BREAST FEEDING VS BOTTLE FEEDING By: Chrissy Nand

MAKING A CHOICE The decision to breast feed or bottle feed should be a choice made by mothers. However, in today’s society, this does not appear to be the case. New mothers are strongly encouraged to breast feed and those who do not, are often viewed negatively. Both feeding methods have advantages and disadvantages, and new mothers should be provided with adequate information on their options, and be encouraged to make an informed decision.

BREAST FEEDING -Advantages Good balance of nutrients Contains high levels of nutrients Easily digested and absorbed Infant determines amount No cost Always the right temperature No preparation time Milk is readily available (American Pregnancy Association, 2005)

BREAST FEEDING - DISADVANTAGES Mother must be present for feeding If feeding is missed, mother must pump Initially, breast feeding may be challenging Some medications may interfere with breast feeding (American Pregnancy Association, 2005)

BOTTLE FEEDING - ADVANTAGES Anyone can help feed the infant Formulas are made to adequately meet the nutritional needs of the infant May be more comfortable for some mothers to feed in public (American Pregnancy Association, 2005) (American Family Physician, 1996)

BOTTLE FEEDING - disadvantages Not as effectively utilized as breast milk Nutritional content depends on proper preparation Some infants have difficulty tolerating some nutrients Can be costly Amount infant receives, determined by care- giver/pediatrician Preparation time varies and involves warming the formula (American Pregnancy Association, 2005)

Is your infant getting enough? Your infant is getting enough breast milk when they have: At least 6-8 wet diapers every day By two weeks, are back up to birth weight Audible swallowing while breast feeding At least four or more bowel movements daily (American Family Physician, 1996)

CHOOSING INFANT FORMULA Baby formula is available in different forms: Ready-to-use liquid Concentrated liquid Powder (American Family Physician, 1996)

REFERENCES American Family Physician. (1996). Patient information: breast feeding and bottle feeding. American Family Physician, 54 (1), Retrieved October 1, 2005, from Academic Search Premier database. American Pregnancy Association. (2005). Breast feeding vs bottle feeding. Retrieved September 29, 2005, from tyearoflife/breastfeedingandbottle.html tyearoflife/breastfeedingandbottle.html

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: s_bottle.php breastfeeding.php