Breastfeeding
In the 1950s, bottle-feeding was the norm. Now, as more and more benefits of breastfeeding are discovered, the pendulum has swung back. Some argue that formula is as good, or better, than mother's milk, but such talk is likely to give breastfeeding activists an aneurism. Amid all the talk of how superior the boob is to the bottle, it can be easy to forget that practical concerns sometimes make breastfeeding difficult or near impossible.
Not all working mothers can pump, let alone breastfeed, at work. There may also be other complications: lack of milk, nipple pain, need for certain medications. A growing number of mothers who bottle-feed their babies are raising their voices in an angry chorus, asking why they should be made to feel guilty. The AAP states that "Human milk is the preferred feeding for all infants, with rare exceptions." Yet, as Dr. Cohen points out, breastfeeding may be the natural way, and it may decrease the rate of infections in children, but even breast-fed babies get sick.
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