How to Choose Between Breastfeeding and Bottle Feeding

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By jaredsgirl
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Choose Between Breastfeeding and Bottle Feeding

Making the best choice for feeding your baby can be a difficult one. There are many advantages and disadvantages to both breastfeeding and bottle feeding your little one. Many mothers aren't always sure what to do those most are told that a mother's breast milk is best for babies. While this is true, there are also reasons to choose to bottle feed your newborn. Here are some ways to choose between breastfeeding and bottle feeding and making the right decision for you and your baby.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Step 1

The upside to breastfeeding is that breast milk contains colostrum when it is first introduced to your baby. Colostrum contains powerful nutrients to coat a baby's gastrointestinal system, pump up his immune system, and protect him from illnesses that his little body otherwise cannot defeat. Choosing to breast feed also creates a strong bonding experience between mother and child that helps to ensure your baby's ability to thrive both mentally and physically. It's not to say that the bond with a breastfeeding mother and her baby are greater than that of a mother who chooses to bottle feed, but the bonding of a breastfeeding mother and her baby is a quicker emotional attachment for both. Breastfeeding also ensures that your baby gets essential vitamins and minerals that his body needs in the first few months of his life.
Step 2

The downside to breastfeeding is that is can take up much of your time as a new mother and sometimes be exhausting. Breast milk is not as thick as bottle milk so babies tend to need fed more often throughout the day. This means that a lot of your day is taken up by feeding your baby and sometimes this means you give little attention elsewhere. Sometimes breastfeeding can cause the father to feel left out, not only with helping with the baby, but also because you, as the mother, can not give him much of your time. However, that's what breast pumps are for so that a new mother can bottle up her good milk and allow others to feed the baby for more time to herself and more bonding between father and baby. It's important to know that switching baby from the breast to a bottle is a transition that requires patience and repetition before getting it right. Breast feeding also can be stressful on a woman's body causing chapped and dry nipples, sore breasts, and baby sometimes gums the nipples causing a bit of discomfort. Breastfeeding can also cause cramping as the uterus contracts back to normal size.
Step 3

Bottle feeding your baby is nice because it requires a little less time and energy than breastfeeding. The father, grandparents, siblings, and others can also feed the baby allowing them more bonding time with the newborn. Bottle feeding also allows for longer time in between feedings because formula is thicker than breast milk and stays in the baby's system for a more time than breast milk. Bonding with baby while bottle feeding still takes place as baby can look at the face of his mother or caregivers and get to know them by features. Bottle feeding is also less stressful on a woman's body because her breasts will not be tender or engorged with milk all the time, and her nipples will not be chapped or dry. However, a woman's breasts will be sore and tender until her milk dries up from not breastfeeding.
Step 4

The downside to bottle feeding is that your baby does not get the natural colostrum that he needs to fight infection and sooth his digestive system. Bottle feeding can also be a pain because it requires a bit of maintenance: making sure bottles are clean and sterilized, nipples are cleaned and sterilized, and formula is made for each feeding. Plus, purchasing formula can get expensive. Bottle feeding baby can also create smellier bowel movements when changing your baby, smelly little necks and clothes when formula leaks, and some babies may form an allergy to formula that they normally do not get from breastfeeding. Bottle feeding a baby can also cause stomach problems such as colic (constant gas in baby's belly), inner ear infections (from not tipping the bottle just right), and spitting up (from formula being too thick or an allergy).
Step 5

Choosing whether to breastfeed or bottle feed is a decision that only a baby's mother and father can make for themselves and their family. No one decision is better than another. It must be something that you want to do for yourself and your baby. Just remember to make your decision based on lots of research and how you and your spouse feel about each way of feeding. Do not do what others tell you to do just because it is right for them. Feeding a baby is an individual decision and needs to be agreed upon by only the mother and father. No baby ever had terrible issues because breastfeeding was chosen over bottle feeding or vice-versa. Be sure to understand all aspects of breastfeeding and bottle feeding so that you can make an informed decision. See the resource list below for helpful links to guide you regarding breastfeeding and bottle feeding.

Comments

jaredsgirl said

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on 10/21/2009 Hi carrie77. I wrote this article all myself. It's completely original. We are never aloud to copy any parts. I went through some tough decision making when I had my son and had to choose between breastfeeding and bottle feeding. I ended up bottle feeding, but found great things about both, which is why my decision was so hard. Thanks for your question!