Pros and Cons of Breastfeeding

For Mom:

Pros
• Breastfeeding soon after delivery helps minimize bleeding.
• Breastfeeding helps the uterus return to its pre-pregnancy size more quickly.
• Breastfeeding is more convenient than bottle-feeding. (You don't have to carry around a load of bottle parts and formula, and milk is always at feeding temperature.)
• Breastfeeding is less expensive than formula-feeding.
• Breastfeeding helps mom return to pre-pregnancy weight more quickly.
• Breastfeeding helps develop a closeness between mom and baby.
• Breastfeedng can reduce your risk of breast cancer by up to 50% (depending on how long you breastfeed)

Cons
• Breastfeeding ties you to the baby 24/7 and/or dad can't ever feed the baby. (These are the reasons I hear most often, but they aren't necessarily accurate. If you own a pump and a couple of bottles, there's no reason the baby can't be bottle-fed breast milk occasionally.)
• Breastfeeding may be frustrating if the baby doesn't catch on right away.
• Breastfeeding may be painful for the first week or two.
• Engorgement
• Sore, cracked nipples - This shouldn't happen if the baby is latched on properly. See here for instruction in how to latch baby on correctly.
• Clogged milk ducts - This is uncommon with a properly latched-on baby, as well.
• Slight possibility of breast infection - Again, if everything is done properly, this is not common.

For Baby:

Pros
• The antibodies in breastmilk help babies fight infection.
• Colostrum (pre-milk substance) is an ideal first food, higher in protein and minerals and lower in fats and carbohydrates than breastmilk.
• Breastmilk helps safeguard against the development of allergies (and MANY other medical issues).
• Breastmilk is easily digested.
• Breastmilk changes to fit the changing needs of a growing baby. (Mother's milk for preemies is even different than mother's milk for a full-term baby.)
• Breastfeeding helps develop a closeness between mom and baby.

Cons
• NONE