[tonyrat]

Just to let the facts out to air...

While it is true that not all babies which are bottle fed turn out unhealthy, nor all babies that go to daycare turn out unhealthy, (such generalizations being no more than, well... generalizations), it IS true that breast milk DOES assist in newborn immune system development, as anti-bodies are actively distributed through that vehicle (mostly in the collustrum), giving the newborn the "tools" to stave off illness without having to suffer through the illnesses first in order to develop the same antibodies. Likewise, it is also true that increased exposure to other people increases the spreading of illness (as is expected), particularly with active children which tend to be very physical with one another. While this means that children in daycare DO have a greater likelihood of getting certain illnesses, in the vast majority of cases, it is just temporary, with no development of permanent chronic conditions. Some argue that this "germ exposure" is good, as it gets illness out of the way early on, while others argue that it is better to let the child's immune system develop gradually over time. The bottom line, as far as daycare goes, it doesn't really matter... they're going to get sick with various things here and here throughout their whole lives... and as such, the consideration of daycare should rest more with other quality of life aspects during the time which daycare is needed. Back to breastmilk, it is better to breastfeed for the infants immune system, helps the mother lose weight (assuming she doesn't eat to compensate), which can be healthy (depending on the mother's physiology), and CAN (but not necessarily) provide a deeper level of intimacy that can more quickly create a bond between mother and child. (This of course depends on the mother... if the mother feels it is "weird", then, hey, it's not bound to have the same effect as a mother who is "gung-ho" to breast feed. (Universal Truth in "Quantum Mechanics"... lol...) This is not to say, however, that formula is the "bad" choice... sometimes it is necessary, either for convenience (many mothers must work these days, and pumping and storage can be very awkward at work), or for lack of sufficient production. So, if you breast-feed, great. If not, don't feel bad, it's not the end of the world, your kid will turn out just fine just as well. The only real difference there (as far as infantile development is concerned) is HOW antibodies are introduced into the system, and whether or not the mother and child can achieve as tight a bond without the process of breastfeeding. So, really, ultimately, there is no "best answer"... just do whatever is right for you and your new baby, and don't worry about it.