Breastfeeding vs Bottle Feeding
The question of breastfeeding vs bottle feeding seems to be coming up more and more. The decision to breast feed or bottle feed a baby is an incredibly personal decision that each mother needs to make using all available information and education. Regardless of the feeding approach, the most important thing is that your baby is fed and happy. 
Breastfeeding vs Bottle Feeding
Most people have heard the term “Breast is Best” and while it is true, that does not mean that it is the right choice for every mom and baby. Breast feeding has many incredible advantages including but not limited to: totally natural source of food that is more easily digested, antibodies being passed from mother to baby which results in a more robust immune system, and more opportunity for bonding due to skin to skin contact.Breastfeeding also has advantages for the mom. For example, moms that breastfeed lose the pregnancy weight faster, have a reduced risk of uterine and breast cancer and have a lower risk of osteoporosis.While breastfeeding has many great benefits, it is not easy for every mom to accomplish. Sometimes a mother does not produce enough milk or a baby does not latch onto the breast properly. When breastfeeding is not working there are so many resources to help such as a doctor or a lactation consultant. Even if outside resources are brought in, breastfeeding success is not a guarantee. Depending on the issue, alternatives are available to help mom and baby. If a baby has a latch issue, a mother can pump breast milk and give it in a bottle. If a mother has supply issues, formula can be used to supplement the milk that can be obtained from the breast.Bottle feeding also has advantages (the bottle can contain breast milk or formula) such as encouraging a baby to bond with family members besides mom. Often babies won’t take a bottle if they are accustomed to being breastfed. This can result in many exhausting nights for mom without any assistance in the feeding process. This exact scenario happened to my sister. She was strictly breastfeeding her daughter and did not introduce the bottle until she was 4 weeks old. My niece absolutely refused the bottle, so my sister was unable to be away from her for more than a few hours at a time, which was extremely difficult when it came to going back to work.Bottle feeding can also give new parents a night out to reconnect and bond with each other while knowing that their baby is fed and happy. Many new moms report that an advantage to bottle feeding is being able to measure exactly how much a baby has consumed which can be an issue when babies are very young and still learning to balance sleeping and eating to strike the optimal balance.The most important element of breast or bottle feeding is to embrace the decision and feel confident that you have made the best choice for your family.{Reference & More Information: Guide to Breastfeeding}You can also check out:
- Tips for New Moms
- Time Management with a Newborn
- Ways to Save Money on Infant Clothing.
- New Baby Checklist
- Our Top 10 Baby Must Have Items
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