Bottle vs breastfeeding Essay

As a nurse, I will tell the young mother that breastfeeding is always better than bottle feeding. As a new parent, it is her responsibility to make sure her baby will get off to a good nutritional start. Breastfeeding does have its’ benefits. There is no doubt that breastfeeding contains all the nutrients your baby needs for proper growth and development. Studies prove that breast milk provides optimal health benefits for your newborn. Mother’s milk is easily digested, has perfectly matched nutrition for the baby, and is filled with antibodies that protect against infection. Furthermore, breastfed babies are less likely to suffer from ear infections, diaper rash, and intestinal upsets. In addition, breast milk offers immune system boosters and fatty acids specific to humans that promote optimal brain growth. Not only does breastfeeding benefit your baby, it has many advantages for you. Breastfeeding is convenient. There is no need to get out of bed at 2 a.m. to prepare a bottle. All you have to do is hold your baby to your chest and feed. Next, breastfeeding is very economical. Since breast milk is self- produced, you don’t need money to buy an endless supply of food. Last, breastfeeding is helpful in the process of returning your body to its normal state. While feeding, hormones are produced that make your organs contract into their natural size. One con about breastfeeding is that nursing is definitely time-consuming. A newborn baby typically feed every 2 to 3 hours during the day and may awaken frequently at night. Another con is breastfeeding takes a lot of energy for your body to make milk, so the mother can often feel quite fatigued. Another con is sometimes mothers have physical problems like mastitis, plugged milk ducts and engorgement if the baby is not feeding frequently or properly. If you are a working mother you might find it challenging to schedule nursings. It will be necessary to pump at work and some jobs may not allow for such breaks . 1 What if she has to return to work? Like I said, if you are a working mother, you might find it challenging to schedule nursings. It will be necessary to pump at work and some jobs may not allow for such breaks. But, to breastfeed you will have to find time  during the day, during the afternoon, during the evening, and if possible at night to pump. 2 Should people be allowed to breastfeed in public eg a restaurant? So , if you are eating in a restaurant, should your baby eat from the breast? Yes, mothers should be allowed to breastfeed in public, even at a restaurant. Breastfeeding is completely natural, and it should be acceptable. Breasts were not intended for sex; they were intended to be used to breastfeed whenever and wherever the baby needs to be fed. Yes, it may be inappropriate if an entire breast is shown, but most mothers take caution in not exposing all of themselves. They are simply trying to feed their child. 3 What if the patient is from a third world country? I would give the same advice to a third world country mother, as I would to an American mother. I would not discriminate. So, she is from a third world country, to be talking to me she is in America now and there are plenty of free nutritional programs for her and her baby to take part in. I would still advise breastfeeding her baby. 4 Is there a federal/state law that governs breastfeeding? Section 7(r) of the Fair Labor Standards Act – Break Time for Nursing Mothers Provision President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on March 30, 2010. (See the combined full text of Public Laws 111-148 and 111-152 here.) Among many provisions, Section 4207 of the law amends the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) of 1938 (29 U.S. Code 207) to require an employer to provide reasonable break time for an employee to express breast milk for her nursing child for one year after the child’s birth each time such employee has need to express milk. The employer is not required to compensate an employee receiving reasonable break time for any work time spent for such purpose. The employer must also provide a place, other than a bathroom, for the employee to express breast milk. If these requirements impose undue hardship, an employer that employs fewer than 50 employees is not subject to these requirements. The federal requirements shall not preempt a state law that provides greater protections to employees. http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/breastfeeding-state-laws.aspx 5 Does men have a different opinion about breastfeeding as compared to women? I could not find a difference of opinion on breastfeeding by men. I read  where most men support breastfeeding. Most men found breastfeeding to be healthier for baby and mother. Most men find that breastfeeding saves them a lot of money. Most of them do not mind their wives breastfeeding in public too. 6 Should you heat a bottle in a microwave? The microwave changes the molecular structure of whatever you heat up in there. Breastmilk has essential nutrients that your baby can benefit from so you don’t want to deprive your baby from that! I would say to not take any chances. Take the extra time for the benefit of your baby and run the bottle under warm water or put it in a bowl of warm water or get a bottle warmer. It is not advised to heat up formula or breastmillk in microwave. I wouldn’t risk it. (7) Should you put a child to bed with a bottle in his/her mouth? Letting your baby go to sleep in his crib with a bottle of milk or juice is not a good idea. Not only will your child come to depend on having a bottle to get to sleep, but leaving a bottle in your sleeping baby’s mouth can cause tooth decay. There is a chance your baby may choke and it also can be the cause of a chronic ear infection. When a baby drinks lying flat on their back the milk can flow through their ear cavity causing infection. It is not recommended to put a bottle in the crib with the baby. I suggest a pacifier. That might be a better alternative. References: Breast vs. Bottlefeeding. (2008, May 19). In WriteWork.com. Retrieved 19:08, October 12, 2014, from http://www.writework.com/essay/breast-vs-bottlefeeding Examine best practice in breastfeeding.. (2004, January 11). In WriteWork.com. Retrieved 19:06, October 12, 2014, from http://www.writework.com/essay/examine-best-practice-breastfeeding Breastfeeding and the Workplace. (2004, March 01). In WriteWork.com. Retrieved 19:06, October 12, 2014, from http://www.writework.com/essay/breastfeeding-and-workplace http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/breastfeeding-state-laws.aspx