What is the best way to give your baby a great start in life? Breast feeding is one of the best things you can do to optimise your baby’s health and protect him from illness. One of the main benefits of breast feeding is that it’s free!

While breast feeding can save you a lot of money on buying formula, it can also help with your medical bills. Statistics show that breast fed babies fall ill less often than formula fed babies. When they do succumb to illness they usually have a milder form and recover much quicker. Formula fed babies suffer more often with respitory infections, ear infections and other medical problems. 

This can be even more true if your family has had a history of allergies.  When a baby is breast fed, the antibodies pass on from the mother to the baby, helping to protect against illness and allergies.  As your baby’s system matures, his body will begin to make it’s own antibodies and he’ll be more equipped to handle sensitivities of food.

Sucking on the breast will also help with the development or jaw alignment and the development of the cheekbone.  For this very reason, there is less of a need for costly orthodontic work when the child gets older.

Breast milk is more convenient. It is available 24/7 and is always at the correct temperature for feeding. Breast milk also contains all the necessary nutrients in the way of vitamins and minerals for a growing baby. 

Not all the benefits of breast feeding are just for baby. Moms can benefit by the fact that breast feeding burns more calories than bottle feeding and that will help her lose weight – always a great benefit! At the same time she can create a special bond with her baby which is not always possible with formula feeding. The sucking action of the baby also causes contractions of the uterus, helping it to return to normal a lot faster.

It must be said however that not all mums are able to breast feed. If this is the case for you there is no need to feel guilty. Bottle feeding will still give your baby a good start in life. Baby formula has been considerably improved and now contains most of the components of breast mild including omega 3 and pro-biotics.