When a woman has a baby, she immediately is faced with many decisions. These decisions include, where to send the child to daycare, what kind of diapers to use, or which doctor to take them to. One of the most important decisions is whether or not to breastfeed. Doctors and nurses around the country suggest that breastfeeding has many benefits. These benefits are not only benefits for the baby, but also benefits for the mother.
             Breast milk is made especially for the infant. It helps the infant to develop into their fullest physical, emotional, and intellectual potential. Breast milk contains many nutrients that formula does not. These nutrients are easy for the infant to digest and automatically adjusts to the infant's needs. The most important nutrient in breast milk is fat. The baby needs fats and cholesterol for brain and body growth. Formula does not contain as much fat as the baby gets from breast milk. Another important nutrient in breast milk is protein. This protein is easily digested by the baby and is more completely absorbed than the protein in formula. (www.askdrsears.com/html/0/T000100.asp)
             Breast milk includes substances, such as white blood cells and immunoglobulins, that help infants to resist several diseases. When a mother is exposed to a certain germ she makes antibodies against that germ, these antibodies are then passed to the infant through the mother's milk, therefore, protecting the infant from that germ in the future. These substances cannot be produced in formula, because when the formula is processed it kills all the cells. Infants that are fed breast milk, get fewer colds, fewer ear infections, and less diarrhea than bottle-fed infants. They also have fewer allergies, including fewer cow's milk allergies and less eczema. (www.helioshealth.com/baby/feeding/pros_cons.html)
             Breastfeeding is also more cost effective. It is estimated that a breastfeeding mother will only spend about $600...