There are several reasons why new mothers, or even women who have given birth many times, do not breastfeed their babies. There could be a medical reason why breastfeeding is not an option. In today's world there are also economical or social reasons why mothers choose not to breastfeed.
Whatever the reasons are, many mothers look to infant formulas as an alternative to breastfeeding. Baby formula feeding comes with advantages and disadvantages that should be taken note of.
Let's begin with the plus points. Some of the advantages of feeding a baby with infant formulas are the following:
- The proteins in infant formula are slower to metabolize, feeding the baby is less frequent compared to breastfeeding.
- One can easily measure how much milk the baby has consumed
- A mother can resume her normal life since she does not need to be present at all times when feeding her baby.
- This can be an alternative for mothers who experience pain when breastfeeding.
- A great alternative when the mammary glands do not produce natural milk.
While there are advantages to infant formula feeding, there are also some disadvantages:
- Since baby's formula has a lesser amount of fat content than breast milk, the baby may gain weight more slowly.
- Milk formula does not contain the immunoglobulin's, which have been shown to boost a baby's immune system and provide better protection against common childhood illnesses.
- Breastfeeding is free while infant formulas can be costly.
- Baby formula feeding will not create the same bond as breastfeeding.
It can be argued that there are more advantages on either side of this debate. While infant's formulas will never be an exact match to natural breastmilk, they can be a viable replacement when dictated by medical or social necessity.
