Breast Feeding and Bottle Feeding
Rasmussen College
Human Growth and Development
Breast feeding is beneficial to both mother and child but, there are also disadvantages of
breast feeding as well. Whether you are a stay at home mom who is able to exclusively breast
, feed or are a working mother that has to pump, some will applaud you while others may
scrutinize you. The same goes for bottle feeding. There are those that say breast is best and
others who simply say that fed is best. Both bottle feeding and breast feeding have their
advantages and disadvantages. There are also laws and legislations regarding women who breast
feed and have to pump at work.
Breast milk is saturated with nutrients from the mother’s body and the food that she eats.
It is full of protein, fats, vitamins, and carbohydrates. A major benefit of breast feeding is that the
infant’s immune system is much stronger because they receive live antibodies from the mother’s
immune system. The benefits from the breast milk not only have an impact on infant health but it
still impacts them through out their life. It is shown to lower the risk of obesity and heart disease
later in life. Not only are the benefits for the infant but there are also benefits for the mother. In
order to produce the milk, the body uses an extra 500 calories a day which can aid in weight loss.
Breast feeding also promotes a healthy emotional bond between the mother and child because of
the skin to skin contact.
While the benefits of breast feeding are immense, there are also disadvantages as well.
The first is that breast feeding can be painful. The nipples can be sore and raw and the breasts
may feel painfully engorged. Also, the baby will get teeth eventually and may bite the nipples
and breasts. Another inconvenience is dietary restrictions. You cannot take many medications
while breast feeding because they can go into the breast milk and affect the baby. You also may
have to cut certain foods out of your diet if your child has allergies or intolerances. Breast fed
babies also have to be fed more often which means that there are more times during the night that
you will have to up with the baby which can lead to exhaustion and frustration.
Rasmussen College
Human Growth and Development
Breast feeding is beneficial to both mother and child but, there are also disadvantages of
breast feeding as well. Whether you are a stay at home mom who is able to exclusively breast
, feed or are a working mother that has to pump, some will applaud you while others may
scrutinize you. The same goes for bottle feeding. There are those that say breast is best and
others who simply say that fed is best. Both bottle feeding and breast feeding have their
advantages and disadvantages. There are also laws and legislations regarding women who breast
feed and have to pump at work.
Breast milk is saturated with nutrients from the mother’s body and the food that she eats.
It is full of protein, fats, vitamins, and carbohydrates. A major benefit of breast feeding is that the
infant’s immune system is much stronger because they receive live antibodies from the mother’s
immune system. The benefits from the breast milk not only have an impact on infant health but it
still impacts them through out their life. It is shown to lower the risk of obesity and heart disease
later in life. Not only are the benefits for the infant but there are also benefits for the mother. In
order to produce the milk, the body uses an extra 500 calories a day which can aid in weight loss.
Breast feeding also promotes a healthy emotional bond between the mother and child because of
the skin to skin contact.
While the benefits of breast feeding are immense, there are also disadvantages as well.
The first is that breast feeding can be painful. The nipples can be sore and raw and the breasts
may feel painfully engorged. Also, the baby will get teeth eventually and may bite the nipples
and breasts. Another inconvenience is dietary restrictions. You cannot take many medications
while breast feeding because they can go into the breast milk and affect the baby. You also may
have to cut certain foods out of your diet if your child has allergies or intolerances. Breast fed
babies also have to be fed more often which means that there are more times during the night that
you will have to up with the baby which can lead to exhaustion and frustration.
