Breast milk is the best

Breast feeding has been the main source of food for the infants for centuries. In some extraordinary circumstances it used to be replaced by the cows milk. But time changed and in the last 50 years we assumed to believe that we have learnt everything and can make anything in the laboratory. This kind of enthusiasm is good and needed for scientific development. Formula milk is one of the product of this development. This is very good, easy to prepare and feed to kids. Despite all benefits some organizations, trusts, national governments and religious leaders are promoting breastfeeding. I am trying to understand the problem with the formula milk. Can it really be a substitute for the breast milk?

One of the biggest problem with the formula milk is that it considers the new born baby as all of us. I mean adults with full grown organs but that is not the case. Baby does not become baby just after coming out of the womb, it is 'sort of baby' for couple of months even before it comes out of womb. It develops its organs slowly and the mother's body produce milk (in fact colostrum) to feed this baby.

Other important thing is changing composition of the breast milk. It changes its chemical composition not only every day based on the diet of the mother but also during each feeding session. Both of these changes are good. Formula milk can not replicate the varying and healthy composition of the breast milk. It is important to emphasise varying composition. You can not imagine to produce one hundred varieties of formula milk. Other change is freedom of the baby to control what it wants during its feeding session. During each feeding, baby can have foremilk and/or hindmilk. Foremilk is low in fat and high in carbohydrates and hindmilk is opposite. Baby can switch breast if it wants more of foremilk that gives energy. On other side if the baby wants to sleep it will be interested in hindmilk that has sleep-inducting effect. How these effects be produce at the same time in same formula milk? And who will ensure what the baby wants at a particular time?

Mother's milk also produces antibodies that helps the baby in fighting against diseases, at least after the birth. These are the antibodies that mother's body knows suites the baby. Overall, it is a very customised solution to the babies by her mother. It seems mass production of this can not replicate the benefits of mother's milk. When there is choice of formula milk, mothers can not be forced to breastfeed but they need to make an awared and educated selection so that they do not regret later on.