Go Green Go Breastfeeding - Environmental Advantages of Breastfeeding and Environmental Disadvantages of Infant Formula

Breastfeeding has many benefits for the baby, for the mother, but as well for the environment. Yes breastfeeding is good for the environment, and I am glad that I contributed. It wasn't that easy when you are new mother, and when never breastfed - but once you master it, it is the best thing ever. Starting with delivery system of this natural food. The delivery system is the most efficient system because it goes from the mother straight to baby's mouth. It is also clean, because no pollution is generated. On the side note nothing to do with the pollution, note that even baby's stool has no odour. No energy is required to heat it up or refrigerate. No accessories are required to feed the baby - like bottles, nipples. In addition, no additional cost of food for the first year - but you have to ensure that mother eats well nutritious food. And how about all the trips to the local store to shop for the baby food. If you care about environment then breastfeed your baby. I also understand, that some mother's cannot breastfeed, but for those who can, then they can contribute to the environment a lot.

Let see now, how damaging to the environment infant formula can be. The formula production is a mechanical process which causes air pollution and uses fuel from natural resources. Same applies to the nice fancy packaging - glass, plastic, tins, cardboard. All this, needs processing and printing, and packaging which all creates pollution before being used and after it is disposed. Yes all this fancy packaging needs to be recycled, thus more energy required, thus more use of fuel extracted from natural resources. Hopefully you got the idea by now. However, we are not done yet. How about the transportation, meaning once packaged, it needs to be shipped, now days possibly around the world. Transportation is in fact one of the greatest contributors of air pollution. Lastly, just at home, you will use energy to prepare and store the food. You will need bottles and nipples which are produced also by means of mechanical processes thus the resulting pollution. And once not needed, recycling process will take over.

Hopefully now you got the complete picture, and if you are expectant mother, by breastfeeding your baby, you will not only contribute to your baby's health and your health, but also to the environment's health. In addition, you will save money. The cost of using infant formula can be between $1,250 up to $3,000 a year, a very expensive compare to breast milk costing you almost nothing. And since breastfeeding is beneficial to the human health, guess what - reduction in health care costs.