Advantages of Bottlefeeding

It is also very easy for all family members to share, and therefore, bond with a new baby during feedtimes.

Another one of the advantages of bottlefeeding is that it is very easy to see how much feed baby is taking so it alleviates any potential stressful situation about whether he is getting enough.

Worth considering as well is the complete lack of breast milk leakage because mum is away from baby at a feed time. And there is never any need to use a breast pump.

Again, another of the very important advantages of bottlefeeding is the complete lack of dietary restrictions for mum so she can easily resume her normal life.

Because formula takes longer to digest babies feed less often so mum can organise her life more easily, allowing her time to catch up on much needed sleep or housework.

Mum doesn't have to worry about needing to give baby an unscheduled feed in public .

It is also easier for working mums, or parents of multiples, to reorganise their lives.

There is a lot of conjecture about bottlefed babies being more prone to childhood obesity, however, it has also been found that bottlefed babies living in homes where correct nutrition and exercise are an issue do not have such problems with undue weight gain.

Disadvantages to bottlefeeding

Firstly, it must be said that formula milk is expensive when compared to breast milk. Also, formula does not contain antibodies which give baby some protection from viral infections.

A major disadvantage must be that complete cleanliness and sterilization cannot be over emphasized as the risk of bacterial infections from old formula is quite high.

A further expense is equipment as bottles and teats do need replacing regularly.

It is thought that formula fed babies can have more problems with wind and constipation.

Although the convenience of bottlefeeding is a great advantage it must be stressed that formula feeds do need to be freshly made up for each and every feed. It is no longer recommended that several feeds be made and stored in the fridge. Also, any formula left in the bottle for more that one hour must be thrown away.

Tempting though it may be it is not recommended that a microwave be used to warm up formula milk as the intense heat can destroy nutrients in the feed. There is also always a risk of a hot pocket which could burn a baby's mouth.

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