When you become a new parent, the most crucial decision is likely whether to breastfeed your baby or go for formula milk. Breastfeeding has advantages, but formula feeding can be a better option depending on several factors.
What is Formula Feeding?
Formula feeding is an alternative to breastfeeding. Formula milk is the powdered version of cow milk with extra minerals and vitamins.
How is Formula Milk Similar to Breast Milk?
Formula milk supports the baby’s growth for the first six months and has the exact ingredients of breast milk. Let’s see why and how formula feeding can prove beneficial for you.
Inability to Feed the Baby
Breastmilk is free but not for everyone. It comes with many struggles and pain making it daunting for the mother to feed the baby properly.
Not Able to Produce Enough Milk
Not everyone is made to breastfeed their baby. This inability to breastfeed can be because of many reasons. One reason is that you might not produce enough milk for your baby. If that is the case, you will need formula milk to fulfill the daily milk requirement of your baby.
Working Mother
Breastfeeding can confine you to one place for some time, stopping you from continuously performing your day-to-day tasks. For this, formula milk is best. When mothers are not around, husbands can give a hand by feeding the formula milk to the baby.
Moreover, if you are a full-time working mother, you cannot always breastfeed your baby, and you will have to provide formula milk to your nanny or childcare center when you are not around.
Discomfort
Because many new mothers are not used to feeding a baby, breastfeeding can cause your nipples to hurt, and they can become sore, preventing a new mother from providing for long hours. Sometimes the breasts can hurt by becoming heavy, preventing proper feeding. If this is the case, you will need to take breaks for your breasts and give formula milk to the baby in the interim.
Fostering
Breastfeeding a foster baby is almost impossible. If you have adopted a newborn baby, you have no choice but to give formula milk to the baby. Formula milk is of many different kinds and is made almost the same.
Medical reasons
Sometimes, breastmilk can be dangerous for the baby. Let’s see when to avoid breastmilk.
Milk Intolerance – Formula feeding can prove beneficial for your baby if the baby has an intolerance to milk-soy-protein. This protein is found in breast milk and can cause your baby to have an impaired digestive system if taken. Usually, mothers with babies that have milk intolerance go for formula milk, such as HiPP hypoallergenic formulas.
Galactosemia – Galactosemia is a typical disorder in which the body cannot make enough galactose. Babies having such a disorder can’t take breast milk as it can be dangerous. They must stick to formula milk till the doctor says. Your doctor will urge you to stay on formula milk if your baby suffers from galactosemia.
(HIV) – If you, as a mother, have HIV, you should not breastfeed your baby.
Tuberculosis – If you have tuberculosis that hasn’t been treated for a long time, you shouldn’t breastfeed the baby as it can transfer and cause Chickenpox to your baby. Stay healthy and keep the baby safe too.
Herpes – If you, as a mother, have herpes on both nipples, formula feeding should be considered.
Drug Consumption – Some mothers have prescribed medications or continue substance use when lactating. Drug intake can result in toxic substances transferring into the baby via breast milk. If your baby feeds on breastmilk containing such harmful substances, it can show signs of poor growth, neurological destruction, and death. Therefore, formula feeding is better for your baby.
Breast Surgery – It is likely that any breast surgery such as breast implants can result in less milk production. Some breast surgeries cause total loss of breast tissue, obscuring milk secretion. It is necessary to take assistance from a lactation professional if you have been through breast surgery.
Conclusion
It is wise to research all available options for your baby before making any decision that may affect its health. Don’t give the baby any standard formula milk without asking your doctor first. Hopefully, this article can provide you with a solid foundation to begin researching what is best for you and your newborn
