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Breastfeeding: Should I Breastfeed My Baby?

You may want to have a say in this decision, or you may simply want to follow your doctor's recommendation. Either way, this information will help you understand what your choices are so that you can talk to your doctor about them.

Non-Interactive Decision Point

Breastfeeding: Should I Breastfeed My Baby?

Get the facts

Your options

  • Breastfeed. (Or breastfeed and sometimes bottle-feed with breast milk or formula.)
  • Bottle-feed with formula.

Key points to remember

  • Breastfeeding is a personal choice. How you feed your baby is your decision. Your thoughts and feelings about it are an important part of the decision.
  • The American Academy of Pediatrics and most doctors advise breastfeeding for 1 year or longer.
  • Breast milk is the perfect food for your baby. It has almost all the nutrients a baby needs for the first 6 months of life.
  • Babies can also get good nutrition from bottle-feeding with formula.
  • Breast milk helps prevent many illnesses.
  • Breastfeeding helps a woman's body recover from the stresses of pregnancy, labor, and delivery.
  • Breastfeeding may lower your risks of breast cancer and diabetes later in life.
FAQs

What is breastfeeding?

Breastfeeding is feeding a baby milk from a mother's breasts. You can feed your baby directly at your breast. You can also pump your breasts and put the milk in a bottle so that you or others can feed your baby breast milk. This lets you give your baby the benefits of breast milk even when you can't be there to feed your baby. Women who work or need to be away from their babies may have the option to both breastfeed and sometimes bottle-feed. Some women bottle-feed with pumped breast milk or formula, or both.

Doctors advise breastfeeding for 1 year or longer. But your baby benefits from any amount of time that you breastfeed.

How do you feel about breastfeeding?

Only you know your own thoughts and feelings about breastfeeding. This is an important part of making this decision.

  • Do you want to breastfeed? With the right teaching and support, most women who want to breastfeed are able to do so. Talk to your doctor if you have had breast surgery or have been treated for breast cancer. Some surgeries can limit your ability to produce breast milk. Before your baby is born, plan ahead and learn all you can about breastfeeding. This helps make breastfeeding easier.
  • Do you know someone who can teach you about breastfeeding? Breastfeeding is a natural process, but it can take time and practice for both you and your baby to do it well. Doctors, nurses, and lactation specialists can all help. So can friends, family, and breastfeeding support groups.
  • Are you comfortable with breastfeeding? If you are modest or have other concerns about breastfeeding, a lactation specialist can help. For example, she can show you how to breastfeed in public without showing your breast.
  • Is anyone else trying to convince you one way or the other? Do what is right for you and your baby. Don't let others make this decision for you.
  • How does your work or school situation affect your decision? Many women are able to provide breast milk even when they are away from their baby. You can get a breast pump and learn to pump your breasts. But it is important to think about the practical issues ahead of time, such as finding a place to pump your breast milk and having a place to store it.
  • Is the cost of formula a concern? Formula can be expensive. You may save money if you breastfeed your baby.

What health problems could affect your decision?

Breastfeeding is fine for most mothers and babies, even if the mom or baby has a health problem. But you may not be able to breastfeed if:

  • You have certain infections or other problems. For example, you should not breastfeed if you have active tuberculosis, are HIV-positive, or have cancer that is being treated with chemotherapy. Women who have illnesses such as cystic fibrosis need to see their doctor often while breastfeeding.
  • You use drugs or misuse alcohol, and have been unable to stop. Anything you put in your body may be passed to your baby in breast milk.
  • You've had a certain kind of breast surgery, such as a breast reduction, or have been treated for breast cancer. Depending on how surgery affected your breast and the type of cancer treatment, you may still be able to breastfeed.

Compare your options

Compare

What is usually involved?









What are the benefits?









What are the risks and side effects?









Breastfeeding Breastfeeding
  • You feed your baby at your breast. If you have to be away from your baby, you can use a breast pump to remove your milk and feed it to your baby later with a bottle.
  • Sometimes babies and moms need a little help to breastfeed well. A lactation specialist can help you and your baby get a good start to breastfeeding.
  • Breast milk is the only food your baby needs until about 6 months of age.
  • Breast milk doesn't cost anything.
  • Breast milk is always ready. You don't need to mix formula or clean bottles.
  • Breastfeeding lowers your child's risk for many illnesses and health problems. These include:
    • Diarrhea and upset stomach.
    • Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
    • Urinary tract infections.
    • Illnesses that affect the respiratory tract or breathing.
    • Infections. Breastfed babies have less chance of going into the hospital because of an infection in the first year of life.footnote 1
  • Breastfeeding also may protect against other health problems later on, such as:footnote 2
  • You may recover from pregnancy, labor, and delivery sooner than you would without breastfeeding. This is because of the hormone oxytocin, which is released during breastfeeding.
  • Breastfeeding may lower your risks for breast cancer or diabetes later on.footnote 2
  • Some medicines can affect breast milk. If you take medicine, talk to your doctor to find out if it's okay to breastfeed, or if you can take a different medicine.
  • A few foods you eat can affect your breast milk. For example, if you are breastfeeding, don't eat fish that is high in mercury. It can be harmful when it is passed to your baby through your breast milk.
  • A small number of women who breastfeed can get a breast infection called mastitis. It causes fever and breast pain. If you have mastitis, your doctor will give you antibiotics and have you continue to breastfeed.
  • Your baby will not get enough vitamin D. You'll need to give your baby a supplement while you are breastfeeding.
Formula Formula
  • You feed your baby formula with a bottle. Some women choose to feed their babies with both breast milk and formula.
  • Formula needs to be mixed correctly. Bottles and nipples need to be clean for each use.
  • Formula provides good nutrition. It includes vitamin D, but your baby will need a vitamin D supplement until he or she is drinking 32 fl oz (946 mL) of formula a day.
  • You may feel better able to work or be away from your baby when you need to. This may be especially true if you don't like to use a breast pump.
  • If you take medicine, you don't have to worry about it getting to your baby.
  • Formula doesn't protect your baby from infections or other illnesses.
  • Formula doesn't help you recover from pregnancy, labor, and delivery.
  • Formula can cost a lot.
  • If you both breastfeed and bottle-feed your baby from birth, your baby may have problems switching between sucking from your breast and the bottle. This is called nipple confusion. You may be able to avoid this problem if you feed your baby only from the breast for the first few weeks of life before you give your baby a bottle.

Personal stories about breastfeeding

These stories are based on information gathered from health professionals and consumers. They may be helpful as you make important health decisions.

I wish I could stay home with my baby for the first year, but I have to return to work after 2 months. I plan to breastfeed my baby. I talked to my boss, and they have a place for me to pump and store my milk during the day. So even though I won't be able to breastfeed at every feeding after I go back to work, my baby will still get the benefits of my breast milk through a bottle, plus breastfeeding in the mornings and evenings.

Aisha, age 22

This pregnancy has been so hard on my body. My doctor says that some women who breastfeed recover faster from pregnancy, labor, and delivery than women who don't breastfeed. I am going to try breastfeeding and see how I feel. My husband will support whatever decision I make.

Kym, age 34

I breastfed my first baby for a little while and decided breastfeeding wasn't for me. I do want my baby to get the benefits of breast milk, though. The hospital lactation consultant said she could help me. So I will probably try to breastfeed this baby at first, and switch to formula after a few weeks if it's not going well.

Mia, age 29

I want to breastfeed my baby for as long as we both enjoy it. I worked before I got pregnant, but I want to stay home the next few years with my child. I have friends who have done this. They are very happy with their choices, and their babies seem healthy and well-adjusted.

Laney, age 25

What matters most to you?

Your personal feelings are just as important as the medical facts. Think about what matters most to you in this decision, and show how you feel about the following statements.

Reasons to choose breastfeeding

Reasons to choose formula

I want to breastfeed.

I prefer to bottle-feed my baby with formula.

More important
Equally important
More important

I want to follow the advice of experts, who recommend breastfeeding.

My baby can be healthy on formula.

More important
Equally important
More important

Formula is too expensive for my budget.

I can afford formula.

More important
Equally important
More important

I have support from family and friends who can teach me about breastfeeding.

I don't have family or other friends around who have breastfed and can help me. I don't want to ask for help from strangers.

More important
Equally important
More important

I'm confident that I can find the time and a place to breastfeed or pump breast milk.

My type of work and my schedule don't give me the time or a place to breastfeed or pump breast milk.

More important
Equally important
More important

My other important reasons:

My other important reasons:

More important
Equally important
More important

Where are you leaning now?

Now that you've thought about the facts and your feelings, you may have a general idea of where you stand on this decision. Show which way you are leaning right now.

Breastfeeding

Using formula

Leaning toward
Undecided
Leaning toward

What else do you need to make your decision?

Check the facts

1, Doctors say it's best to breastfeed my baby for 1 year or longer.
2, Breastfeeding can lower my baby's chance of getting some infections and diseases.
3, Formula can give good nutrition to my baby.

Decide what's next

1,Do you understand the options available to you?
2,Are you clear about which benefits and side effects matter most to you?
3,Do you have enough support and advice from others to make a choice?

Certainty

1. How sure do you feel right now about your decision?

Not sure at all
Somewhat sure
Very sure
2, Check what you need to do before you make this decision.

Your Summary

Here's a record of your answers. You can use it to talk with your doctor or loved ones about your decision.

Your decision 

Next steps

Which way you're leaning

How sure you are

Your comments

Your knowledge of the facts 

Key concepts that you understood

Key concepts that may need review

Getting ready to act 

Patient choices

What matters to you 

Print Summary

Credits and References

Credits
AuthorHealthwise Staff
Primary Medical ReviewerSarah Marshall, MD - Family Medicine
Primary Medical ReviewerAdam Husney, MD - Family Medicine
Primary Medical ReviewerKathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine
Specialist Medical ReviewerKirtly Jones, MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology
References
Citations
  1. Talayero JMP, et al. (2006). Full breastfeeding and hospitalization as a result of infections in the first year of life. Pediatrics, 118(1): 92-99.
  2. Victoria CG, et al. (2016). Breastfeeding in the 21st century: Epidemiology, mechanisms, and lifelong effect. Lancet, 387(10017): 475-490. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(15)01024-7. Accessed January 16, 2018.
Other Works Consulted
  • American Academy of Pediatrics (2012). Policy statement: Breastfeeding and the use of human milk. Pediatrics, 129(3): e827-e841. Also available online: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/129/3/e827.full.
  • Flohr C, et al. (2011). Lack of evidence for a protective effect of prolonged breastfeeding on childhood eczema: Lessons from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) Phase Two. British Journal of Dermatology, 165(6): 1280-1289. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2133.2011.10588.x. Accessed January 11, 2018.
  • Horta BL, et al. (2015). Long-term consequences of breastfeeding on cholesterol, obesity, systolic blood pressure and type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Acta Paediatrica, 104(467): 30-37. DOI: 10.1111/apa.13133. Accessed January 11, 2018.
You may want to have a say in this decision, or you may simply want to follow your doctor's recommendation. Either way, this information will help you understand what your choices are so that you can talk to your doctor about them.

Breastfeeding: Should I Breastfeed My Baby?

Here's a record of your answers. You can use it to talk with your doctor or loved ones about your decision.
  1. Get the facts
  2. Compare your options
  3. What matters most to you?
  4. Where are you leaning now?
  5. What else do you need to make your decision?

1. Get the Facts

Your options

  • Breastfeed. (Or breastfeed and sometimes bottle-feed with breast milk or formula.)
  • Bottle-feed with formula.

Key points to remember

  • Breastfeeding is a personal choice. How you feed your baby is your decision. Your thoughts and feelings about it are an important part of the decision.
  • The American Academy of Pediatrics and most doctors advise breastfeeding for 1 year or longer.
  • Breast milk is the perfect food for your baby. It has almost all the nutrients a baby needs for the first 6 months of life.
  • Babies can also get good nutrition from bottle-feeding with formula.
  • Breast milk helps prevent many illnesses.
  • Breastfeeding helps a woman's body recover from the stresses of pregnancy, labor, and delivery.
  • Breastfeeding may lower your risks of breast cancer and diabetes later in life.
FAQs

What is breastfeeding?

Breastfeeding is feeding a baby milk from a mother's breasts. You can feed your baby directly at your breast. You can also pump your breasts and put the milk in a bottle so that you or others can feed your baby breast milk. This lets you give your baby the benefits of breast milk even when you can't be there to feed your baby. Women who work or need to be away from their babies may have the option to both breastfeed and sometimes bottle-feed. Some women bottle-feed with pumped breast milk or formula, or both.

Doctors advise breastfeeding for 1 year or longer. But your baby benefits from any amount of time that you breastfeed.

How do you feel about breastfeeding?

Only you know your own thoughts and feelings about breastfeeding. This is an important part of making this decision.

  • Do you want to breastfeed? With the right teaching and support, most women who want to breastfeed are able to do so. Talk to your doctor if you have had breast surgery or have been treated for breast cancer. Some surgeries can limit your ability to produce breast milk. Before your baby is born, plan ahead and learn all you can about breastfeeding. This helps make breastfeeding easier.
  • Do you know someone who can teach you about breastfeeding? Breastfeeding is a natural process, but it can take time and practice for both you and your baby to do it well. Doctors, nurses, and lactation specialists can all help. So can friends, family, and breastfeeding support groups.
  • Are you comfortable with breastfeeding? If you are modest or have other concerns about breastfeeding, a lactation specialist can help. For example, she can show you how to breastfeed in public without showing your breast.
  • Is anyone else trying to convince you one way or the other? Do what is right for you and your baby. Don't let others make this decision for you.
  • How does your work or school situation affect your decision? Many women are able to provide breast milk even when they are away from their baby. You can get a breast pump and learn to pump your breasts. But it is important to think about the practical issues ahead of time, such as finding a place to pump your breast milk and having a place to store it.
  • Is the cost of formula a concern? Formula can be expensive. You may save money if you breastfeed your baby.

What health problems could affect your decision?

Breastfeeding is fine for most mothers and babies, even if the mom or baby has a health problem. But you may not be able to breastfeed if:

  • You have certain infections or other problems. For example, you should not breastfeed if you have active tuberculosis, are HIV-positive, or have cancer that is being treated with chemotherapy. Women who have illnesses such as cystic fibrosis need to see their doctor often while breastfeeding.
  • You use drugs or misuse alcohol, and have been unable to stop. Anything you put in your body may be passed to your baby in breast milk.
  • You've had a certain kind of breast surgery, such as a breast reduction, or have been treated for breast cancer. Depending on how surgery affected your breast and the type of cancer treatment, you may still be able to breastfeed.

2. Compare your options

  Breastfeeding Formula
What is usually involved?
  • You feed your baby at your breast. If you have to be away from your baby, you can use a breast pump to remove your milk and feed it to your baby later with a bottle.
  • Sometimes babies and moms need a little help to breastfeed well. A lactation specialist can help you and your baby get a good start to breastfeeding.
  • You feed your baby formula with a bottle. Some women choose to feed their babies with both breast milk and formula.
  • Formula needs to be mixed correctly. Bottles and nipples need to be clean for each use.
What are the benefits?
  • Breast milk is the only food your baby needs until about 6 months of age.
  • Breast milk doesn't cost anything.
  • Breast milk is always ready. You don't need to mix formula or clean bottles.
  • Breastfeeding lowers your child's risk for many illnesses and health problems. These include:
    • Diarrhea and upset stomach.
    • Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
    • Urinary tract infections.
    • Illnesses that affect the respiratory tract or breathing.
    • Infections. Breastfed babies have less chance of going into the hospital because of an infection in the first year of life.1
  • Breastfeeding also may protect against other health problems later on, such as:2
  • You may recover from pregnancy, labor, and delivery sooner than you would without breastfeeding. This is because of the hormone oxytocin, which is released during breastfeeding.
  • Breastfeeding may lower your risks for breast cancer or diabetes later on.2
  • Formula provides good nutrition. It includes vitamin D, but your baby will need a vitamin D supplement until he or she is drinking 32 fl oz (946 mL) of formula a day.
  • You may feel better able to work or be away from your baby when you need to. This may be especially true if you don't like to use a breast pump.
  • If you take medicine, you don't have to worry about it getting to your baby.
What are the risks and side effects?
  • Some medicines can affect breast milk. If you take medicine, talk to your doctor to find out if it's okay to breastfeed, or if you can take a different medicine.
  • A few foods you eat can affect your breast milk. For example, if you are breastfeeding, don't eat fish that is high in mercury. It can be harmful when it is passed to your baby through your breast milk.
  • A small number of women who breastfeed can get a breast infection called mastitis. It causes fever and breast pain. If you have mastitis, your doctor will give you antibiotics and have you continue to breastfeed.
  • Your baby will not get enough vitamin D. You'll need to give your baby a supplement while you are breastfeeding.
  • Formula doesn't protect your baby from infections or other illnesses.
  • Formula doesn't help you recover from pregnancy, labor, and delivery.
  • Formula can cost a lot.
  • If you both breastfeed and bottle-feed your baby from birth, your baby may have problems switching between sucking from your breast and the bottle. This is called nipple confusion. You may be able to avoid this problem if you feed your baby only from the breast for the first few weeks of life before you give your baby a bottle.

Personal stories

Personal stories about breastfeeding

These stories are based on information gathered from health professionals and consumers. They may be helpful as you make important health decisions.

"I wish I could stay home with my baby for the first year, but I have to return to work after 2 months. I plan to breastfeed my baby. I talked to my boss, and they have a place for me to pump and store my milk during the day. So even though I won't be able to breastfeed at every feeding after I go back to work, my baby will still get the benefits of my breast milk through a bottle, plus breastfeeding in the mornings and evenings."

— Aisha, age 22

"This pregnancy has been so hard on my body. My doctor says that some women who breastfeed recover faster from pregnancy, labor, and delivery than women who don't breastfeed. I am going to try breastfeeding and see how I feel. My husband will support whatever decision I make."

— Kym, age 34

"I breastfed my first baby for a little while and decided breastfeeding wasn't for me. I do want my baby to get the benefits of breast milk, though. The hospital lactation consultant said she could help me. So I will probably try to breastfeed this baby at first, and switch to formula after a few weeks if it's not going well."

— Mia, age 29

"I want to breastfeed my baby for as long as we both enjoy it. I worked before I got pregnant, but I want to stay home the next few years with my child. I have friends who have done this. They are very happy with their choices, and their babies seem healthy and well-adjusted."

— Laney, age 25

3. What matters most to you?

Your personal feelings are just as important as the medical facts. Think about what matters most to you in this decision, and show how you feel about the following statements.

Reasons to choose breastfeeding

Reasons to choose formula

I want to breastfeed.

I prefer to bottle-feed my baby with formula.

       
More important
Equally important
More important

I want to follow the advice of experts, who recommend breastfeeding.

My baby can be healthy on formula.

       
More important
Equally important
More important

Formula is too expensive for my budget.

I can afford formula.

       
More important
Equally important
More important

I have support from family and friends who can teach me about breastfeeding.

I don't have family or other friends around who have breastfed and can help me. I don't want to ask for help from strangers.

       
More important
Equally important
More important

I'm confident that I can find the time and a place to breastfeed or pump breast milk.

My type of work and my schedule don't give me the time or a place to breastfeed or pump breast milk.

       
More important
Equally important
More important

My other important reasons:

My other important reasons:

  
       
More important
Equally important
More important

4. Where are you leaning now?

Now that you've thought about the facts and your feelings, you may have a general idea of where you stand on this decision. Show which way you are leaning right now.

Breastfeeding

Using formula

       
Leaning toward
Undecided
Leaning toward

5. What else do you need to make your decision?

Check the facts

1. Doctors say it's best to breastfeed my baby for 1 year or longer.

  • True
  • False
  • I'm not sure
You're right. Most doctors recommend that mothers breastfeed their babies for 1 year or longer. But any amount of time you breastfeed helps your baby.

2. Breastfeeding can lower my baby's chance of getting some infections and diseases.

  • True
  • False
  • I'm not sure
You're right. Breastfeeding can lower a baby's chance of getting ear infections, diarrhea, and other health problems.

3. Formula can give good nutrition to my baby.

  • True
  • False
  • I'm not sure
You're right. Formula does provide good nutrition for babies.

Decide what's next

1. Do you understand the options available to you?

2. Are you clear about which benefits and side effects matter most to you?

3. Do you have enough support and advice from others to make a choice?

Certainty

1. How sure do you feel right now about your decision?

     
Not sure at all
Somewhat sure
Very sure

2. Check what you need to do before you make this decision.

  • I'm ready to take action.
  • I want to discuss the options with others.
  • I want to learn more about my options.
 
Credits
ByHealthwise Staff
Primary Medical ReviewerSarah Marshall, MD - Family Medicine
Primary Medical ReviewerAdam Husney, MD - Family Medicine
Primary Medical ReviewerKathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine
Specialist Medical ReviewerKirtly Jones, MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology
References
Citations
  1. Talayero JMP, et al. (2006). Full breastfeeding and hospitalization as a result of infections in the first year of life. Pediatrics, 118(1): 92-99.
  2. Victoria CG, et al. (2016). Breastfeeding in the 21st century: Epidemiology, mechanisms, and lifelong effect. Lancet, 387(10017): 475-490. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(15)01024-7. Accessed January 16, 2018.
Other Works Consulted
  • American Academy of Pediatrics (2012). Policy statement: Breastfeeding and the use of human milk. Pediatrics, 129(3): e827-e841. Also available online: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/129/3/e827.full.
  • Flohr C, et al. (2011). Lack of evidence for a protective effect of prolonged breastfeeding on childhood eczema: Lessons from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) Phase Two. British Journal of Dermatology, 165(6): 1280-1289. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2133.2011.10588.x. Accessed January 11, 2018.
  • Horta BL, et al. (2015). Long-term consequences of breastfeeding on cholesterol, obesity, systolic blood pressure and type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Acta Paediatrica, 104(467): 30-37. DOI: 10.1111/apa.13133. Accessed January 11, 2018.
Note: The "printer friendly" document will not contain all the information available in the online document some Information (e.g. cross-references to other topics, definitions or medical illustrations) is only available in the online version.

Current as of: January 29, 2018

Author: Healthwise Staff

Medical Review: Sarah Marshall, MD - Family Medicine & Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine & Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine & Kirtly Jones, MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology