Breastmilk vs Formula: Help for Your Decision

Breastfeeding vs Formula

Different mums have different needs. For some, breastfeeding is not an option, for either medical or personal reasons. 

What is the Difference Between Breastmilk vs Formula?

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. 

Pros of Breastfeeding vs Formula

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). 

Is It Okay to Breastfeed and Formula Feed at the Same Time?

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.

Final Thoughts: Breastfeeding vs Formula

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. 

Avvertenza: Le informazioni presenti sul nostro sito NON sono consigli medici per alcuna persona specifica o condizione. Sono solo intese come informazioni generali. Se avete domande o preoccupazioni mediche riguardo vostro figlio o voi stessi, si prega di contattare il vostro fornitore di assistenza sanitaria. Il latte materno è la migliore fonte di nutrizione per i neonati. È importante che, in preparazione e durante l'allattamento al seno, le madri seguano una dieta sana ed equilibrata. L'allattamento misto (seno e biberon) nelle prime settimane di vita può ridurre la produzione di latte materno e la decisione di non allattare al seno può essere difficile da invertire. Se decidete di utilizzare il latte artificiale per neonati, dovreste seguire attentamente le istruzioni.