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The Advantages Of
Bottle Feeding
By
Robin OBrien
All new mothers are advised to breastfeed. We're told
that breast milk is best and that there are so many
benefits to breastfeeding. So, is bottle feeding second
best? Are there no advantages to bottle feeding your
baby?
Many mothers today are made to feel guilty about bottle
feeding their baby. The medical profession, the media,
family, strangers in the street, all eulogize the
benefits of breastfeeding. We're told; it's natural; it
has just the right nutrients for your baby; it promotes
better bonding between mother and child; it's
environmentally friendly! All of these things are true
to an extent but the plain fact is, many mothers do not
breastfeed their child and many are made to feel like a
pariah if they opt for the bottle. Promoting
breastfeeding as being best is fine, but disparaging
mothers who bottle feed is not.
If you are a mother who has chosen not to breastfeed,
and who can't breastfeed, you must never, ever feel
guilty about doing so. Today's baby milk formula is the
closest it has ever been to breast milk. It also comes
fortified with many nutrients that are low or absent in
many mother's breast milk. Formula milk is fortified
with iron and vitamin D.
Fact: Iron-fortified infant formulas have actually been
credited for the declining incidence of anemia in
infants.
For this reason, the American Academy of Pediatrics
highly recommends that mothers who are not breastfeeding
use an iron-fortified infant formula. So, as far as
nutrition goes, a mother need have no worries about
giving her baby milk formula. Being a mother is very
tiring. Infant formula milk is not as easily digested as
mother's milk.
Consequently, the baby feels satiated for longer periods
and this extends the time between feedings at an earlier
stage. So a mother who bottle feeds can get more rest
between feeds than a mother who breastfeeds.
One major cause of concern for breastfeeding mothers is
knowing whether or not her baby is getting enough milk.
Not so with infant formula. A mother who bottle feeds
her baby knows exactly how much she has fed her child
and can rest easy knowing her child has received its
recommended daily allowance.
A mother who bottle feeds her child can return to a more
normal life than a mother who breastfeeds. A mother who
bottle feeds can wear the clothes she wants; a nursing
mother has to wear clothes to accommodate her hungry
baby. A mother who bottle feeds can eat the diet she
chooses and not have to worry about drinking alcohol; a
breastfeeding mother's diet is a much duller affair.
Bottle feeding mothers can take medication when the need
to; a breastfeeding mother has to be very careful about
any medication she takes as this will be passed on to
baby through her breast milk, in fact some medication
may even stop her milk production.
Lovemaking is sometimes not easy for the breastfeeding
woman because the hormonal changes associated with
lactation leaves her vagina dry. In addition,
breastfeeding can lead to sore nipples and leaky
breasts, which are not conducive to lovemaking. A bottle
feeding mother should not have these problems. She also
has the added benefit of being able to choose the
contraception of her choice. A breastfeeding mother
cannot take the oral pill as its hormones will be passed
on to baby through her breast milk.
A mother who bottle feeds her child can begin to diet
six weeks after delivery. A breastfeeding mother on the
other hand, has to be careful about her diet.
Bottle feeding in public tends to be far less
embarrassing for a mother than does breastfeeding. A
consequence is that many mothers who choose to bottle
feed generally venture outdoors much more than those who
breastfeeding; society has not made public breastfeeding
easy for mothers.
So, next time you may feel as though you're letting
yourself and baby down, remember that they are many
advantages to giving your baby infant formula, for both
mother and child.
Robin O'Brien is a successfully webmaster and founder of
http://www.bottle-feeding-baby.com where he
provides help, support and advice on
bottle feeding your baby.
Article Source:
Robin_OBrien |
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