PARENTS
Breastmilk vs Formula: Help for Your Decision
Different moms have different needs, but consider this when you make your choice.
Written by
Dr. Harvey Karp
SHARE THIS ARTICLE
PARENT PICKS
Bestsellers
PARENTS
Written by
Dr. Harvey Karp
SHARE THIS ARTICLE
Bestsellers
Different mums have different needs. For some, breastfeeding is not an option, for either medical or personal reasons.
If you do not breastfeed, there are several good formulas available. Formula is easy to work around your sleep schedule. (At bedtime, just put a thermos of clean warm water and a baby bottle with pre-measured formula powder by your bed. Then, when your baby gets hungry, mix them together and voilà! You have fresh formula without having to totter down to the kitchen and start from scratch.) Formula also allows your partner to give a feeding, giving you the chance to catch up on a little sleep.
But if you can breastfeed, this is definitely the way to go. Breastmilk has hundreds of ingredients to build strong bodies and brains, and scores of special immune boosters (even white blood cells) to enhance immunity and prevent illness…and it reduces SIDS.
In addition, breastmilk is always clean, warm and available (which will save you hours of time and hundreds of dollars). Breastfeeding can also help you lose weight (your baby sucks out of you as many calories as you would consume running 3-5 miles a day).
Supplementing breastmilk with formula is perfectly fine—in fact, it is preferable to dropping breastfeeding altogether. It is especially helpful if you have difficulty expressing breastmilk. Keep in mind that your body will adjust to the number of times you breastfeed, so as you breastfeed less, you will start to produce less breastmilk. However, combining breastmilk and formula is recommended over completely dropping breastfeeding altogether.
The discussion about whether to breastfeed or formula feed has sparked an ongoing debate. Ultimately, the best way to feed a baby depends on what a mum needs. If breastfeeding is not an option because of medical or personal reasons, then fresh formula is a great alternative. What really matters is that baby is getting fed, and breastfeeding is not causing undue physical or emotional stress on Mum.
Disclaimer: The information on our site is NOT medical advice for any specific person or condition. It is only meant as general information. If you have any medical questions and concerns about your child or yourself, please contact your health provider. Breastmilk is the best source of nutrition for babies. It is important that, in preparation for and during breastfeeding, mothers eat a healthy, balanced diet. Combined breast- and bottle-feeding in the first weeks of life may reduce the supply of a mother's breastmilk and reversing the decision not to breastfeed is difficult. If you do decide to use infant formula, you should follow instructions carefully.
