When a mother has her new child, she faces a tough decision: breastfeed or formula feed? Perhaps a combination of both? Many mothers have reservations about breastfeeding because of the time commitment and concerns over producing enough milk, but also fear that formula feeding could impact their baby's health. Are these fears warranted, or is formula feeding a safe and effective alternative to the natural method?
Formula, at best, is the 4th best choice, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). WHO states the best choice for human infants is breastfeeding at the breast of his or her mother, followed by expressed milk from his or her mother, donated breast milk from another mother, and finally formula.
Typically, we hear about the “benefits” of breastfeeding—all the wonderful things that babies will experience if they breastfeed. However, these are not “benefits” at all. They are what nature intends and assumes for young humans. They are the starting point, not some unachievable, lofty goal that is good to “strive” for but really doesn’t matter if it isn’t met.
In this vein, then, it is more appropriate to talk about the risks of formula-feeding—the risks of deviating from the gold standard. We don’t talk about the “benefits” of using an infant car seat or the “benefits” of not smoking; we talk about the risks of not using the car seat or the risks of smoking.
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