Breastfeeding and Formula Feeding Essay Sample

Breastfeeding and Formula Feeding Essay Sample Breastfeeding vs Formula Feeding If one thinks that the fiercest verbal battles are underway among politicians, he can be disappointed. Moms are the most passionate warriors when it goes on how to bring up a child. And one of the most ‘holy war’ topics is the kind of feeding to choose for a baby. The gist of the problem is the ability to choose: it is a pretty complicated process for everyone â€" to make choice. But even harder is to protect this choice later, to stay sure it is the best; otherwise a person feels uncomfortable, loses confidence and self-respect. There are several criteria for selecting breastfeeding or formula feeding. Benefit for a baby. According to the latest discoveries, breast milk is the only useful ‘food’ for a baby because of its composition. It contains all necessary substances, microelements, and vitamins for a baby’s growth and health; moreover, it is unique for each baby and it forms baby’s immunity, helps to adjust a digestive system’s excellent work. The formula is inferior in all aspects comparing it with breast milk in terms of benefit. Mother’s convenience and comfort. From one side, breastfeeding allows travelling without worrying of how to feed baby safely. It is possible anywhere and whenever. From the other side, a mother may not leave a child with someone more than for an hour or two, and it limits her social opportunities. Besides, no alcohol or nicotine, or junk food. So the only way to make a decision is a question of priorities â€" what is more crucial: to provide a baby with the perfect, clean food or desire/necessity to spend time without a baby and satisfy you with harmful substances. Affection and love between a mother and a child. There is no measurement tool that could display a level of feelings. There is no reliable evidence of having more intimacy and affection between a breastfeeding mom and her child than between a mom who chooses the formula. Only conjectures, psychology, and experience. Naturalness. Definitely, breastfeeding is totally natural, there is no a subject to discuss. But the formula feeding supports the claim that if we do not follow all natural instincts and habits of our ancestors, and use the results of progress in other fields, why should we do it in regard to feeding a baby? Ecology. Production of the formula, bottles, and related devices consume many, many resources and causes additional pollution of the environment. Mother’s health. There are researches announcing that breastfeeding reduces the likelihood of breast cancer. But there are no appropriate conditions to make these researches absolutely worthy of trust. So how to choose? The decision should be based on mother’s priorities, lifestyle, worldview, and â€" what is of the biggest importance â€" on full and proved information. It means that when the formula producers declare that the formula can substitute the breast milk it is lie. When they tell that there are mothers who have not breast milk or cannot feed their children it is not lie but manipulation because these cases are quite rare and are connected with diseases or exceptional circumstances. So yes, sometimes the formula is the only way to feed a baby (when there is no a wet nurse or donor breast milk), but in most cases it is merely the issue of choice that must be reasonable, weighted, and sound.