This has been a source of countless debates for years among mothers and pediatricians. Breast milk vs formula, what’s the best option for a child? The method of nursing is a crucial decision that mothers have to make for their babies.
Human breast milk is widely praised and accepted as the ideal nutrition for a baby. However, most mothers prefer to use formulas. This leads to a conflict of opinions and interests. Many mothers are usually conflicted on which option to go for between breastfeeding and formula feeding.
Factors to consider:
Nonetheless, before deciding on which diet to give to your baby, there are some factors you need to put into consideration. You need to consider these factors because you may prefer a particular option, but that option may not be the best for the baby. You don’t want to harm your baby because of your personal preferences.
- The first factor that you need to consider when choosing between breast milk and formula for your baby is the nutritional value of each of the options. The baby must get the correct amount of nutrients every feeding time.
Many studies have been conducted to determine which of the two options provide the best nutritional value for the baby. Most of the reports supported breast milk. These reports prove that human breast milk contains various nutrients that strengthen a baby’s immune system and enhances growth and development.
Formulas also contain nutrients, but in most cases, they’re synthesized nutrients that do not measure up to the natural nutrients in human breast milk. Although, there are some formulas like Hipp Dutch that also contain a high amount of organic nutrients.
- Another factor to consider when deciding between breast milk and formula is how the milk affects the baby’s digestive system. In general, breast milk is gentler on babies’ digestive systems, so they do not have issues digesting breast milk. Breast milk has an all-natural composition that is compatible with the human body, so it’s less likely to disturb the sensitive digestive system. Formulas usually contain different kinds of synthetic compounds that may be difficult for the baby to digest.
If you feed your baby conventional baby formulas, it may develop problems properly digesting the milk. You can check out products such as Hipp Dutch baby formula or see your pediatrician for recommendations if you decide to feed your baby formulas.
- Lastly, the mother should also consider her health before deciding to breastfeed her baby. Most mothers promote breast milk as the ultimate nutrition for a baby. However, this is sometimes not the case. There are cases where the formula is required to ensure the baby’s health. In cases where the mother has a health condition such as HIV that can be transmitted to the baby through body fluids, the baby’s preferred nutrition is the formula. Also, mothers who have silicone implants in their breasts should discuss with a doctor before breastfeeding their babies. The silicon may leak and contaminate breast milk, and this may be dangerous for the baby.