Bottle feeding is different from breastfeeding in that the baby is fed from a bottle. Either breast milk or formula milk can be bottle-fed.
The upsides of bottle feeding are:
One of the benefits of bottle feeding is that either parent can feed the baby. Feeding is an important bonding moment; breastfeeding doesn’t give the daddy an opportunity to bond with the baby. Bottle feeding allows the siblings, father and other family members to spend some time with the newborn baby.
For some moms, breastfeeding in public can be embarrassing. If you don’t want to expose your breasts or go to a private area for breastfeeding, bottle feeding is the way to go!
It isn’t easy to know how much milk your baby is drinking when you breastfeed. Bottle feeding helps you find out your baby’s daily milk intake.
Many moms worry that their baby will remain underfed if their breast milk supply is insufficient. In such a case, parents can resort to bottle feeding. This ensures that your baby gets all the milk he needs to grow and develop.
A mother who feeds formula milk to her baby doesn’t have to worry about adding specific fruits and veggies to her diet. She can eat and drink anything she likes.
In rare cases, infants cannot process breast milk or animal milk. This situation is known as lactose intolerance. Then, suitable formula milk, such as soy protein, can be fed from a bottle.
If the mother falls ill after childbirth or faces health issues that don’t let breastfeed,a bottle can be used to feed the baby.
The disadvantages of bottle feeding are:
Breast milk has all the nutrients that your baby requires to grow and develop. It is also light on the stomach than formula milk. Bottle feeding may increase the risk of obesity in early childhood.
You can breastfeed your baby on demand. But if you’ve habituated your baby to bottle feeding, you need to wash and sterilise the bottle, pour milk into the bottle and warm it. It’s a lot of work! Improper sterilisation can also your infant’s health at risk.
You’ll need to buy feeding bottles, a cleaning brush and also a steriliser. You’ll also have to invest in a good-quality breast pump or formula milk powder. This is an added expense to your monthly budget.
Studies show that breast milk develops and improves your baby’s immune system. Formula milk, on the other hand, doesn’t contain vital and natural nutrients. Formula-fed babies also carry the risk of developing certain illnesses like chest infection, ear infection, urine infection or diarrhoea.
Feeding is a bonding moment for the mother and the child. When she latches on to your breasts, skin-to-skin contact is established. Bottle feeding may hamper this bonding.
You’ll have to carry clean bottles, formula milk, baby nipples, and other necessities while travelling. It can be troublesome to manage the things as well as the baby at the same time. Bottle feeding is also inconvenient if your baby requires midnight feeding sessions as you have to get up and prepare the milk each time.
Some studies have proved that moms who choose to breastfeed rather than bottle feed reduce their chances of suffering from breast cancer, ovarian cancer and osteoporosis.
For some babies, formula milk fed from a bottle may not be suitable. They may experience diarrhoea and a loss of fluids from the body.
Studies have shown that breastfeeding can help to prevent babies from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Bottle feeding has its own pros and cons. You should carefully consider both sides of the situation before settling on the method of feeding your baby. The aim is to ensure that your baby is neither underfed nor overfed and gets the essential vitamins and nutrients while she adapts to the world around her.