Breast Feeding or Bottle Feeding

Decide how you are going to feed your baby before birth. Breast-feeding has many benefits for the baby and many think it is best for the mother too, but the ultimate decision is the mother's. A few rare medical conditions, such as severe breast infections or infant with a cleft palate, may make breast-feeding more difficult.

Most drugs taken by the mother will be passed to the infant through breast milk. Therefore, you should never take any drug without consulting your doctor first. Also, infections can be transmitted through breast milk, this includes HIV.

Similarly, mothers should not allow other women to breast-feed their infants because of the risk of infection of any transmittable agent. Many myths about breast-feeding make parents more anxious about this choice than they should be. Some include:

• Breast-feeding doesn't depend on your breast size. Large breasts contain mostly fatty tissue and in no way increase the ability to breast feed

• Breast feeding does not interfere with poliovirus immunization

• Breast feeding does not cause more jaundice in newborns.

• Breast feeding does not cause sagging breast

• Although breast-feeding suppresses ovulation, it is not a reliable method of contraception

As mentioned, there are many benefits to breast feeding. Some benefits include:

• The baby receives nutrients in the proper proportion if the mother is eating a balanced diet. Iron and vitamin D are only occasionally need as supplements

• Breast feeding cost less than bottles and baby formula, and is more convenient.

• There is a less chance of contaminating the milk than with bottle-feeding

• Babies tend not to become fat as frequently as bottle-fed babies do. The composition and taste of breast changes during the course of feeding, so the baby will reject a breast after several minutes and move to the other, even though the first still contains milk

• Breast-fed babies may have fewer ear infections

• Breast-fed babies are less constipated, and have fewer irritations, also they have diarrhea less often

But there are also benefits to formula- or bottle-feeding. The father can become involved in feeding very early. There is also more freedom of movement for the mother. Also, today's commercial formulas are high quality. Great efforts have been made to produce formulas that are as close breast milk as possible.

Where tap water is safe for you, it is safe for the baby. Sterilization is no longer necessary, but parents wishing to prepare several days' worth of feedings in advance should consider it, because bacteria can grow in the formula after it has been fixed.

Boil new nipples in water for a few minutes several times before using. This will remove any bacteria or nitrosamides that some nipples may contain. Infants suck naturally by squeezing their lower jaws and gums using their tongues to push up on the nipple and keep it securely on the roof of their mouth.

The usual bottle nipple permits milk flow more easily than the breast does. This causes infants to exercise their jaws less and to stick their tongues outward instead of upward to slow the rush of milk.

Alvaro Castillo has been writing health articles for five years. One of his specializations has been on parenting and pregnancy. If you would like to learn more, then visit his website at http://www.myhomeparent.com or visit his blog at http://myhomeparent.blogspot.com to share your opinion.

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