As an expectant mother, you'll be required to make plenty of complicated decisions before you add that little angel to your family; however, deciding whether or not to do breast feeding exclusively for the first year of a baby's life can be a complicated decision, with plenty of research to support each side of the argument. While many people feel that breastfeeding for too long can hinder the development of a child past the first year of life, other mothers feel that breast feeding is the best way to provide their babies with the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that they need in order to grow into strong and healthy toddlers.
So which side of the fence are you on? Is exclusively breast feeding your child right for you, or should you introduce baby formula after a few months? If you want to breast feed, how long should you do it before weaning your baby to semi-solid foods?
While you may find research to support either stance, the majority of major health organizations encourage mothers to exclusively breast feed for the first six months of the baby's life. Not only is nursing a bonding experience for both mother and child, but the unique nutrients and enzymes found in breast milk can help protect a baby against disease, infection and allergies. Additionally, the antibodies found in breast milk can fight off common discomforts that babies often experience, including ear and respiratory infections, diarrhea and asthma, not to mention more serious diseases like obesity, meningitis, diabetes and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Researchers from major health organizations like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the World Health Organization (WHO) regards breast milk as the perfect food for a baby's digestive system, since it can be more easily digested than baby formula and lessens the risk of having diarrhea. In addition to this, breast milk contains much-needed vitamin D, which is essential to the healthy growth and function of a baby. While all baby formula contains this necessary vitamin, many mothers are comforted knowing that their own breast milk has all of the nutrients their bundle of joy could need to grow and develop into a toddler.
Of course, many mothers prefer breast feeding simply because it's free - and given the current straits that the economy is in, eliminating expensive baby formula from your grocery list can provide much-needed relief for many parents under economic duress. Also, women who exclusively breast feed are far less likely to take time off from work in order to care for a sick baby, since babies raised on breast milk don't get as sick as often as babies who are nurtured on baby formula. This makes breast milk an ideal choice for those mothers who are reluctant to take sick days.
For those mothers who are anxious to lose the baby weight, breast feeding provides an excellent way to shed the excess pounds, since researchers have proven that it can burn up to five hundred calories per day. By exclusively breast feeding, you'll be back in your pre-baby jeans in no time at all!
However, many mothers switch their babies to formula after the six month mark simply because it's too much of a hassle to consistently breast feed. With busy professional lives, many women don't have the luxury to take time out to breast feed; therefore, baby formula provides them with the convenience that they need to raise the baby while attending to their jobs. In addition to this benefit, many mothers feel more comfortable knowing that the baby formula has all of the nutrition that a baby needs, especially since busy working moms might not have the time or the resources to get the proper diet that they need to provide their child with essential vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. Of course, while mothers may not get the same skin-on-skin bonding experience that comes hand in hand with breast feeding, it's important to regard feeding time as a bonding experience regardless of whether or not you're using breast milk or baby formula.
If you're still undecided about whether or not breast feeding is right for you after the first six months, it's important to realize that it's primarily a personal choice. If you prefer using baby formula after the sixth month mark, you shouldn't feel guilty for wanting to wean your child off of your breast milk, especially as baby formula contains every nutrient your baby could need. If breast feeding fits into your schedule and feels right for you, then that's exactly what you should do. After all, breast feeding provides mothers and babies with the bonding time that they need before they grow up to become happy and active toddlers!
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