Prod & Cons of Breast Feeding

To Breast Feed or Not To Breast Feed
The pile of baby books on her nightstand is enough to give her nightmares. For the past nine months, the expectant mother has dedicated a great amount of time engaging herself in hardback copies of parenting books, noting everything she needs to know about her baby. Her only difficulty is pondering the question of whether to breast feed or bottle feed. She has considered both options but is still unsure about her final verdict. The pain of the breast feeding and convenience of the bottle feeding make her decision easy, but she still can’t help thinking which one is more beneficial.
New mothers often find it difficult to choose between breast feeding and bottle feeding. Some mothers decide which method suits them best as soon as they find out they are pregnant, while some contemplate the decision up until labor. Neither decision is technically bad; both ways to feed infants have their pros and cons. Although it may be the mother’s decision, newborns usually wish to be breast fed due to the numerous health advantages that will be beneficiary later on in their lives. While bottle feeding may be a good back up plan for most mothers, it is important to consider the long term benefits for both the mother and the baby as a result of breast feeding.
Breast feeding allows newborns to nurture and expand while preventing their chances of being diagnosed with a crucial disease. Exclusive breast feeding for six months and continued breast feeding afterwards help maintain the mother’s and the baby’s health (Wolf). This results in healthier lifestyles in years to come for both the mother and the child. According to expert Isadora B. Stehlin, although formula has improved significantly, breast feeding is still the better option because formula is not exact with breast milk. Breast milk has been proven to have an effective impact on a baby’s life (Stehlin). In Minneapolis, 96 percent of babies were breast fed during their first two...