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New motherhood brings a bundle of joy , though at the same time a lot of prying questions and you will be feeling fully exhausted and overwhelmed not just physically but mentally.
We will talk about 12 hot topics one by one for new mums and dads. Hope these will aid your early stage of parent. The first topic we will go through is breastfeeding vs formula feeding.
We will go through every single topic in individual posts.
Understanding the Importance of Breastfeeding
This is the number one topic for all mothers. Usually professionals and academics in the paediatrics field would recommend mothers to breastfeed for 12 months and exclusively for the first 6 months.
Breastfeeding has its amazing benefits for your baby including the important enzymes that the breastmilk contains to help your baby to effective digest and absorb the nutritions. These enzymes include:
1. Amylase: This is the main polysaccharide-digesting enzyme. It digests starch. Since babies are born with only a small amount of amylase, they can get this essential digestive enzyme through breast milk. After six months of age, a child’s pancreas begins to release amylase.
2. Lipase: Newborns can fully digest and use the fat in breast milk because of lipase. Lipase breaks down milk fat and separates it into free fatty acids and glycerol. Newborns get energy from free fatty acids, and lipase makes those free fatty acids available before digestion occurs in the intestines.
3. Protease: Protease speeds up the breakdown of proteins. There are high levels of protease in breast milk. It is believed that this enzyme is important for digestion especially during the period right after birth.
4. Lactoferrin: This is an iron-binding protein. It helps a baby absorb iron. Also, along with white cells and antibodies, lactoferrin kills bacteria. Lactoferrin stops E. coli from attaching to cells and helps to prevent diarreah. Lactoferrin also prevents the growth of Candida albicans, a fungus. Lactoferrin levels are very high in preterm breast milk and the levels go down as lactation continues.
5. Lysozym: This protects an infant against bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella. The levels of lysozyme in the breastmilk rise especially around the time babies begin eating solid foods. The increase in lysozyme helps to protect children from germs that can cause illness and diarrhea.
6. Other enzymes: There are over 40 enzymes identified in breastmilk. Some of the other active enzymes include diastase, lactose synthetase, and lactoperoxidase.
Breastfed babies have lower chances of getting many infections include ear infections, diarrhea, respiratory infections, meningitis.
Breastfeeding also prevents babies from allergies, asthma, diabetes, obesity and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
Most formula milk drinks are being ensured to contain all the neccassary nutrients that the babies need, however they still cannot exactly match breastmilk’s composition. Because breastmilk is a living substance made by every mum for her individual infant, a process cannot be duplicated by factory.
Main Benefits of Breastfeeding
The main benefits of breastfeeding are:
1. The ‘perfect food’: breastmilk contains lactose, protein (what and casein), and fat, these can be easily absorbed by babies.
Breastmilk also contains many vitamins and minerals. The only nutrient that breastmilk lacks of is vitamin D. It is recommend for breastfed babies begin receiving vitamin D in the first two months and continuing until they consume enough vitamin D-fortified formula or milk (after 1 year of age).
2. Breastmilk is free of cost. And breastfed babies have less chance of getting sick .
3. Breastmilk contains the tastes of different food that the mother consumes, hence introduces these tastes to babies through their mother’s milk.
4. Breastmilk is always free and available. So parents do not need to have last minute runs to purchase formulas for their babies.
5. Some researches state that breastfed babies are smarter.
6. Skin to skin contact enhances the bonding Relationship between the mother and baby.
7. Breastfeeding also is beneficial to mothers by helping them to lose calories and shrink the uterus, So many mums are able to get back to their pre-pregnancy shape quickly
The Challenges of Breastfeeding
The challenges of breastfeeding include;
1. Latch on pain is normal for the first week to 10 days, and should last less than a minute with each feeding.
2. Breastfeeding requires a big time commitment from mothers, especially in the beginning, when babies feed often. And breastfed babies do need to eat more often than babies who take formula, because breast milk digests faster than formula.
3. Women who are breastfeeding need to be aware of what they eat and drink, since these can be passed to the baby through the breast milk.
Check out a handy guide from my mum friend Jannet on breastfeeding below:
Exploring Formula Feeding: Considerations and Options
Now let’s talk about formula milk drinks. They are cow milk based. They contain some natural enzymes some, and some other enzymes are added. Remember, the enzymes in particular milk is naturally suitable for that species originally making that milk.
Key Nutrients in Infant Formula:
1. Carbohydrates: The primary energy source, with lactose being the most common carbohydrate found in both breast milk and formula.
2. Proteins: Essential for growth, infant formulas typically contain a balanced mix of whey and casein proteins.
3. Fats: Vital for brain development, formulas include a variety of vegetable oils to supply necessary fatty acids.
4. Vitamins & Minerals: Formulas are enriched with vital nutrients like Vitamin D, Calcium, and Iron to support overall health.
5. Additional Nutrients: Many formulas also contain probiotics and prebiotics to aid in digestive health.
Main Benefits of Formula Feeding
Some benefits of formula milk are:
1. Convenience and flexibility of shared feeding. Since the baby is not breastfed, then the other caregiver can also feed the baby. There is no need for scheduled pumping of breastmilk.
2. Because formula milk is less digestible, formula fed babies require less frequency of feeding.
3. Formula feeding mums don’t need to worry about the food and drinks they consume.
4. No nipple issues for mums and keeping good shapes for mum’ breasts.
Main Downsides of Formula Feeding
Some downsides of formula milk are:
1. Lack of antibodies as none of the antibodies found in breast milk are in manufactured formula. So formula can’t provide a baby with the added protection against infection and illness that breast milk does.
2. Cannot duplicated the substances produced by Breastmilk.
3. Earlier planning and organization is required to ensure supply of the formula milk drink can meet the baby’s demand at all times.
4. It is expensive to purchase formula milk drinks and the costs can build up quickly overtime for parents
5. Formula milk drink may cause gas and constipation for babies.
Recommended Milk Formula by Healthy Mum and Bub
Healthy Mum and Bub had personally tried the brands Bellamy’s Organic, Nestlé NAN A2, Karicare and Aptamil. Some of the great options suitable for 0-2 years old are as per below:
Bellamy’s Organic
• Step 1 Infant Formula: Suitable for most babies from birth through to 12 months.
• Step 2 Follow-On Formula: For babies from 6 to 12 months.
• Step 3 Toddler Milk Drink: For toddlers from 12 months and up.
Nestlé NAN A2
• Nestlé NAN A2 Stage 1: Starter Infant Formula Powder From Birth.
• Nestlé NAN A2 Stage 2: Follow-On Formula Powder From 6 Months.
• Nestlé NAN A2 Stage 3: Toddler Milk Drink From 1 Year.
Karicare
• Karicare Gold Plus+ A2 Protein Milk 1: Baby Infant Formula from Birth to 6 Months.
• Karicare Infant Formula: Suitable for 0 to 6 Months, made with the goodness of real New Zealand milk.
• Karicare Toddler Gold Plus+ A2 Protein Milk Drink: From 1 year.
Aptamil
• Aptamil Gold+ 1: Premium infant formula suitable from birth to six months.
• Aptamil Gold+ 2: Follow-on formula designed for infants from six to 12 months as part of a mixed diet.
• Aptamil Profutura 1: Premium infant formula from birth to six months.
For parents considering formula options, it’s important to consult with healthcare professionals to ensure the chosen formula meets your baby’s dietary needs. Remember, while formula provides critical nutrition, it’s not an exact replica of breast milk’s natural complexity.
Health authorities recommends exclusive breastfeeding in the first 6 months of baby’s life, and continues on until the baby is two years old. However, if you don’t enjoy breastfeeding then it is completely fine to stop breastfeed your baby say from 6 months onwards when your baby gradually transit into the solid foods stage.
To success in breastfeeding, explore our 25 top tips on to master nursing triumph:
Eventually the choice is whichever is best suitable for the whole family, and at the same time consult your doctor for advice to help you make the best decision for your family.