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The benefits of breastfeeding
include:
* Boosting immunity: The baby receives the mother's antibodies
to help it fight infection
* less likelihood that the baby suffers constipation, diarrhoea
and wind
* more protection against gastroenteritis, childhood diabetes,
allergies like eczema and chest and ear infections
* Convenience: There is no need to get up in the night to sterilise
bottles. Breast milk is always at the right temperature, is
available immediately, is easy for the baby to digest, contains
all the nutrients the baby needs and is free
* Reduction in the risk of the mother contracting early breast
or ovarian cancer and fracturing her hips
* A speedier return to the pre-pregnancy figure for the mother
as breastfeeding helps the womb to contract and also burns
up calories
The benefits of bottle feeding include:
* Convenience: The
mother does not have to do all the feeding and can leave the
baby with others while she catches up on sleep or gets a break
from the baby. Breastfeeding mothers can express their milk
into a bottle to give themselves a break, but many find this
uncomfortable
* Less anxiety: The mother can measure how much milk the baby
is taking in, although breastfeeding mothers can tell if their
baby is not getting enough milk through monitoring their weight
gain
* More sleep: Formula milk is more difficult to digest for
the baby so they tend to sleep longer.
* Comfort: If a breastfeeding mother misses or delays a feed,
her breasts may overfill and become painful and start leaking
milk. Some women develop an infection called mastitis - painful,
inflamed breasts. Others may experience lumps in the breast
caused by blocked milk ducts. Both conditions can be treated,
for example, by changing breastfeeding position. Women with
severe mastitis may need antibiotics.
Although organisations exist to help breastfeeding mothers,
many complain that they still do not get enough advice.
They often, for example, experience difficulty weaning babies
onto formula milk once the baby is used to breast milk and
they have to go back to work.
Health experts recommend that a baby is breast fed for the
first three months and longer if possible, but women who return
to work can continue to breastfeed at night and in the morning
while giving their baby formula milk during the day.
However, they will not get as much protection as a baby who
is wholly breast fed.
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Breastfeeding 