When a woman discovers she is pregnant, she must make a very important choice for her newborn: whether to breastfeed or use formula. Both options have positive and negative attributes that help the mother decide which decision is best for her family's situation. Most doctors encourage mothers to breastfeed their babies because breast milk provides many benefits. While breastfeeding is proven to be the ideal way to feed your newborn, many women can't, or simply choose not to, which is why formula is a great alternative. There are important differences between breastfeeding and bottle feeding, which are helpful to consider when trying to make the best decision for your family. Choosing whether to breastfeed or formula feed is a very personal choice within a family that should be respected by others. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Breastfeeding a baby is much less expensive than bottle feeding. An important thing to consider when making the choice between breastfeeding and formula feeding is that breast milk is free. However, there are some accessories that can be a little expensive, such as the breast pump. This is useful if a mother cannot be with her baby every second of the day, as in the case of a working mother. You can send your baby to nursery with breast milk and you can also introduce a bottle to your newborn. A woman may also choose to breastfeed if the baby's father or another family member wishes to breastfeed the baby. Expression can take a long time, and this is a consideration a mother should make. While a breast pump can be expensive for many families, it is a one-time purchase. While expressing can be helpful, it is not for all mothers. Breast milk itself is free, but accessories such as breast pumps and breast pads are not. Ultimately, breastfeeding can save a lot of money during the first year of a newborn's life because breast milk costs nothing. Breastfeeding has excellent benefits for both mother and baby. It is proven that breast milk provides a huge amount of nutrients to the baby, while being easily digestible. It has been proven that breast milk quickly strengthens the baby's immune system and protects him from certain infections. The risk of sudden infant death syndrome has also been shown to decrease if a baby is breastfed. Babies are able to digest breast milk, which reduces stomach pain and gas in the baby. A study was conducted on both breast-fed and bottle-fed babies and the results agreed that, “…breastfeeding performed better than bottle-feeding in factors such as BMI, hyperactivity, math skills, recognition reading, identification of vocabulary words, memory for digits, scholastic competence and obesity” (Sifferlin). The study shows that breastfeeding makes a positive difference in some vital factors in a child's life. Breastfeeding mothers lose weight more quickly and are also said to feel a special bond with their baby while breastfeeding. Another surprising study from 2010 showed that “if the majority of new mothers breastfed their babies for the first 6 months of life, it would save nearly 1,000 lives and 13 billion dollars… every year, not counting the savings on milk costsartificial” (Falco). There are many benefits of breastfeeding that all mothers should be aware of before giving birth to their new baby. There are also disadvantages to breastfeeding that some families believe may outweigh the benefits. Not all women can breastfeed their baby for many reasons. The buildup of enthusiasm for breastfeeding and then the realization that you are unable to do so could lead to postpartum depression. Additionally, a mother must be present at every feeding if she does not wish to express milk. This can be inconvenient and sometimes impossible for working mothers. Initially, breastfeeding can be painful for some mothers, which is also a negative outcome of breastfeeding. While breastfeeding, a mother must pay attention to what she consumes, just as she did during pregnancy. Breastfeeding mothers are strongly advised to avoid alcohol and certain foods, such as mercury-rich fish. Many mothers want to return to their pre-pregnancy eating habits, but with breastfeeding this is not entirely possible. There are also many medications and contraceptives that should be avoided. Another downside is that breastfed babies usually require to be fed more often than babies who drink formula. Finally, breastfeeding can make many women feel uncomfortable while doing so in public. Breastfeeding has many advantages, but also some disadvantages that may lead a woman to choose formula over breast milk. Breastfeeding a newborn has many differences from breastfeeding that should be taken into consideration when making a decision about how to feed your baby. A great advantage of bottle feeding is that anyone has the opportunity to feed the baby. The pressure of being the only one to feed the baby doesn't exist. A mother doesn't have to be the only one waking up with the baby for nighttime feedings if she has a support system, like a husband. Additionally, a mother can easily send her baby to daycare with formula, without having to worry about expressing breast milk, freezing it, and thawing it for the next day. Activities associated with breastfeeding can be time-consuming, while formula can simply be purchased ready-made. Additionally, a mother who chooses to bottle-feed will become familiar with exactly how much milk her baby consumes in a feeding. Bottle-feeding a baby can relieve a huge workload for the mother and can be convenient. A great advantage of bottle feeding is that the mother can feel free to return to her old eating habits immediately after giving birth. He will be able to drink alcohol and consume certain foods that would otherwise upset a breastfed baby. A mother who bottle-feeds her baby can go back to any prescription she used in the past and can start any form of birth control immediately if she wishes. Additionally, bottle feeding can be done in public without any feeling of embarrassment. Another important factor that many mothers should consider is that many formulas produced today contain almost the same amount of beneficial nutrients as breast milk. Bottle-feeding does not irritate the breasts, and formula-fed babies need to be fed less often. Formula feeding a newborn is a convenient alternative to breastfeeding that is healthy and helps the mother return to her pre-pregnancy life faster than breastfeeding. There are also downsides to breastfeeding.