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Before the baby is born, you need to decide whether you plan to breast or bottle feed. You also have the choice to combine both. No doubt you have already received enthusiastic advice from friends and family members who favor one method over the other. But remember, the decision you make is entirely up to you and your partner and should be made according to your own judgment and feelings. To help you in making this decision, you should be as well informed as possible. Whatever your decision, it should be based on a good understanding of both methods of infant feeding and be one in which you feel comfortable. Both methods provide you with the pleasure and the satisfaction of holding your baby close while you provide for his/her needs.

Breast Feeding Breast feeding is a “gift” mothers have given their babies since the beginning of time. Until this century, expectant mothers never had a choice of whether to nurse or not. Women today are faced with feeding options unknown to women of even the recent past. About half the babies born today are now breast fed.

Since breast feeding benefits both mother and child, both medical and popular opinions favor it. Nature designed human milk specifically for the needs of growing babies. Breast feeding also provides the most intimate way a mother can care for her child and initiates a very special and loving relationship.

If you`re beginning to think now about whether or not you`ll breast feed your baby, here are some facts you need to know:

· The American Academy of Pediatrics has stated that breast milk is the best food for infants throughout the first year of life.

· Your milk is the only food the baby needs for the first 5 to 6 months of life.

· Mother`s milk is really the “perfect food”. Once your breast milk supply is established, and as long as you eat well and drink plenty of fluids, this nourishment is always available. Moreover, breast milk has the right amounts of all the necessary nutrients to help your baby grow.

· Mother`s milk is easy for a baby`s immature digestive system to digest. While today`s baby formulas come as close as possible to the make-up of human milk, they aren`t as agreeable to an infant`s digestive system.

· Breast milk contains substances that may help protect babies against illness. The colustrum, a yellowish fluid that is the first milk to come from the breast, contains antibodies and other protective substances. Several studies have shown that babies who nurse have less colic and diarrhea, fewer colds and ear infections.

· Mother`s milk helps to protect the baby early in life from developing allergies.

· Nursing is convenient. Your milk is always clean, at the right temperature, and ready to serve when your baby is hungry.

· Nursing is more economical, allowing you to forego the cost of formula and bottles.

· Breast feeding has benefits for the mother, too. Not only do you have the personal satisfaction of knowing you`re nourishing and nurturing your baby, you`ll find it may help your body return to its pre-pregnancy size sooner. Sucking releases hormones that contract the uterus, helping to return it more quickly to its normal size. Also, because stores of fat that accumulated during pregnancy are used for milk production, the mother who breast feeds usually returns to her normal weight more quickly.

· Many nursing mothers find breast feeding gratifying because they feel they are giving part of themselves to their baby. While breast feeding, you and your baby are in constant skin contact, and your baby responds to the smell of you and your milk.

· Like other aspects of parenting, however, there are some sacrifices involved. Because the food you eat becomes the milk that nourishes your baby, you`ll need to avoid items that bother the baby.

Attitudes About Breast Feeding The most important factor to remember, however, is that breast feeding is a very natural function of mothering. Your infant`s healthy development is far more important than a stranger`s uninformed opinion.

Ability to Breast Feed

· Almost every woman can produce milk after her baby is born, and almost every woman can breast feed successfully. However, no mother knows automatically how to breast feed even though breast feeding is the “natural” way. Mother Nature gives you the ability to nurse, but not the “know-how”, and it involves learning, patience, and practice.

· Unfortunately, few new mothers have had the chance to learn about breast feeding by watching other women nurse. And because most of today`s families are scattered across the country, grandmothers and aunts are no longer available to teach new mothers how to breast feed. Our doctors and nurses can offer you assistance and helpful advise as you get started.

· The amount of milk you can produce for your baby, or his/her ability to nurse, does not depend on the size or shape of your breasts or nipples. Breast size is determined by the amount of fatty tissue surrounding the milk glands, not by the size of the glands themselves. Breast milk production follows the laws of supply and demand, the more a baby nurses, the more milk the mother makes. Regardless of the size of her breasts or her baby, a breast feeding mother almost always can produce enough milk for her newborn baby.

· One factor that may require some special preparation before delivery are those women who have very flat or inverted (turned in) nipples. The baby may have difficulty attaching properly to the breast. This condition can be modified while you`re pregnant by wearing special nipple shields inside your bra and by performing nipple stretching exercises.

Previous Problems With Breast Feeding

Because each pregnancy is different, many women who have had difficulties breast feeding in a prior pregnancy, are successful in a later pregnancy. If this is your situation, and you`d like to breast feed this baby, talk with our doctors and nurses, other women who have nursed, or childbirth educators about your experience and your concerns. Breast feeding involves learning and practice, and simple changes in technique may give you more positive results.

The working Mother and Breast Feeding

If you`re returning to work after the baby is born, it does not mean you have to wean your baby from breast milk. Many mothers combine working and breast feeding quite successfully. However, breast feeding while working does require a big commitment. It`s not always as easy as giving formula. Because you`re the one that has to do it. You`re also the one who must take steps to maintain an adequate milk supply while at work. But mothers who have continued to breast feed upon returning to work say that there`s no reason that nursing and working can`t mix and that breast feeding can even be simpler than bottle feeding.

· There are several different ways of emptying your breasts once you return to work. This will allow you to collect and store your breast milk for feedings you will miss. Hand expression, though time consuming, is by far the most “portable”. Hand pumps offer the advantage of small size as well as portability. The third alternative is an electric pump. Electric pumps provide fast and efficient emptying of the breast while simulating the actual force of a baby`s suck. Care should be taken to select a quality pump that allows adequate suction without damaging the delicate breast tissue. You can rent electric breast pumps.

· At least a week or two before you return to work, start practicing your routines around a “typical workday”. Introduce your baby to bottle feedings (using breast milk) so that the baby can learn to suck from a bottle nipple instead of a breast. If you`re planning on supplementing with formula during the workday, start the baby on this new feeding (following the schedule you would use if at work) while you are still at home.

· Different breast feeding schedules work better for different mothers and babies. Get a tentative schedule in mind before you go back to work. Then be prepared to make adjustments as you and your baby develop your new routine.

· The following is a schedule that many mothers find convenient:

o Nurse early in the morning, upon awakening.

o Nurse just before leaving for work.

o Express breast milk by pump two or three times during the workday if you plan to have your baby take breast milk while you are at work. You may store the milk in a refrigerator at work and then use it for the next day`s feedings.

o If you don`t think you will be able to express milk while at work, you can begin to slow down your milk production. Start a few weeks in advance of your return to work to replace one feeding every few days with a bottle of formula until you`ve weaned your baby for the feedings for which you`ll be away. You still can nurse in the morning, in the evening, and thorough the night.

o If you are storing breast milk, have your baby`s caregiver give your baby one or two bottle feedings of stored milk or formula during the day.

o Nurse right after picking the baby up from the caregiver, or arriving home.

o Nurse at least once or twice more during the evening. On days off, some mothers nurse at all feedings. Others follow their workday routine.

· Since nursing mothers need to drink additional fluids to produce an adequate supply of milk, keep a beverage at hand throughout your workday. And remember to drink a large glass of water each time you sit down to nurse or pump. You also need to eat nutritious foods. Keep a supply of healthful snacks in your desk and car. Even if you don`t lose all the weight you gained during your pregnancy right away, don`t pick this time to go on a drastic weight reduction diet. However, how you feel about your appearance is important too. You may want to splurge on some new nursing/working outfits or borrow some clothes to wear until you`re back to your pre-pregnancy size.

· Working mothers may find that they require more sleep at night. Try to go to bed early at night or work in a nap before dinner if possible. Getting extra sleep on your days off may also help you to feel more rested.

· Stress is the biggest enemy of breast feeding. It can interrupt the production of milk and complicate nursing sessions. Therefore, it`s important to take extra time to relax once you return to work.

Other Facts About Breast Feeding

· You can resume sexual relations after delivery whether or not you breast feed. The common problem of vaginal discomfort during sexual intercourse may last longer if you`re breast feeding, but can be helped by over-the-counter products to provide vaginal lubrication.

· If you want to avoid pregnancy while you`re breast feeding, you will need to use some form of contraception. Although ovulation and menstruation often may not occur during this time and your risk of pregnancy is decreased, breast feeding should not be viewed as a method of birth control.

·Bottle Feeding Bottle feeding may be the method you choose for a variety of personal reasons. Millions of happy, healthy babies have been raised on the bottle. Commercially prepared infant formulas are satisfactory alternatives to breast milk. These formulas are made from cow`s milk or soy protein and are patterned after breast milk. Try to choose an organic formula.

Formulas give babies all the nutrients they need for growth and development during their all important first year of life. However, formulas do not include the protective properties of breast milk. Many mothers find that bottle feeding is the method which fits their needs and lifestyle better. Though breast feeding is a good experience for both mother and child, there is no reason why bottle feeding can`t be too.

One advantage of bottle feeding is that fathers and other family members can give feeding anytime.

You can purchase ready-to-feed formulas, concentrated liquid, and powder forms. The concentrated and powder forms that need to be diluted are generally less expensive than ready-to-feed formulas. You must use care when preparing and storing the formulas in order to control the growth of germs that cause diarrhea and stomach infections.

Bottle feeding has some disadvantages. There is the initial expense of buying bottles, the continuing expense of purchasing formula, as well as the time spent cleaning the bottles. Most formulas contain cow`s milk, which may produce digestive upsets and aggravate allergies. If you or your partner have a family history of problems with or allergies to milk, there are several soy based formulas on the market as an alternative.

Making the Right Decision

Even though most health care professionals favor breast feeding, the decision to breast or bottle feed is still yours. You should not feel guilty or feel that you must justify your decision to others. Each couple must decide what is best for them and their lifestyle, and undoubtedly, this decision will also be best for the baby. Love can just as easily be passed from the mother to child through the bottle as well as the breast.

Some women are hesitant about nursing but decide to give it a try. Many become strong supporters of breast feeding once they begin. So, if you don`t have any strong feelings against nursing your baby, keep an open mind. Give it a try. If for some reason it doesn`t work our for you and you don`t wish to continue, you can always switch from breast to bottle feeding later. However, it doesn`t work the other way around.  It is very difficult to switch the baby to the breast after the baby has gotten used to sucking only from the bottle. It is especially difficult to switch after your milk has dried up.

The most important thing to remember is that the feeding time should be as relaxed as possible and that you feel comfortable with your decision. Whatever method you choose to feed, whether it be breast or bottle, sit down, relax, and enjoy the special closeness you feel with your baby. The loving bond that you create with your baby grows best when you`re meeting your own emotional needs as well as those of your baby.

Good luck and enjoy

Dr. Bar