What's the point of Breastfeeding?

Question

Why don't mothers just give their babies normal cow milk? Is there a special purpose for feeding babies their mother's breast milk?

I don't remember myself getting breastfed though

Answer 1

Breast feeding do have alot of the advantages. However, here are some that I can think right now.

Anyway, some of the advantages of brestfeeding are
a) A closer bond between the mother and her infant.
b) By breast feeding the infant for the first six months, all the nutritions are found in the breast milk itself. It is best to breast feed the infant for the first six months.
c) It saves cost for the mums as there are no need to buy formula milk
d) No trouble for strerilization of the bottle after using them.
e) Decreases the chance of the mother to have breast cancer.

:)

Answer 2

I knew when I had both my Children, I was going to Breastfeed them. The advantages for giving the Baby's Mother's Milk would fill up more space than allowed here, so I will give you only my personal experience. Think about it, a new Mom, uses her breast to feed her newborn, it is so natural, raise up your shirt the Baby gets everything it needs, one stop. The bonding and the joy you feel holding your Baby while you feel the milk leaving you Breast and into your Baby's mouth, once you have experience that, the question you asked is answered. The medical benefits are proven. It is of course a personal choice, but I will always support a Mother breastfeeding her Baby. Many men just think breast are for playing with and looking at, God gave Women Breast for their Babies nourishment, everything else one does with their breast is secondary. Thank you for the great question!

Answer 3

~The first day or so, a baby should be getting the breast milk, because the first feedings are jam-packed with a lot of nutrients that will help their immune systems.
~Most mothers produce milk that has the right blend of nutrients that a baby needs.
~It's free.
~If you give cow's milk to a child under 1 year of age, they have a greater chance of developing diabetes.
~It's a time that a mother and her baby can bond with each other.
As long as there isn't any pain or chafing, and the baby is not rejecting the breast, I say go for it. There is no healthier option for babies.

Answer 4

Cow's milk is ABSOLUTELY not recommended for babies. Human breast milk contains all the nutrients in just the right combination for babies. It also contains antibodies that help protect babies from disease--even a good formula can't do that. It's always sanitary (unlike formula that's been sitting around in a bottle or was prepared with bad water) and it's affordable (free!). In addition, breastfeeding helps new mothers recover from childbirth faster and helps mothers and babies bond (partly through a hormone called oxytocin.)

Answer 5

Cow's milk is made for cows. A human baby is not a cow. Breast milk is said to be best because it passes on the nutrients for a healthy baby. Children shouldn't start on cows milk until they are old enough for a sippy cup if that age. Soy formulas are much better especially because of milk allergies. I suggest you pay attention in your highschool science classes for the time being because obviously you haven't been. If you're out of highschool I suggest you take some courses in biology and early child hood education becuae your education is sorely lacking.

Answer 6

Well, sounds kind of wierd, but mother humans don't give birth to baby cows!

The cows milk contains nutrients for the baby cows, just like the humans milk contains nutrients that are essential for baby humans.

I mean, come on, how often do you see mother humans nursing a baby cow?

Once a baby human is old enough to handle food without the essential nutrients, they can have cow milk!

Answer 7

My wife and I raised 10 children (I'm now 65 years old) - Lacking cooperative families to teach us about child care, we studied EVERYTHING we could get our hands on . Learning HOW to breast feed was a serious challenge for her, but well worth the trouble - see "source" for help with this. The first two babies lost out a bit, first because following the ignorant advice of well meaning people, she "lost" her milk prematurely. Second, because it took that long to find the source for intelligent and knowledgable help (see below) - but babies three through ten were all nursed until THEY were ready to be weaned - in spite of objections from ignorant but well meaning doctors and so-called "friends". In more "primitive" cultures, this skill (and it IS a skill, one that has to be learned and developed) - this skill is usually taught mother to daughter - often with help from aunts, sisters, grandmothers and the like. I resist the temptation to expound on the ignorance of the "prudes" who would discourage this vital and time honored skill because THEY find the sights or sounds disturbing. (My wife wore a "poncho" - or "serape" - and no, we are NOT Latino - to nurse the babies when we were in public places - there were a few 'sensitive' moments when well meaning people wanted to "hold the baby" - thinking she had merely coverd the baby to shield it from the light )

After reviewing - rather quickly, so I MAY have missed something, - I see three primary reasons, and a few secondary reasons, to breast feed that seem to have been overlooked.

First - besides the nutritional drawbacks, Cows Milk "curdles" in larger clumps that human milk - this makes it harder for baby to digest and can cause "tummy aches" and colic.

Most importantly though is that a mother's milk carries antibodies that help a baby ward of diseases that the mother has been exposed to in the past - or may be exposed to WITH the baby - a baby's immune system needs all the help it can get. You can bet your last penny that "formula" can't do THAT!

A third very wonderful benefit is that properly nursing the babys helps space them! (Please note the word "properly"). As a result of our studies and observation of "nature's way", - our babies were naturally spaced two years apart - with one exception where we artifically extended the spacing of one child because we were living in a third world country with some rather 'strange' child birthing customs to which we did not want to be subjected.

One area of concern though is that mother's milk may also carry toxins if the mother has "bad habits" that put her baby at risk - but a "clean living" healthy woman can provide Mother Nature's absolutely best food for baby. Again, see "source" for more help in that area.

Secondary reasons - strictly NOT for the baby! If you are nursing, you are not likely to need or want implants! Speaking just for myself, as husband - with no scientific basis - watching my wife nurse our babies enhanced my feelings of tenderness for both wife and child, made me feel more determined to be a better provider and protector, and touched my heart as nothing else could possibly do. There were "other" enhancements - in the bedroom - as well.

Some of the women in my wife's nursing support group indicated that nursing sometimes produced , let's call them, "Pleasureable Sensatons" - well, DUH! Isn't that what it is SUPPOSED to do? Make the woman want to do that which produces MORE babies? One such woman, however, was repulsed by these feelings and left off breast feeding. So sad, as that deprived the baby of both the antibodies indicated above as well as the intimacy that builds feelings of self worth and security.

(got a lousy wy-fi connecton so spell checking wasn't working well - dispensed with it)

Answer 8

It contains all the nutrients that growing babies need. besides that it helps mother and child bond together. I also heard that breast milk is easier for babies to digest which makes them less gassy and less fussy.

Answer 9

Cow's milk is for calves... Human breast milk is for human babies... Special nutrients and such, I'm sure...

Answer 10

Breastfeeding is better for the child, from a psycological and immunological point of view.

It enhances mother/child bonding and supplies IgG antibodies the infant will not have developed.