Breast Feeding Advice and Techniques

Medical opinion on breast feeding your new born baby has changed dramatically over the years. There used to be a time when it was just not possible to buy powdered milk or prepared milk, now it is a huge business with enormous shelf space dedicated to different brands with different benefits.

If you have yet to make your mind up whether you should breast feed or not, it is worth having a chat with your mid wife. These days, most pregnancy support teams will strongly advocate breast feeding as the better choice, this is because it helps with mother and baby bonding and provides all of the goodness and nourishment required by a small baby.

Yet, breast feeding is not an option for all mothers. In some cases, the baby will not take to the nipple, in others the practicality of breast feeding compared to bottle feeding may differ. We've decided to provide you with a list of the advantages of breast feeding. If you think we have missed anything, please do not hesitate to write into us.

Advantages of breast feeding

• The medical benefits of breast feeding have been widely studied. This is why it is common for a mid wife to encourage breast feeding over bottle feeding. Health benefits for breastfed babies include better respiratory development, less allergic reactions and better skin development.
  
  
• It is also recognised that mothers who have breastfed their babies are at less risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer in later life.
  
  
• Breast feeding helps mother and baby to bond. When we're feeding our infant on the breast, our baby is looking into our eyes. They are developing a level of trust and understanding about where their food comes from. The flip side to this is that it is possible the father misses out on some of this early bonding, however this can be made up quickly in later months.
  
  
• Breast feeding is cheaper than buying powdered or prepared milk, it is more convenient and requires less time to prepare and sterilise utensils.
  
  
• Many mothers will use a breast pump to extract milk from their breasts and place in a bottle should they be travelling or prefer their partner to help at feeding time.
  
  
• If you hate the sight of dirty nappies you'll be pleased to know that breast fed babies do not suffer as much from constipation and have more regular movements.
  
  
• Some studies have suggested that babies fed with a bottle are more likely to go onto require dental work and braces.
  
  
• Breast feeding mothers do not need to worry about contraception and the pill.

Read more of our articles on breast feeding

Breast Feeding Problems
Breast Feeding in Public
Breast Feeding Techniques
Advantages of Breast Feeding
Dieting while Breast Feeding (also see Dieting and Breast Feeding)
Breast Feeding vs Bottle Feeding
Breast Feeding and Weight Loss
Breast Feeding Diet
Breast Feeding and Alcohol
Breast Feeding and Medication
Smoking and Breast Feeding
Foods to Avoid While Breast Feeding

Other resources on breast feeding:

Breast is Best