Makers of baby formula have devoted years of research to match the nutritional needs of babies naturally provided by the mother through breast milk.
A perfect mixture of the fat, sugar, water, and protein needed for a baby's development, breast milk is easier for an infant to digest than formula and carries important antibodies.
When you factor in the health benefits for the mother, breastfeeding is the best choice for both.
“Breastfeeding is absolutely invaluable,” said Jodi Privette, IBCLC, RLC, Trident Medical Center. “There is nothing that can compare to the benefits for mom and baby. If you are having problems do not hesitate to contact a Lactation Consult."

Baby's Perfect Food?
Breastfeeding your baby is the best way to ensure he or she is receiving proper nutrition and hydration.
The U.S. Surgeon General recommends that babies be fed only breast milk for the first six months (www.4women.gov) and that solid foods be added incrementally over the first year to augment mother's milk.
Breast milk changes to meet your baby's needs as he or she grows. At birth, colostrum (rich in antibodies) is the first secretion from the breast.
At first, milk comes in watery to help hydrate the baby. Mature milk is more substantive with everything the baby needs for the first months of life.

Mixed Emotions?
Breastfeeding is an individual decision. You need to consider whether it's right for you and your baby and how long to breastfeed. However, an overwhelming amount of research suggests numerous benefits for your child (www.fda.gov).
• Breastfed babies are less likely to suffer from allergies, and any food allergies are delayed until solid food is introduced.
• Breastfeeding is easier on the environment, eliminating waste of formula cans and bottle supplies.
• Breastfeeding mothers are more productive, missing less work than their formula-feeding counterparts because their babies are sick less often.
• Compared to babies who are fed formula, premature babies on breast milk do better.
• Especially if they were born prematurely, babies fed breast milk also score slightly higher on IQ tests.
• Total medical costs for the nation are lower for breastfed infants than for exclusively formula-fed infants due to their reduced need for prescriptions, hospitalizations, and sick-care visits.

Mother's Little Helper
Expectant mothers should consider not just the convenience of breastfeeding versus bottle-feeding, but also the psychological benefits to the mother and child resulting from the regular, close interactions.
Additional benefits for new mothers include:
• Breastfeeding burns up to 500 calories a day, helping women shed post-pregnancy pounds faster and keep the weight off.
• Breastfeeding exclusively without substituting pacifiers, food, or formula for feedings will help delay menstrual periods, conserving iron and contributing to spacing out pregnancies.
• Nursing mothers have higher levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, which reduces their risk for heart disease.
• The repeated suckling of an infant signals the pituitary gland to release the hormone for milk production and causes the uterus to contract, preventing post-partum hemorrhaging and a quicker return to its pre-pregnancy size.
• Women who breastfeed have reduced risk of Type 2 diabetes and breast and ovarian cancer (www.ahrq.gov).

Did you know?
Infant formula has a chance of being contaminated if bottles and nipples are not properly sterilized.
Studies have shown babies not exclusively breastfed for at least six months are more likely to be hospitalized and develop infectious diseases, including diarrhea, respiratory illness, and ear infections.
Babies who are not breastfed show higher incidences of obesity, high cholesterol, asthma, diabetes, lymphoma, leukemia, Hodgkin's disease, and, in the first year of life, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Sources: www.4women.gov, www.ahrq.gov (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality), www.fda.gov