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In this day and age, we tend to think of formula as the standard of infant nutrition, and breastmilk is "better." You've heard the saying "breast is best," and you've heard all about the benefits of breastmilk. I'd like to offer a different viewpoint. Breastmilk is not simply better, it is not just more beneficial, it is not "best"- breastmilk is THE standard for infant nutrition. Anything else is substandard, and therefore not suitable for infant feeding.

Breastmilk is nature's perfect infant food. It is designed specifically for human babies, and changes to meet a growing baby's changing needs. The mother of a premature baby produces milk that is different from that of a mother of a full-term baby. The breastmilk of a mother of an older baby is higher in calories and contains different levels of nutrients than the milk of the mother of a newborn. Breastmilk contains all the nutrients necessary to sustain life for at least the first 6 months, with no fillers. All the ingredients in breastmilk are readily absorbed by the baby's system. Breastmilk is beneficial to older babies and young children, and can even be used in adults who have weakened immune systems (such as chemotherapy patients or burn victims).

Compare this to formula. Formula never changes in composition, regardless of how baby grows. It contains ingredients which are not meant for human babies (such as cow's milk, which is designed for baby cows, not baby humans). Many of these ingredients are not readily absorbed into baby's system - one example is the iron in formula, which is not easily absorbed and tends to lay in the baby's intestines, causing constipation and gastric distress. Formula does not contain all of the nutrients found in breastmilk, which indicates that it does not contain everything that baby needs to grow up to his fullest potential. And formula ceases to be useful after the age of one.

For a mother who is able to produce milk and does not have any medical factors contraindicating breastfeeding, there is no other logical choice but to breastfeed. It may not be convenient for every mother, but it is the absolute best choice for every baby.

Learn more about this author, Amy Weekley.
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