until labor. Neither decision is technically bad; both ways to feed infants have their pros and cons. Although it may be the mother’s decision, newborns usually wish to be breast fed due to the numerous health advantages that will be beneficiary later on in their lives. While bottle feeding may be a good back up plan for most mothers, it is important to consider the long term benefits for both the mother and the baby as a result of breast feeding. Breast feeding allows newborns to nurture and expand while preventing their chances of being diagnosed with a crucial disease. Exclusive breast feeding for six months and continued breast feeding afterwards help maintain the mother’s and the baby’s health (Wolf). This results in healthier lifestyles in years to come for both the mother and the child. According to expert Isadora B. Stehlin, although formula has improved significantly, breast feeding is still the better option because formula is not exact with breast milk. Breast milk has been proven to have an effective impact on a baby’s life (Stehlin). In Minneapolis, 96 percent of babies were breast fed during their first two months while 72% were breast fed during their first six months. This reduced infant death rates by 20 percent (Wolf). Statistics prove that breast feeding does, in fact, lead babies to improved lifestyles. New mothers should take into consideration the exceptional long term advantages of breast feeding. According to experts, “breastfeeding offers an overwhelming number of health benefits for a baby (from preventing allergies, obesity, and illness to promoting brain development) …” (Murkoff and Mazel 487). Infants are also less prone to being diagnosed with “illnesses such as diarrhea, ear infections, pneumonia, and meningitis [and] it lessens the occurrence of chronic diseases and conditions such as sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), …childhood leukemia, asthma, and lowered IQ” (Wolf). Studies were conducted in Chicago to prove the effect breast feeding had on infants. Jacqueline H. Wolf of the American Journal of Public Health states that, “in 1897, 18% of Chicago’s babies died before their first birthday and more than 53% of the dead died of diarrhea” (Wolf). These statistics verify that deciding to breast feeding can potentially prevent newborns from being diagnosed with a deathly sickness. Additional health benefits for breast fed babies include that rarity of constipation and lower cholesterol later on in life, UTIs, and Crohn’s disease (Murkoff and Mazel 331). The studies and health observations are evidence that breast feeding is ultimately the best decision. Along with the baby living an improved lifestyle as a result of breast feeding, the mother also experiences many health advantages. What to Expect When You’re Expecting, a publication that serves as a guide for expectant parents, concludes that mothers may have a faster postpartum recovery and have a lessened possibility of breast cancer (Murkoff and Mazel 487). Women who decide to nurse their newborns also have reduced chances of ovarian cancer and type 2 diabetes. Bone mineralization is also enhanced. Moreover, when babies nurse, they drain all of their mother’s calories, preventing the mother from “piling on the pounds” (333). So, in fact, when newborns nurse, they are not only leading themselves to better and healthier lives, but also their mothers. Although some mothers may argue that cow’s milk and formula are the same as breast milk, they are wrong. No matter how close their chemical composition is, formula will never be exactly identical to human milk (Stehlin). Specialists say that “breast milk contains at least 100 ingredients that aren’t found in cow’s milk and that can’t be precisely replicated in commercial formulas. The protein in breast milk is mostly lactalbumin, which is more nutritious and digestible than the major protein component of cow’s milk, caseinogen, which is what formula is made from” (Murkoff and Mazel 331). This information is crucial because it continues to provide indication that breast milk is the number one source for healthy babies. Since infants struggle to absorb and digest cow’s milk, mothers should provide them with the healthier, easier option. Various types of milk can cause some babies to have an allergic reaction. However, “no baby is allergic to breast milk” (332). While formula may be good substitution every once in a while, predominately breast feeding leads to overwhelming differences. Formula requires much needed preparation and is not always cheap or convenient. The milk has to be made and kept in the right temperature, and can spoil if it has been sitting too long. Breast milk, however, is already prepared, stored at the right temperature, and can never spoil (Murkoff and Mazel 331). If the family ever decides to take a day trip, or even a week-long vacation, formula involves packing and planning ahead of time, whereas breast milk is already to go along for the ride (332). The price of formula could also overwhelm mothers and change their minds to breast feed. Formula is outrageously expensive, while breast milk is one hundred percent free (332). Not only is breast milk available whenever needed, it also prevents large holes in mother’s, and father’s wallets. Mothers who choose to breast feed also experience a close, emotional bond with their newborns that mothers who bottle feed may not experience. The book, What to Expect When You’re Expecting, states that breast feeding brings infants and their mothers together and builds a strong, intimate relationship. In addition to creating this extraordinary bond, this closeness also enhances the baby’s brain development (Murkoff and Mazel 333). All of these extra bonuses, as a result of breast feeding, develop early bonds that will continue to grow for years and years. This opportunity may serve as a special purpose to mothers, making their decision to breast feed or bottle feed easier. Even though breast feeding offers much more for mothers and babies, bottle feeding gives fathers another role in the life of their babies, too. According to experts Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel, “bottle-feeding allows dad[s] to share the feeding responsibilities and its bonding benefits more easily” (Murkoff and Mazel 334). When mothers are too busy or are just way too exhausted, the father can easily walk to the refrigerator, warm up a bottle of formula, and rock his baby back to sleep. This also gives fathers the opportunity to have intimate one-on-one time with his little one. Even with the many rewards that come with breast feeding, some mothers still choose to bottle feed. While bottle feeding is not one hundred percent wrong, too much of the fake nipple can actually do more harm than good. It is important that all mothers take great consideration to breast feed; after all, the wrong decision could cost the baby’s life. Works Cited Murkoff, Heidi Eisenberg., and Sharon Mazel. What to Expect When You're Expecting. New York: Workman Pub., 2008. Print. Stehlin, Isadora B. “Infant Formula: Second Best but Good Enough.” FDA Consumer (U.S. Food and Drug Administration). June 1996: 17-20. SIRS Government Reporter. Web. 28 Sep 2010. Wolf, Jacqueline H. “Low Breastfeeding Rates and Public Health in the United States.” American Journal of Public Health. Dec. 2003: 2000-2010. SIRS Researcher. Web. 17 Sep 2010