breast feed or formula?

Question

what are the pros & cons of breast feeding and formula feeding. im hearing lots of scrambled information and i want to know which would be better for me & my baby when i have one...

Answer 1

Breastfeeding is best for baby babies that breastfeed do not get sick as often, there not as colicy. Babies that are formula fed tend to have more gas. Dont worry though it sounds like you have a ways to go before you have a baby.

Answer 2

Breastfeeding is the best for your child. It is worth educating yourself about it and trying it. Get some good support. Alot of the women on here have really good resources. Get some help from the lactation consultants at your hospital. I breastfed my son only for a short time and gave up due to difficulty and I sincerely regret it. But I will tell you this, contrary to other women, I don't feel the bottles are a pain. I am sure if I would have bf longer I would have seen the benefit to it. But it certainly was easier in the beginning to bottle feed. My son is also healthy as a horse. He was 4 weeks early with no problems since and he is a good size now. No cold, no ear infections, etc. So although I do believe in the immunity benefits of breast milk and think it is important, I don't believe my son is any less healthy because he drinks formula. But then again, my husband and I are also extremely healthy, almost never even have a cold. Also, my son is on hypoallergenic formula. The cost is a bit over $50 per week. So that is something to think about in itself. Just educate yourself and give it a try.

Answer 3

Pros to formula feeding.... uh.... hmmm...
Well, if the mom dies or is in a coma, the baby can be fed. If you must be on one of the very few medications that are actually not compatible with breastfeeding (I mean actually not compatable- not just what a doctor thinks isn't compatable and it turns out they're wrong) then the baby can be fed. If the mom is in the teeny tiny percentage that actually cannot breastfeed... well, you get the point.
Cons to formula? More dishes! Formula gets recalled a whole lot more often than breastmilk does. Warming bottles. Did I mention dishes? The cost- it is so expensive. Stinky poop. Exclusively breastfed baby poop smells way better- plus if you use cloth diapers it washes right out. Upset tummies- formula is way harder to digest.
Pros to breastfeeding: easy once you get the hang of it. Healthier for the baby. Good for you too- reduces the risk of breast and ovarian cancer. Always there and the right temperature. Don't have to worry about mixing it right. It's free! You only need a breastpump if you work. You don't NEED nursing bras or clothes or covers.
Cons to breastfeeding? I guess I must include them so I don't look biased... uh... well, there's a learning curve. It's harder for some women than other. It's a good idea to have someone around who can help you if you need it. Getting over nursing in public can take time. Other people's opinions can stink... getting the wrong information from people in your life and people in the medical community can make things difficult.
That's all I can think of right now. I hope you get good answers.
Good luck!!

Answer 4

Breast feeding is the healthiest form of nutrition for a baby . It is essentially the perfect food with the right balance of fat, protein, vitamins and minerals. For a woman breastfeeding helps to shrink the uterus after birth, staunch bleeding, and lose the weight faster.

However, if a woman cannot breastfeed (due to low supply, or complications) or just chooses not too formula is a good option. While it is not as good as breast milk, it is still very healthy and millions of people have raised healthy children on formula.

I would encourage you to try breastfeeding when you have a child. Take classes, read up on it and be educated about it. It is NOT easy, and many people try and don't like it or can't do it, but it is worth it to try.

Answer 5

Pros:
-always ready
-never needs to be mixed or prepared
-no bottles to make
-the baby will be sick much less often- ours is 16 months old and is still without a cold, an ear infection, etc. Still nursing.
-Lowers the risk for ovarian and breast cancer for you.
-It's cheap- you don't need nursing clothes. Just 4 nursing bras and a breastpump if you are going to be working.

Cons:
-If you are working- you'll have to pump to keep up your supply. It's ok though- I am working full-time as a teacher and was able to pump 3 times a day at work and she never needed formula in her first year.
-Pumping in general is not much fun but a small price to pay for breastfeeding.
-The first 6 weeks are the hardest with baby nursing so frequently. However, scheduling your day around baby makes that a lot easier. IE. getting comfy with baby and not worrying about housework, cooking, etc.
-Formula is expensive.

Good luck to you in whatever decision you make.

Answer 6

Breastfeed, breastfeed, breastfeed.
It is the absolute best nutrition for your baby, and formula cannot even begin to compare.

Honestly, I cannot think of any pros to formula...maybe being able to go out and have someone feed the baby without having to pump....but honestly, those kind of pros surely do not outweigh the amazing benefits of breastfeeding.

In most cases it is not that difficult, and problems can be overcome through the right support and knowledge.


http://www.promom.org/101/
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/links/bf-links.html

Answer 7

I second the recommendation to check out http://kellymom.com/ -- there is a lot of nonsense about nursing floating around out there. "Many women can't breast feed" is just silly; it's really quite rare that a mother can't nurse her baby.

This:

http://promom.org/101/index.html

is also worth a read.

Bottom line -- breastfeeding BY FAR. Formula is NOT "nearly as good," etc. Whatever you do, make sure your information doesn't come from the formula companies, or from people who got their info from the formula folk.

Answer 8

Breastfeeding is best for baby and mom. The only downside is that there is often a lack of support and good information that results in difficulties for new mothers. Good support in the beginning is crucial. When/if you get to that point, I'd recommend getting in touch with a local La Leche League group or a certified lactation consultant before your baby is born.

Benefits of Breastfeeding:

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/2/T020100.asp

Answer 9

Breastfeed! I formula feed, for personal reasons and don't regret it. But for whats best for your baby is breastmilk breast IS best. My sister is having a baby in April and I'm trying to get her to breastfeed and she doesn't want to and I'm trying to get her to do it for atleast 2 weeks. There isn't really no pros about formula but there is about breastmilk. Breastmilk can prevent ear infections and your baby from getting sick. I heard that babies don't get colic either.

Answer 10

Breast is best. But if you are unable to breastfeed don't feel like you are bad or not giving you child the best start in life. Because as long as the baby is being fed and loved then it doesn't matter. Good Luck and Happy Holidays!!!