
Trying for a baby	Pregnant	Birth & labour	Baby	Toddler

Advantages of breastfeeding

If you choose to breastfeed your baby, you can be sure your baby will be receiving literally all he needs to grow and thrive during the first six months of his life. Manufacturers of formula food and artificial substitutes have spent years trying to reproduce the marvellous benefits of breastfeeding but, so far, nobody has quite managed to emulate the mass of nutrients found in your breast milk. Of course, there are also many reasons why a woman may not be able to breastfeed, so if you are one of those women, do not torment yourself with guilt about it, as your baby will still receive all his important nutritional requirements from formula milk.

The difference between formula and breast milk is that breast milk is a ‘live’ liquid, full of antibodies that help fight against infections that might come your baby’s way as well as containing active cells that work to soak up viruses and any bacteria that might come into contact. So, even if you breastfed once after the birth and then went on to formula milk, your baby will still receive a dose of antibodies.

This will boost and support his immature immune system and it is always available fresh and at the right temperature. The skin-to-skin contact that a breast-fed baby has with his mother is also an important part of the bonding process although there is no reason why a bottle fed baby cannot have the same contact with his mother. Additionally, breastfeeding does not cost a penny, unlike bottle-feeding, and with no packaging or transportation issues, is good for the environment too!

Studies have shown that breast-fed babies and children are far less likely to suffer from a whole host of problems and illnesses, including: prolonged colds, allergies, eczema, a five times higher risk of diarrhoea and vomiting (requiring hospital admission), insulin dependent diabetes, heart disease, obesity, ear and urinary tract infections, and severe respiratory infections, to name but a few. Children who were not breast-fed are also at greater risk of obesity and high blood pressure and show lower than average scores on tests of neurological development. In addition, breastfeeding helps reduce the risk of osteoporosis, breast cancer and cancer of the ovaries for the mother and helps to get your figure back quickly.

This does not mean that your bottle-fed baby is going to be sick, but breast-fed babies do have the best start, which is why it is good to try to breastfeed even just once or twice at the beginning of your new baby’s life, as this will help to make a positive difference. There are many reasons why some women cannot breastfeed, because of illness perhaps, but more often it is the case that a woman thinks (for a variety for reasons) that she is unable to breastfeed. This is generally not the case and, with the right support and guidance, she will be able to breastfeed. It is only a small minority of women who will not be able to do so. (See How to breastfeed correctly).

If a woman is worried about not being able to go back to work or cope with the sheer task of breastfeeding alone, it is a good idea to consider the possibility of supplementing breastfeeding by expressing milk that is then given in a bottle to the baby. This means that the father can share in responsibility of feeding and it also means that the baby will be easier to wean off the breast when the time comes. Babies that are exclusively breastfed often take longer to wean off from the breast. Watch pumping and expressing milk for further advice on how to do this.

Despite the medical profession understanding the overwhelming importance of breastfeeding, the UK has one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in Europe. A third of British women never try to breastfeed, compared to a tiny 2% of women in Sweden. Considering the benefits of breastfeeding, for both mother and child, this is a shame. If you are having problems, please seek help from your midwife or health visitor, as they can usually be solved with a little help.