42. Breastfeeding results in less sick days for parents.
Since breastfed babies are statistically healthier than their formula fed peers, the parents of breastfed babies spend less time out of work taking care of sick children.

43. Breastfeeding enhances vaccine effectiveness.
Breastfed infants showed better serum and secretory responses to peroral and parenteral vaccines than those formula-fed.

Han-Zoric, M., "Antibody responses to parenteral and oral vaccines are impaired by conventional and low protein formulas as compared to breastfeeding." Acta Paediatr Scand 1990; 79:1137-42

44. Breastfed babies have less chance of developing necrotizing enterocolitis.

Lucas A, Cole TJ. "Breast milk and neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis." Lancet. 1990; 336:519-1523
Convert RF, Barman N, Comanico RS, et al. "Prior enteral nutrition with human milk protects against intestinal perforation in infants who develop necrotizing enterocolitis." Pediatr Res. 1995; 37:305A. Abstract

45. Breastfeeding is a natural contraceptive.
This is true only if you are exclusively breastfeeding, your baby is less than 6 months old and have not yet gotten your period back following childbirth. Night nursing encourages longer amenorrhoea (lack of your period). If you really don't want to get pregnant again, use some back up birth control even if you haven't gotten your period again. You will have no way of knowing when your first ovulation will occur, and by the time you figure it out, you may be expecting! Still, generally speaking, breastfeeding contributes to optimal child spacing.

Kennedy KI, Visness CM. "Contraceptive efficacy of lactational amenorrhoea." Lancet. 1992; 339:227-230
Gray RH, Campbell OM, Apelo R, et al. "Risk of ovulation during lactation." Lancet. 1990; 335:25-29
Labbock MH, Colie C. "Puerperium and breast-feeding." Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol. 1992; 4:818-825

46. Breastfeeding is easier than using formula.
After the initial start up period, breastfeeding is very easy. All you have to do is lift up your shirt and let the little one latch on. No shopping for formula, bottles and other supplies. No mixing, heating, refrigerating and cleaning up of formula. If you sleep with your baby, or sleep with the baby next to your bed, you can forget about all the disturbing night time rituals associated with formula use. All you have to do is roll over, let the baby latch on, and go back to sleep!

47. Breast milk is free.
The added calories a mother must take in are a negligible expense, and nursing clothes are optional. If you need to pump, excellent pumps are available for between $100 and $225. They can be used for more than one child, so they are really an investment. Any way you look at it, you'll spend a lot more money if you choose to formula feed.

48. Formula is expensive.
The cost of feeding a baby on formula for one year was estimated to be around $1,000 in 1990. It has certainly gotten more expensive since.

Batten W. Hirschman J. Thomas C. Impact of the special supplemental food program on infants. J Pediatr 117 II:SIOI-109, 1990

49. Formula costs the government (and taxpayers) millions of dollars.
The U.S. government spends over $500 million a year to provide formula for its WIC supplemental food program.

Batten W. Hirschman J. Thomas C. Impact of the special supplemental food program on infants. J Pediatr 117 II:SIOI-109, 1990

50. Breast milk is always the right temperature.
Severe burns to babies' mouths have occurred due to improper heating of artificial milks. Even when it's done correctly, it's never fun to try to warm a bottle for a fussing baby.

51. Breast milk always has the right proportions of fat, carbohydrates and protein.
Formula companies are constantly adjusting these proportions looking for the best composition. The reality is that a mother's milk composition changes from feeding to feeding depending on the needs of her child.

52. Breast milk acts like a natural tranquilizer for baby.
Mother's milk contains chemicals that seem to work like "knock-out drops" for tired babies. Even if baby doesn't fall asleep, he/she will certainly calm down and become more agreeable. If you choose to breastfeed into toddlerhood, you may find that the "terrible twos" never materialize!

53. Breastfeeding acts like a natural tranquilizer for mom.
Nursing mothers often joke about falling asleep on the job. The sleep inducing qualities of nursing a baby are remarkable. In fact, new mothers have to be careful to hold a nursing baby in such a way that they will not drop the child when they inevitably nod off. Nursing in bed is a great solution. Even pumping at work can be a great way to calm down and get refocused on a stressful day.

54. Breast milk tastes better than formula.
Human breastmilk is remarkably sweet and light. Formula is pasty and bland. Which would you rather eat?

55. Breastfed babies are healthier over-all.

(Kaiser Permanente: Internal research to determine benefits of sponsoring an official lactation program).

56. Breastfed babies are less likely to die before their third birthday.

Van Den Bogaard, C. "Relationship Between Breast Feeding in Early Childhood and Morbidity in a general Population." Fan Med, 1991; 23:510-515

57. Breastfed babies require fewer doctor visits.
Since breastfed babies are statistically healthier, they see the doctor less often.

(Kaiser Permanente: Internal research to determine benefits of sponsoring an official lactation program).

58. Breastfeeding mothers spend less time and money on doctor visits.
In 1995, Kaiser-Permanente Health Maintenance Organization in North Carolina found that formula-fed babies averaged over $1,400 more per year in additional health care costs than breastfed infants.

(Kaiser Permanente: Internal research to determine benefits of sponsoring an official lactation program).

59. Fewer waste packaging products.
No wrappers, canisters, disposable bottles etc.

"If every child in America were bottle-fed, almost 86,000 tons of tin would be needed to produce 550 million cans for one year's worth of formula. If every mother in Great Britain breastfed, 3000 tons of paper (used for formula labels) would be saved in a year. But formula is not the only problem. Bottles and nipples require plastic, glass, rubber and silicon; production of these materials can be resource-intensive and often leads to end-products that are not recyclable. All these products use natural resources, cause pollution in their manufacture and distribution and create trash in their packaging, promotion, and disposal."

60. No bottles to tote.
Unless you're pumping and transporting the milk for later. Even then there are fewer bottles to deal with.