To breastfeed or not to breastfeed a baby

Breast milk is undoubtedly the best nutrition for every baby; however, it is up to each mother to decide whether she will breastfeed her child or not. What are the advantages and disadvantages of breastfeeding, and when should you not breastfeed?

Advantages of breastfeeding

• The amount and composition of the milk are formed according to the baby's needs.
• If the mother is ill, the baby receives antibodies through the milk.
• Breastfeeding reduces the risk and protects the mother against tumors and various types of cancer.
• Breastfeeding anytime and anywhere is possible; no aids are needed for it (bottles, dispensers, etc.).
• It is a time when the mother is connected with the baby, and it is their special moment. This is especially appreciated by breastfed toddlers.

Disadvantages of breastfeeding

• If the baby wants to be fed but the mother is not home, it is necessary to have expressed milk or, during a longer separation, formula.
• If the baby latches poorly, breast injury may occur, and it then takes some time for things to go back to normal; each feeding is painful.
• Blocked milk duct may occur (it can be solved within one day) or breast inflammation (usually treated with antibiotics).

Mothers who do not breastfeed

Some expectant mothers do not want or cannot breastfeed their child, for many reasons. Either way, to stop lactation it is recommended to bind the breasts firmly, or ask a doctor for a pill that stops milk production. When do mothers most often not breastfeed and feed their child formula?

• The mother may develop an aversion to breastfeeding, which manifests through various physical symptoms such as vomiting.
• Postpartum psychosis - the mother is taking medication that is incompatible with breastfeeding.
• The mother is addicted to drugs.
• Metabolic disease or the mother suffers from another serious illness that is incompatible with breastfeeding.
• The mother is taking medication that must not be used while breastfeeding (this can be checked here https://www.e-lactancia.org).
• Early return to work and the need for someone else to care for the child during the day.
• For some mothers, not breastfeeding is more convenient and practical; feeding times can be scheduled.
• Mothers who cannot manage to breastfeed after giving birth and whose baby is not gaining weight or is even losing weight will in most cases prefer formula, which is a shame because this can be solved with the help of a lactation consultant.
• The baby develops a cow's milk protein allergy, and instead of eliminating from her diet what bothers the baby, the mother would rather switch to formula.
• Very exceptionally, it may happen that the mother does not produce any milk, and so she has no other option than to use formula.

Disadvantages of not breastfeeding

• Sterilizing bottles.
• When away from home, everything needed for preparation must be taken along - warm water, a serving of formula or a scoop and a bottle.
• It is necessary to find the right type of milk that will suit the baby (anti-reflux, anti-colic, lactose-free, etc.).

Most important of all is undoubtedly a happy mother, who has a positive impact on her child as well. If breastfeeding is not the path the mother wants to take in motherhood, then it is her free choice. Ideally, a woman decides on her own whether she will breastfeed or not, because she cannot or does not want to for some reason. It should not be the case that a woman is influenced by pressure from those around her (for example, someone from the family, hospital staff, or a pediatrician), lacks information, and after a few days, when breastfeeding is not going as she would like, gives it up instead.

The more informed a mother is about breastfeeding and the more she prepares for it during pregnancy, the greater the likelihood that she will breastfeed. And at the same time, if breastfeeding babies in public were visible, of course discreetly, it would become the norm, and mothers would not think about whether breastfeeding after birth will or will not work, but would be set up in the mindset that they will simply breastfeed, because that is how nature arranged it.

Whether you feed your baby with breast milk or formula, respect that someone else has it differently than you do, and no mother is better or worse. We are all great mothers and do the best we can at any given moment.