What should I Breastfeed or use Formula?

The decision on how to feed your child is personal. The benefits of breastfeeding are many and important, but many women still choose not to do so for their own reasons. Before you decide how you will feed your baby, take a moment to study breastfeeding, and then armed with knowledge, your choice should be simple. Breastfeeding has two phases, colustrum and regular milk. Colastrum is the first milk produced. It occurs during the first two to three days, and is a thick, white liquid. Colastrum is exactly what a new baby needs. It is low in fat and high in carbohydrates, proteins, and antibodies. It is also very easy for the newborn system to digest. One of the first things colustrum produces is to produce a laxative effect. It helps the baby pass meconium, which is thick and soft. It is also helpful to remove excess bilirubin and prevent jaundice. Therefore, if a baby is born with jaundice, it is best to breastfeed. Colastrum also carries a high level of both the immune system and leukocytes (white protective cells), and it helps the immature immune system fight infections, viruses, and bacteria. In fact, colustrum greatly stimulates the baby's immune system and helps prepare it for life outside the womb. On the third or fourth day after birth, the second stage of breastfeeding occurs. This is where normal milk comes in. This milk is very thin, but it contains all the nutrients a baby needs to grow and thrive. As with colustrum, normal breast milk carries the much-needed antibodies to the baby's system. Molecule antibodies made by your immune system help fight disease. Breast milk contains all the antibodies made by the mother's body. As new germs are introduced into the baby's environment, the mother's body begins to develop antibodies to fight off those germs. These new antibodies are then transferred to breast milk to help the baby fight the new threat. Now, this does not mean that breastfed babies are never sick, but studies have shown that they recover faster than formula-fed babies. There are additional benefits to breastfeeding without the immune system. Breastfeeding has been shown to provide protection against ear infections, respiratory infections, allergies, intestinal infections, colds, infections, staph, strep, e-coli, diabetes, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, cancer of children, meningitis, pneumonia, urinary tract infections, salmonella and SIDS. Breastfeeding also provides lifelong protection against Chrohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, other lymphomas, insulin-dependent diabetes, breast cancer and cervical cancer. Breastfeeding provides benefits for the mother. Prolonged breastfeeding, which includes a total of two years or more, has been shown to reduce a mother's risk of developing breast and cervical cancer. Breastfeeding also helps the mother lose weight immediately after giving birth. Because many women do not menstruate until they stop breastfeeding, breastfeeding also helps to keep babies out. However, it is important to note that one should not rely solely on breastfeeding for birth control. These are just a few of the amazing things breast milk can do for a baby. You would think that with all this research, the decision to breastfeed would be "not true". Unfortunately, one of the major determinants of a woman's decision to breastfeed is the reaction of family members. Often the husband is not aware of the benefits of breastfeeding, and then pushes the woman to wean her and make bottled milk. Many mothers and grandmothers do not support a nursing mother simply because “it was not so in their day.” Many women experience ugly looks or harsh remarks about public nudity. All of these factors push the newborn mother into having a formula, in addition to the amazing health benefits of nursing. The decision to breastfeed is yours. Take at least as much time to learn about breastfeeding as you do when choosing a bed for your baby; much if you can stop it. Equip yourself with information and make a decision. Only you can decide if breastfeeding is right for your family.