Breastfeeding And Formula: Just the Facts Ma'am!!

When I wrote the post on Breastmilk and its components compared to Coca-Cola (found HERE) , I decided that it would be a good idea to also write a post on Breastmilk compared to formula. I not only want to go over their ingredients difference, but, also the preparation, their availability, their sterility and more. I want to break apart both down to last bit and show the distinct difference between the two. I will start with the ingredients and move on from there.

This is the ingredients for formula:

Water

Carbohydrates

Lactose

Corn maltodextrin

Protein

Partially hydrolyzed reduced minerals whey protein concentrate (from cow’s milk)

Fats

Palm olein

Soybean oil

Coconut oil

High oleic safflower oil (or sunflower oil)

M. alpina oil (Fungal DHA)

C.cohnii oil (Algal ARA)

Minerals

Potassium citrate

Potassium phosphate

Calcium chloride

Tricalcium phosphate

Sodium citrate

Magnesium chloride

Ferrous sulphate

Zinc sulphate

Sodium chloride

Copper sulphate

Potassium iodide

Manganese sulphate

Sodium selenate

Vitamins

Sodium ascorbate

Inositol

Choline bitartrate

Alpha-Tocopheryl acetate

Niacinamide

Calcium pantothenate

Riboflavin

Vitamin A acetate

Pyridoxine hydrochloride

Thiamine mononitrate

Folic acid

Phylloquinone

Biotin

Vitamin D3

Vitamin B12

Enzyme

Trypsin

Amino acid

Taurine

L-Carnitine (a combination of two different amino acids)

Nucleotides

Cytidine 5-monophosphate

Disodium uridine 5-monophosphate

Adenosine 5-monophosphate

Disodium guanosine 5-monophosphate

Soy Lecithin

This is the ingredients list for breastmilk:

Carbohydrates (energy source)
 Lactose
 Oligosaccharides (see below)
Carboxylic acid
 Alpha hydroxy acid
   Lactic acid
Proteins (building muscles and bones)
 Whey protein
   Alpha-lactalbumin
     HAMLET (Human Alpha-lactalbumin Made Lethal to Tumour cells)
   Lactoferrin
   Many antimicrobial factors (see below)
 Casein
 Serum albumin
Non-protein nitrogens
 Creatine
 Creatinine
 Urea
 Uric acid
 Peptides (see below)
 Amino Acids (the building blocks of proteins)
   Alanine
   Arginine
   Aspartate
   Clycine
   Cystine
   Glutamate
   Histidine
   Isoleucine
   Leucine
   Lycine
   Methionine
   Phenylalanine
   Proline
   Serine
   Taurine
   Theronine
   Tryptophan
   Tyrosine
   Valine
   Carnitine (amino acid compound necessary to make use of fatty acids as an energy source)
 Nucleotides (chemical compounds that are the structural units of RNA and DNA)
   5’-Adenosine monophosphate (5”-AMP)
   3’:5’-Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (3’:5’-cyclic AMP)
   5’-Cytidine monophosphate (5’-CMP)
   Cytidine diphosphate choline (CDP choline)
   Guanosine diphosphate (UDP)
   Guanosine diphosphate - mannose
   3’- Uridine monophosphate (3’-UMP)
   5’-Uridine monophosphate (5’-UMP)
   Uridine diphosphate (UDP)
   Uridine diphosphate hexose (UDPH)
   Uridine diphosphate-N-acetyl-hexosamine (UDPAH)
   Uridine diphosphoglucuronic acid (UDPGA)
   Several more novel nucleotides of the UDP type
Fats
 Triglycerides
   Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids
     Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) (important for brain development)
     Arachidonic acid (AHA) (important for brain development)
     Linoleic acid
     Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)
     Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)
     Conjugated linoleic acid (Rumenic acid)
   Free Fatty Acids
   Monounsaturated fatty acids
     Oleic acid
     Palmitoleic acid
     Heptadecenoic acid
   Saturated fatty acids
     Stearic
     Palmitic acid
     Lauric acid
     Myristic acid
 Phospholipids
   Phosphatidylcholine
   Phosphatidylethanolamine
   Phosphatidylinositol
   Lysophosphatidylcholine
   Lysophosphatidylethanolamine
   Plasmalogens
 Sphingolipids
   Sphingomyelin
   Gangliosides
     GM1
     GM2
     GM3
   Glucosylceramide
   Glycosphingolipids
   Galactosylceramide
   Lactosylceramide
   Globotriaosylceramide (GB3)
   Globoside (GB4)    Sterols
   Squalene
   Lanosterol
   Dimethylsterol
   Methosterol
   Lathosterol
   Desmosterol
   Triacylglycerol
   Cholesterol
   7-dehydrocholesterol
   Stigma-and campesterol
   7-ketocholesterol
   Sitosterol
   β-lathosterol
   Vitamin D metabolites
   Steroid hormones
Vitamins
 Vitamin A
 Beta carotene
 Vitamin B6
 Vitamin B8 (Inositol)
 Vitamin B12
 Vitamin C
 Vitamin D
 Vitamin E
   a-Tocopherol
 Vitamin K
 Thiamine
 Riboflavin
 Niacin
 Folic acid
 Pantothenic acid
 Biotin
Minerals
 Calcium
 Sodium
 Potassium
 Iron
 Zinc
 Chloride
 Phosphorus
 Magnesium
 Copper
 Manganese
 Iodine
 Selenium
 Choline
 Sulpher
 Chromium
 Cobalt
 Fluorine
 Nickel
Metal
 Molybdenum (essential element in many enzymes)
Growth Factors (aid in the maturation of the intestinal lining)
 Cytokines
   interleukin-1β (IL-1β)
   IL-2
   IL-4
   IL-6
   IL-8
   IL-10
   Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF)
   Macrophage-colony stimulating factor (M-CSF)
   Platelet derived growth factors (PDGF)
   Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)
   Hepatocyte growth factor -α (HGF-α)
   HGF-β
   Tumor necrosis factor-α
   Interferon-γ
   Epithelial growth factor (EGF)
   Transforming growth factor-α (TGF-α)
   TGF β1
   TGF-β2
   Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) (also known as somatomedin C)
   Insulin-like growth factor- II
   Nerve growth factor (NGF)
   Erythropoietin
 Peptides (combinations of amino acids)
   HMGF I (Human growth factor)
   HMGF II
   HMGF III
   Cholecystokinin (CCK)
   β-endorphins
   Parathyroid hormone (PTH)
   Parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP)
   β-defensin-1
   Calcitonin
   Gastrin
   Motilin
   Bombesin (gastric releasing peptide, also known as neuromedin B)
   Neurotensin
   Somatostatin
Hormones (chemical messengers that carry signals from one cell, or group of cells, to another
via the blood)
   Cortisol
   Triiodothyronine (T3)
   Thyroxine (T4)
   Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) (also known as thyrotropin)
   Thyroid releasing hormone (TRH)
   Prolactin
   Oxytocin
   Insulin
   Corticosterone
   Thrombopoietin
   Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)
   GRH
   Leptin (aids in regulation of food intake)
   Ghrelin (aids in regulation of food intake)
   Adiponectin
   Feedback inhibitor of lactation (FIL)
   Eicosanoids
     Prostaglandins (enzymatically derived from fatty acids)
       PG-E1
       PG-E2
       PG-F2
     Leukotrienes
     Thromboxanes
     Prostacyclins
Enzymes (catalysts that support chemical reactions in the body)
 Amylase
 Arysulfatase
 Catalase
 Histaminase
 Lipase
 Lysozyme
 PAF-acetylhydrolase
 Phosphatase
 Xanthine oxidase
Antiproteases (thought to bind themselves to macromolecules such as enzymes and as a result
prevent allergic and anaphylactic reactions)
 a-1-antitrypsin
 a-1-antichymotrypsin
Antimicrobial factors (are used by the immune system to identify and neutralize foreign objects,
such as bacteria and viruses.
 Leukocytes (white blood cells)
   Phagocytes
     Basophils
     Neutrophils
     Eoisinophils
   Macrophages
   Lymphocytes
     B lymphocytes (also known as B cells)
     T lymphocytes (also known as C cells)
 sIgA (Secretory immunoglobulin A) (the most important antiinfective factor)
 IgA2
 IgG
 IgD
 IgM
 IgE
 Complement C1
 Complement C2
 Complement C3
 Complement C4
 Complement C5
 Complement C6
 Complement C7
 Complement C8
 Complement C9
 Glycoproteins
   Mucins (attaches to bacteria and viruses to prevent
them from clinging to mucousal tissues)
   Lactadherin
 Alpha-lactoglobulin
 Alpha-2 macroglobulin
 Lewis antigens
 Ribonuclease
 Haemagglutinin inhibitors
 Bifidus Factor (increases growth of Lactobacillus bifidus - which is a
good bacteria)
 Lactoferrin (binds to iron which prevents harmful bacteria from using the
iron to grow)
 Lactoperoxidase
 B12 binding protein (deprives microorganisms of vitamin B12)
 Fibronectin (makes phagocytes more aggressive, minimizes inflammation, and repairs
damage caused by inflammation)
 Oligosaccharides (more than 200 different kinds!)

Yeah, so you can see...there is a major difference just in ingredients.

Let's look at the nutrition level of both.

Formula:

Breastmilk:

Now let's talk "How to prepare"... 

How to prepare a bottle of formula:

Wash your hands and the equipment you will use with hot soapy water and rinse well. 

Sterilize all equipment by boiling in a pan of water until it comes to a boil. Place lid on pot and leave equipment in the water until needed.

Clean and disinfect the surface where you will be making the bottle, along with your hands.

Boil some water in a pan until it comes to a rolling boil. Do not let it get below 70 degrees Celsius. 

Read formula can and place the exact amount of water in the bottle along with the exact amount of formula.

Place lid on bottle and swirl to stir.

hold bottle under cool running water to cool down to the correct feeding temp.

(By the way, powdered formula is NOT sterile and MUST be made with HOT water in order to kill any bacteria in it)

How to prepare to breastfeed:

Undo shirt and bra cup latch(if you have one on) and latch baby on.

What a difference huh? All you really need to do to nurse a baby is latch it on. With a formula feeder, you need time and preparation if you do it correctly. Most people don't get the water that hot before they make the formula. I wonder  How many babies were diagnosed with a stomach bug instead of formula mishap and improper prep? I can imagine it's a lot...

Equipment needed for formula feeding:

Bottles/nipples

bottle brushes

formula

pan

Equipment needed to breastfeed:

Breasts

(Anything beyond the is a want, not a need)

Cost of formula:

Approx: $20/can (which lasts 2 weeks for a newborn) so, $40/month, $480/yr if that is all they drank, but, we all know babies drink far more as they get older. So, let's at least double that number. $960...and that's only if it costs $20/can.

Cost of nursing:

$0 It's free.

Another thing is Breastmilk contains antibodies and more that formula will NEVER contain. It changes as your child grows and gets older, formula does not. You don't have to lug bottles and formula, nor worry if you prepared it correctly. You never have to worry if you have enough money to buy a can of formula if you nurse. If baby goes to sleep with a bottle of formula in it's mouth, you run the risk of bottle rot on it's teeth because of the sugars in it. Ew. If baby goes to sleep with a boob in it's mouth, you don't have to worry. Breastmilk has antimicrobial properties that keep it from happening. The breast is even a great way to develop baby's mouth properly unlike a bottle nipple which causes an unnatural palate and jaw structure. 

Another big kicker is the breast cancer connection. Formula feeding does nothing to help. Breastfeeding lowers baby's chances and mommas chance of developing breast cancer. That alone should make some women jump on this chance.