INSERT SURNAME HERE 1 Name Institutional Affiliation Date Breastfeeding versus Bottle-feed The breastfeeding versus formula debate has raged on parenting forums and anywhere else, moms are gathered. It has generated heat and at times becoming nasty with either side to the debate being hard often, hurting each other’s feelings. Interestingly, both sides pose very convincing arguments on the pros and cons of the methods. It is hardly possible to have a baby an escape the breast versus bottle debate. A lot of heat and energy is therefore wasted on the fight with new mothers on both sides of the divide feeling quite upset or isolated as a result (Stubits, p.42). However, whichever side one is likely to end up on, either by choice or otherwise; one is assumed a great supporter of that feeding method. The battle has been ranging on but it’s time we put an all this behind us by laying out very strong points for and against the two methods. In the subsequent days following the debate with notices alerting mothers of violating the website’s decency policy, the “lactivists” responded in kind-nursing mothers posted their own photos breastfeeding or updated their profiles with the status; “ Hey, Face book Breastfeeding Is Not Obscene!” Equally controversial in this debate is the photo of the famous yoga mom on the internet, which generated a lot of debate on breastfeeding websites (Breastfeeding Yoga Mama-Kauai, HI). In 2009, the New York artist, Daniel Edwards was to cause another furor with a controversial work, “Landmark for Breastfeeding.” This was an Angelina Jolie sculpture nursing INSERT SURNAME HERE 2 two babies. It aimed at reducing the stigma otherwise associated with breastfeeding in public. It was to inspire people to accept nursing in public as a natural and normal way of feeding babies. A Time Magazine’s provocative cover showing a mother breastfeeding her almost fouryear-old son perhaps should form the basis of this argument for its provocative nature. This was in the Time Magazine May 21, 2012 issue. The woman in the photo was Jamie Lynne Grummet, a 26-year-old blonde-haired person from California who was breastfeeding her son. The photo was instantly trending on the internet for quite a while for its sensational nature. It got simultaneous popularity within the social networking website, Face book with photos of breastfeeding moms posted on their personal profiles though they appeared more revealing to provoke wrath for their removal (Tassoni, p.145). Proponents of the breastfeeding method argue that the breast milk is rich in all the nutrients a newborn require for growth. It is a fact that breast milk contains almost the complete nutritional needs for a baby. In comparison, breastfeeding is also the least expensive when as it is free. Nursing moms are also more relaxed at night to rest and sleep, as there are no bottles to be washed or warmed for formula feeding which breaks the sleep cycle and lead to stressed motherhood. Breastfeeding has the advantage of passing antibodies to the baby, which reduces their chances of developing infections likely to affect a baby’s growth and immunity levels. However, breastfeeding is not without its fair share of disadvantages. As much as it has nutrients, a mother’s health and nutrients intake affect the quality of breast milk and therefore the baby may not be getting the required nutrition. Similarly, a mother’s indulgence in certain harmful substances such as alcohol, caffeine, mercury in fish is likely to be harming the baby. Equally risky are certain medications that are passed to the child through breast milk and even INSERT SURNAME HERE 3 those deemed safe could have long-term effect. Over 20% of babies that are born to HIV positive mothers contract the virus by way breastfeeding if there is no treatment up to the age of two years. In the modern world, breastfeeding especially in public may be deemed indecent and make the nursing mother uncomfortable for various reasons. The formula or the bottle is a scientific preparation that contains the all-important nutrients in the right amounts. It may not be equated to breast milk but it is close to it in terms of quality and nutritional value. It has the advantage of not inhibiting the mother to take particular medications or food with the fear of harming the child. Working mothers are more flexible as the baby will be fed in their absence unlike nursing mothers who have to express milk, which sometimes can be contaminated during storage and harm the child. The working mother will not feel uncomfortable as she looks for a private place to feed the baby when using the bottle. On the downside, formula preparations may not contain the antibodies that are found in breast milk thus leaving the baby vulnerable. This therefore becomes one of the sticking issues in opposing the bottle (White, p.162). However, this may not be such a big issue as there are many formula-fed children who are rarely sick yet there are breast-fed children who are sickly which shows that other factors are also at play in a child’s immunity. Bottle-feeding is costly as some formulas are expensive and also can at times disrupt a mother’s sleep at night to make the preparations and warm the bottle. Formulas can also be harmful to some babies in way of allergies requiring constant change of brands resulting to increased costs. INSERT SURNAME HERE 4 At the end of it all, there are no clear winners or losers in this debate as both sides make strong cases for their choice. This therefore boils down to making the right decision for one’s child depending on many other factors at play for a particular mom and her child. The new moms and soon-to-be moms have to look at both arguments and make informed decisions on the most suitable option for them. From such a choice, their decision should be respected even where we do not necessarily agree with it. INSERT SURNAME HERE 5 Work Cited Stubits, Tony. Unnatural Selection. Bloomington, IN: 1stBooks Library, 2001. Print. Tassoni, Penny. Child Care and Education: Cache Level 3. Oxford: Heinemann, 2007. Print. White, Lois, Gena Duncan, and Wendy Baumle. Foundations of Maternal & Pediatric Nursing. Clifton Park, NY: Cengage Learning, 2011. Print.
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