[witch_power]

Breastfeeding versus Formula Feeding : Which Side Wins?

Honestly, neither side “wins”, because there is no absolute right or wrong. Both make excellent points about the pros and cons of each option. What it really comes down to is that when it comes to breastfeeding versus formula feeding, the only right decision is the one that works best for you and your child.

Read more: http://www.ourfamilyworld.com/2012/02/12/breastfeeding-versus-formula-feeding-the-pros-and-cons-of-e...

[hollyelizabeth2007]

<<Moms can take necessary medications without worrying about they will harm their baby by passing it through to the milk supply.>>

This one stuck out for me, because it seems too much like a cop-out. Most of the commonly-taken medications are well-studied on this issue, and so it is not terribly hard to discover whether the med you need or are already taking is safe. To formula-feed so you don't have to worry that any meds you might need to take in the future MIGHT be unsafe sounds like a pretty lousy excuse to formula-feed.

An analogy, if you will: carseat safety is not terribly difficult to ensure. But like bf on medications, it requires a basic amount of research. I have read many times that it is easier to just give formula than to worry (by worry I think they mean research) about the safety of the meds they might take. But with carseats, we encourage women to do the research anyway. We don't say that it would be better never to put baby in the car than to have to worry about the research you'd have to do to be safe. Or worse, we don't put those children at risk by suggesting that safe carseat use isn't necessary, and that women can just put their babies in the carseat however and I'm sure that will be just fine. What a waste and a danger that would be! Yet to suggest that a benefit to ff is that you don't have to research whether or not your meds are safe is similarly wasteful and also potentially dangerous.

[hollyelizabeth2007]

"My friend was advised to not BF because her meds could have adverse effects on baby."

Let's hope your friend was advised by someone who actually knows something about meds and bf. You'd be surprised how many doctors do not. I have been advised not to bf while on meds that are perfectly safe for bf, and I have been told certain meds are perfectly safe for bf when they are not. On the whole, most meds are safe for bf (or at least safer than formula). But too many doctors take the position that formula is absolutely fine so it's better to ff than to bf if you're on any medication at all.