by Carla Hosking

Created on: February 27, 2007   Last Updated: October 23, 2009

Ok. To breast feed or not to breast feed?

First of all I must establish that all mothers are different, bottle feeding is a safe form of feeding a baby as long as it is done properly and all equipment is sterilized appropriately.

As a childcare worker, I know the benefits and the disadvantages of breast feeding and bottle feeding. It is up to you which way you turn to but I must stress that there is nothing wrong with either of these practices, just individual preference.

First I will start with the advantages of feeding on the breast.

As long as the baby is latched onto the nipple correctly (the whole areola) breast feeding should be completely painless to both the mother and the baby and a satisfying bonding experience. Breast feeding provides the baby with all the nourishments it needs, and at the correct temperature the baby needs. We must remember that human breast milk is produced specifically for a human baby, and helps the baby to develop immunities as breast milk contains anti-bodies. Compared to the prices that formula milk costs yearly, breast feeding is completely free and is free flowing, so as long as the baby is hungry, the milk will flow.

The advantages of feeding a baby from the bottle is that this way of practice is also very safe as long as it is done correctly and the equipment used is properly sterilized as you wouldn't want your baby to get stomach problems. At least with a bottle feed you can measure exactly how much milk your baby is getting, whereas, unless you express the milk into a measurer, you can't. However, although breast feeding has its advantages it also has some disadvantages.

Mothers often get tired when babies demand food in the middle of the night, so with breast feeding, unless it is expressed into a bottle, the father cannot feed the baby. Also, certain medication can harm the baby if the mother is taking them while breast feeding so always consult your doctor.

The disadvantages of bottle feeding a baby are many, but if done correctly can still be safe. Formula feeds cost alot yearly whereas breast milk is free and 100% natural. With the use of microwaves becoming much more common, Mothers now can heat bottles up using the microwave which is dangerous as can cause scolding and burning in the babies mouth as microwaves heat unevenly, so please make sure when heating a babies bottle, to check the temperature on the back of your hand to prevent any harm coming to your baby. Bottle feeds are much harder to prepare and takes alot of time, bottles and all other feeding equipment MUST be thoroughly sterilized and formula must have EXACTLY the correct amount of powder and water as recommended so that you can make sure your baby is thriving properly, too much formula will result in a baby which is thriving too quickly and becomes too big, and too little can result in a baby which hasn't thrived properly and so becomes under developed. Consult your midwife or doctor if you have any worries. Another disadvantage of bottle feeding is the fact that it contains no anti-bodies and so the baby is more prone to infection that a baby fed on the mothers breast milk.

It is up to the Mother in question whether she wants to breast milk or bottle feed but I think that breast milk is the best way to go to make sure the baby is getting all requirements they need and for a family with less money, alot cheaper. Babies arent cheap.

Learn more about this author, Carla Hosking.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.