Early Days
Feeding Your Baby cont...
There will always be some mothers who will have a very straightforward breastfeeding experience, and for these women if may seem strange that other women struggle so much. However, I have met many mothers who have said, without exaggeration, that feeding their baby was one of the most challenging things they had ever had to deal with. There seem to be three common things that help to get mothers to their breastfeeding goal (whatever that is for the individual mother): supportive friends and family; access to skilled breastfeeding support, and a healthy dose of determination.
Q: Is there really a difference between breastmilk and formula milk?
Yes, there really is a difference.
Breastmilk is human milk and is therefore species-specific, matching the needs of the human infant. Human milk varies from mother to mother, and changes according to the time of day, the age of the baby and their appetite. Breastmilk has live components that help with growth and immunity that are absent in formula milk. At a simple level, breastmilk contains water, lactose (milk sugars), fat, protein, sodium, iron and many other minerals, vitamins and trace elements; all ingredients vital to a baby’s growth and nutrition. Breastmilk is easily accessed and digested by a baby’s system. Getting technical, breastmilk contains antimicrobial and antiviral factors and a range of cells which are involved in fighting infections, and active immune factors which help prevent infections and support the development of good bacteria in the digestive system. Antibodies made by a mother are passed to her baby through her breastmilk. Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, which occur naturally in breastmilk, are involved in early eye and brain development and growth. Growth factors in breastmilk help optimise brain and cognitive development, and support the healthy functioning of organs like the liver and kidneys. Breastmilk also contains hormones that help to regulate appetite. It has over 300 constituents that we know about, compared to about 75 in formula milk. There is fascinating emerging research about the role of breastmilk and the human microbiome (have a read of The Microbiome Effect by Toni Harman and Alex Wakeford if you want to find out more).
Formula milk is usually cow’s milk based, processed to make it safer for babies and easier to digest. The cow’s milk is skimmed, the sodium (salt) level lowered and the protein content is modified to make it more digestible. Vitamins, fatty acids, prebiotics (carbohydrates that can stimulate the growth of good bacteria in the digestive system) and other substances are added as part of the manufacturing. All brands of formula milk sold in the UK have to meet legal requirements of safety and nutrition. However, not all formula milk is suitable from birth, so it is important to ensure the formula milk you choose is appropriate for your baby’s age. Babies do not generally need formula milk beyond the age of one year; cow’s milk can be introduced as a milk drink from this age. Formula milk is sold in dried form, where you add the water, and ready-to-feed .