Breastfeeding

It is quite natural that the parents wish to give out the best to their baby. When it comes to nutrition of the infant, the first and the best food for the infant is breast milk. According to the recommendations of the experts, the babies can be breast-fed for six to twelve months. The one and only acceptable alternative to breast milk is the infant formula. Upon turning 4-6 months, the baby can be introduced to solid foods. But the baby should continue taking the breast milk or formula, not cow's milk for a full year as cow's milk contains a different type of protein than breast milk. This cow milk may be proving good for calves, but human infants can have difficulty digesting it. Bottle-fed infants tend to be fatter than breast-fed infants, but not essential that they are healthier too.
The breast milk contains at least 100 ingredients which are not found in the formula. None of the babies are/become allergic to their mother's milk nor it has happened, although they may have a reaction to something the mother eats and if she eliminates it from her diet, the problem resolves itself.
One of the pros of breastfeeding a baby is that by sucking the breast, the infant’s jaw development is promoted. It is relatively harder to get milk out of a breast than a bottle, and this exercise strengthens the infant’s jaws and encourages the growth of straight and much healthier teeth. The baby who is breast fed becomes enabled to control the flow of milk by sucking and stopping unlike a bottle in which the baby must constantly suck or react to the pressure of the nipple placed in the mouth.
Initially the infant required to be fed at least 8 – 12 times in a 24 hours period, since both baby and mother are getting used to the process. Breast milk is more quickly digested than the formula, which is another reason why more frequent feeding is necessary. Adding to it, the constant suckling at the breast stimulates the mammary glands to produce more milk for the baby’s growing appetite. The extra time which is spent in feeding the baby for the first year is of well worth, as the breast milk passes along the mother’s immunities and delivers the highest-quality nutrition for a developing baby.