Many emotions are bound up in the whole business of preparing and giving food. Eating is not simply about taking enough fuel on board. In the beginning sucking milk is a source of great pleasure for a new baby, and feeding the baby is also a source of much satisfaction and enjoyment for a mother. Later, taking trouble to give a child or an adult what we think is something nice to eat is a way of showing love and affection – even if it is only a sandwich with a favourite filling. The flip side of the coin is that getting that food rejected – whatever the age of your baby or child – can feel like a very personal kick in the teeth for the giver. It is not surprising that most new parents have the occasional worry about the way their baby or child is feeding, nor is it surprising that later in life mealtimes are so often the setting for family battles!

The best advice for a new mother is to relax and enjoy feeding your baby in the way that gives you both the greatest pleasure - and later, as he grows into a toddler with the whole wide world to explore, don’t take offence when the food you offer fails to hold the same fascination for him. By now both of you will have discovered a whole host of other ways of showing and sharing your love together.

The Big Decision - Breast or Bottle?

At some stage early in your pregnancy you will be asked how you plan to feed your baby. The best food for babies to start life with is breast milk. It is perfectly designed to meet their every need, has unique properties which can never be copied in formula feeds, and the act of breastfeeding itself helps form a close, emotional bond between baby and mother. But, having said that, very few women approach the subject with an open mind and objectively weigh up the pros and cons of breast- versus bottle-feeding before making a decision. Our ideas on the subject have actually begun to take shape much earlier in life, and by the time we get to be mothers ourselves our attitudes can be deep-rooted. How you and your brothers and sisters were fed, what your partner thinks about breastfeeding, how your friends feed their babies, and how you feel about your body are factors which are far more likely to draw you towards either breast- or bottle-feeding than the basic facts.

When it comes to weighing up the nutritional and emotional advantages of breast- or bottle-feeding, breastfeeding is preferable. It is right, therefore, to state the case for breastfeeding and to encourage it, except in those few circumstances when it is not medically indicated. However, in the end, mothers must choose what is right for them. A woman who dislikes the idea of breastfeeding but is persuaded into it against her real feelings, or forces herself out of a sense of guilt, will not in fact necessarily be doing the best thing for her baby. Most important of all is that you should feel relaxed and able to enjoy your new baby in a way which suits you best. As long as you take care that feeding is always a time for quiet closeness and for comfort between you both, you will be doing the best whether you are breast- or bottle-feeding.

The Differences between Breast Milk and Cow’s Milk

Breast milk contains:

Water in just the right amount to satisfy your baby’s thirst so breastfed babies do not need extra drinks.

Protein for body building, again in just the right amount and in a form most readily absorbed. Colostrum and early milk have higher levels of protein and so does the milk of mothers of premature babies. The protein is quickly digested and is vital for a baby’s growth.

Fat for energy and growth. Breast milk contains more fat than cow’s milk, yet it is more easily and completely absorbed by babies. This is one of many reasons why breastfed babies have different stools from bottle-fed babies (loose, without smell and yellow or mustard colour): they are not excreting any wasted fats. There is a higher concentration of essential fatty acids in breast milk and it has been suggested that these special kinds of unsaturated fats may be important for the growth of the baby’s brain and nervous system.

Carbohydrate in the form of lactose or milk sugar is an extremely important source of energy. Breast milk naturally contains more than cow’s milk.

Vitamins and minerals are essential in the right amounts for your baby’s health and development. As long as you eat an adequate diet that includes sufficient calories, water and some fresh fruit and vegetables, your milk will contain all your baby’s vitamin and mineral requirements.

Protection from infection is contained in antibodies and iron-binding protein which make the baby’s intestine far less vulnerable to bacteria and also give protection against a number of serious illnesses. Gastro-enteritis is unusual in breastfed babies.

Cow’s milk contains:

Everything for a healthy calf, but it has to be changed in several ways before it can safely be given to babies under six months old. The same applies to goat’s milk and sheep’s milk which are even less suitable for babies.

Water content in formula feeds cannot change to suit the baby in the way breast milk can, so bottle-fed babies need extra drinks of boiled water, either from a bottle or a sterilised spoon.

Protein levels in cow’s milk are three times higher than in breast milk, are of a different type and are less digestible. Giving this ‘foreign’ protein to some babies may cause allergic reactions (Food intolerance). The protein is diluted to a safe level in formula feeds, but this lowers the calorie content of the feed. Lactose must be added to give extra calories.

Fat in cow’s milk is far less easily absorbed and again of a different type.

Carbohydrate has to be added to cow’s milk in the form of lactose (milk sugar) to make up the same energy value as breast milk. So although natural cow’s milk has less lactose, formula feeds end up containing the same amount as breast milk.

Vitamins and minerals are present in cow’s milk, but not in the right amount for a baby. There are two to three times as much sodium (salt), potassium, calcium and chloride in cow’s milk as in breast milk and six times as much phosphorus – another reason for having to dilute it before it can be used for babies. The iron and zinc in cow’s milk is less well absorbed. Some vitamins in cow’s milk are destroyed by processing and have to be added again artificially.

Protection from infection in the form of antibodies is not present and cannot be added artificially.

The Advantages of Breastfeeding

Breast milk is the perfect food for a baby with just the right amount of fat, protein, carbohydrate, vitamin and minerals ready-made, served at just the right temperature and in an ideal container! The composition of milk changes as the baby feeds in a way bottle-feeds never can: milk at the beginning of a feed, the foremilk, has fewer calories and satisfies thirst; the second part is the hindmilk which is released with the let-down reflex. It is richer in calories and satisfies his hunger. It is thought that this change may be important in producing a sense of fullness and controlling appetite. Milk also changes as the baby grows – colostrum and early milk have more protein and the milk of mothers of premature babies is also known to be different.

Protection from infection is provided by antibodies and iron-binding protein which lines the baby’s gut.

Protection from allergy Families with a history of asthma, eczema, rhinitis and so on are especially advised to breastfeed as a baby’s immature immune system can react to the strong foreign protein in cow’s milk by producing allergic symptoms.

Less likelihood of obesity because breastfed babies are able to follow the demands of their appetite more easily.

Easier digestion Breast milk is tailor-made for the newborn baby’s still immature system. Some breastfed babies have a dirty nappy after every feed, but it is also common for a totally breastfed baby to have a bowel movement only once every five or even up to ten days because there is so little waste to excrete.

Much greater convenience There are no worries about infection, or keeping or carrying milk when travelling, including trips abroad. Night feeds are easier because it just means taking the baby into bed, and not having to get up to warm bottles. Breast milk is instantly supplied, and there are no tense waits for milk to warm while the baby screams. It leaves a free hand to cuddle or help another child or even pick up the phone. The convenience of breastfeeding increases the longer you carry on – the most difficult time is during the early weeks, but soon giving a feed just means sitting down for ten to twenty minutes, and there is no work at the end of the day with bottles to sterilise and make up.

An instant pacifier which can be a boon at awkward moments to calm a young baby who is frightened or upset.

Helps you return to shape because hormones stimulated in breastfeeding also help contract the uterus to its pre-pregnancy size and end post-natal discharge more quickly. Full or frequent breastfeeding usually delays the return of periods, a plus if you suffer from pre-menstrual tension or heavy or painful periods. Weight loss in response to feeding varies – some women lose weight more easily because of feeding, while others do not lose it until they finish. Nevertheless, stores of fat are laid down in pregnancy for the body to use when making milk and these can sometimes be harder to shift if you do not breastfeed, especially round the thighs. However, you should not try to slim while breastfeeding.

Money saving Even though feeding mothers need to eat more, about 500 extra calories a day, the cost of extra food is still less than that of formula food for the baby, bottles, teats and all the sterilising gear.

Emotional benefits for mother and baby Although this is listed last, it is not because it is the least important factor, but because it deserves more detailed consideration. As we have already mentioned, newborn babies need physical love and affection to thrive just as much as clean nappies and warm cots. Being held, cuddled, enjoying the sensation of skin contact and the feel of the human body comforts and reassures babies so they begin to relax, to uncurl and to respond to that love. Breastfeeding a baby is the closest physical bond between a mother and her child and combines all the sensations that give babies pleasure. Taking in food is one, but just as important is sucking – a source of great satisfaction and enjoyment to a baby.

Breastfed babies tend to be able to suck for longer and to control how long they continue, and sucking at a warm, responsive nipple is more rewarding than a rubber teat. Combining feeding, sucking, skin contact and being held and cuddled all adds up to bliss in baby terms!

All the time during a feed there is continual interaction between mother and baby – ‘emotional feedback’ is usually how it is described. The way the baby sucks, moves his hands, arms, body and the expression on his face tell the mother what he is feeling and needing and she responds. Most women who breastfeed for some time rate this harmony and closeness with their baby as what they enjoyed most. There can also be a physical pleasure for women in breastfeeding but that is highly individual and varies between just a physical satisfaction at being able to provide milk for the baby and the close contact, through all sorts of reactions to the women who find breastfeeding sexually exciting. Certainly the sexual attitudes of both men and women influence how they regard breastfeeding – some think it is beautiful, some disgusting, and some just a natural bodily function designed for feeding babies. You don’t have to be someone who enjoys having their breasts stimulated in love-making to be able to enjoy breastfeeding, and it is quite possible for women who don’t like having their nipples caressed at all to be able to enjoy breastfeeding and do it very successfully.