Breast Vs. Formula

As published in the LaPorte County Herald-Argus:

Breastfeeding VS. Formula Feeding
By, Michelle Harmon

Soon after a mom-to-be announces her condition, there are generally three questions that emerge: When are you due? Are you hoping for a boy or a girl? And, Are you going to breastfeed? Or for the more bold questioners, You're going to nurse, aren't you? The first question is easy enough to answer. The second question I always found to be a bit rude and extremely unfair. I think most women just hope for a healthy baby. And, if you answer you hope for a boy and you have a girl, are you supposed to act disappointed? You can see why this question irritates me. Anyway, I digress. The question I am interested in for this week's topic is the breastfeeding question.
Having had four children, and nursed only two out of the four, and only one of those two for longer than six months, I can tell you that breastfeeding is wonderful. But, I won't agree with addage that new moms will hear over and over--”breast is best.” Chemically speaking, you can't argue with the fact that nature provides Moms with the perfect food to nourish their young; however, technologically speaking, the baby formula now available is pretty darn close to the “real” thing.
Aside from nutrition, there are other considerations to contemplate before deciding if you will nurse your baby. First, if you must return back to work soon after your baby is born and you decide to breast feed, you will need to figure out how you will extract your milk while at work, store it, if you will breast feed and bottle feed pumped breast milk or you will switch to all bottles filled with milk. Some of the decisions will be made by your baby; some babies are happy to switch from bottle to breast; some are not. If you decide to pump, I urge you to invest in a high-quality electric pump. They are rather pricey, but well worth it, if you plan on exclusively feeding your baby breast milk. The electric pump worked for me, and I was able to feed my son breast milk exclusively. If pumping seems a bit daunting, you can choose to give formula exclusively and you need not worry about pumping or storing milk. With my middle two girls, I had to return rather quickly to work, and this worked for us.
Financial concerns may help you make your decision, as well. Breast milk is free. Formula is very expensive. However, breast pumps are expensive and pumping is time-consuming. You have to decide what is best for you and your family.
Another thing to consider is that, with formula feeding, Daddy has more feeding and bonding opportunities with baby. Which also means, that Dad can do some of the middle of the night feedings!
Conversely, nursing is a very calming, intimate experience that only you can share with your baby. It is truly a wonderful thing. That being said, the best choice is the choice that will make everyone in the family happy, not what your mother-in-law, your coworkers, friends, or complete strangers thinks you should do.
A final word on formula vs. breastfeed, like I said, I am a mother of four, and each time one of my children was born, I made the decision in regards to breastfeeding/formula feeding that I thought best for my family at the time. I loved nursing, but I also loved the freedom of formula feeding and watching my hubby bond with our new baby while feeding her. I am happy for the decision I made each time, and, no I harbor no guilt for not nursing all my babies. And, whatever you decide, never feel like you need to justify your decision to anyone. You're the Mom, after all.