Why is breastfeeding better than bottle feeding?

Perhaps a friend or medical professional has told you that breastfeeding is better than bottle feeding and you have accepted the statement at face value. You must understand how best it is for you and your baby because breastfeeding in the beginning is hard work and can be very tiring. Without the proper understanding of the real benefits, you may be tempted to give up on breastfeeding your baby too quickly when your baby could be receiving a real helping hand by continuing.

Research has shown that babies who are fed HMR (human milk substitute) formula are generally sicker more often and at higher risk than babies who are breastfed. It was also found that they suffer more from ear and respiratory infections. This can be especially true if your family has a history of allergies such as when you breastfeed your baby, antibodies are passed to your baby through your breast milk which helps protect against disease and allergies. At first, your newborn baby is unable to produce its own antibodies, which is one of the reasons why early breastfeeding is so important.

An added benefit of breastfeeding is that it will help lower your bills. To begin with, you will not need to buy formula, and due to the increased health of your baby, you should be able to avoid expensive medical bills.

When your baby suckles at your breast, it helps develop jaw alignment and cheekbone development. This obviously means that braces will likely be required for your child when they are older.

Breast milk is a really wonderful substance. It contains just the right amounts of the vitamins and minerals your growing baby needs, and unlike formula, breast milk is always ready, always available, and always just the right temperature for feeding.

You will be happy to know that choosing to breastfeed your baby will also provide you with a number of benefits. Your baby’s sucking on your breast will cause contractions soon after birth which means less bleeding for you and this will also help your uterus to regain its shape more quickly.

Most mothers are eager to lose the extra weight gained during pregnancy as soon as possible. Breastfeeding actually burns calories, so you’ll be happy to hear that you should lose weight much faster than if you were formula-feeding your baby.

Breastfeeding will also create a special bond between you and your baby – something that formula can’t do.