The decision to breastfeed your baby is a very personal one. While most women don’t have any qualms about breastfeeding, there are some who are unable to do so because of health concerns. Also there are a number of women who refrain from breastfeeding because of their lifestyles and a certain level of discomfort they feel.

No matter what your reasons may be, rest assured that if you decide not to breastfeed, this will not harm your baby in any major way. Feeding your child a formula will ensure that she gets all the nutrition she requires. Many women fear that not breastfeeding would mean a lack of bonding with the child. But this is not true, bonding occurs during feeding, when the mother and child spend exclusive time together.

Doctors however, do express that breastfeeding exclusively for six months is ideal, following which supplementary formulas can be added to the diet. Continuing to breastfeed beyond this time frame is completely dependent on the mother and child. Breast milk can be given to the child directly from the breast or can be expressed with a pump and then bottle fed.

Some of the benefits that you do have with breastfeeding are that it works towards improving the immunity of your child. Disease-resistant anti-bodies pass from the mother to the child strengthening the little one. In the first few months of the child’s life breast milk reduces the chances of ear infections and digestive infections, skin ailment as well as infantile allergies. This would be a lower chance of hospitalization Breastfed babies also don’t run an overt risk of being over-weight, developing blood pressure, anemia and even tooth decay.

Some of the other benefits of breastfeeding for mothers are that there will be no cleaning and sterilizing of bottles. A lower cost of feeding considering that formula is expensive and you will go through more than a tin in a week. Post-partum bleeding is reduced and the chances of developing breast or uterine cancer are much lower.

The bright side of bottle feeding includes that it can easily be done by anybody. Your baby will require fewer feeds as formula is very heavy and satisfies hunger for a longer time. Formula feeds are filled with Vitamin D and your child will get lots of it. For you, it will remove any dietary restrictions involved such as lower caffeine intake which is necessary when breastfeeding. It will also allow working mothers to get back to work more easily.