CHAPTER 1.<br >SHOULD YOU OR SHOULDN T YOU?<br > Only in relatively recent times has there been any question<br >at all as to whethera mother would breastfeed her baby. With<br >the advent of dependable refrigeration and pasteurization，<br >however， there is now a choice. You can decide whether you<br >want to feed your baby the way mothers have done from time<br >immemorial--or whether you want to take advantage of<br >modern technology and provide your baby s nourishment in a<br >bottle.<br > Many factors will enter into your decision--the customs of<br >your community， the attitudes of your obstetrician， your<br >pediatrician， your husband， your style of life， your personal-<br >ity， and your feelings about mothering. In some countries，<br >it is taken for granted that a woman will breastfeed her chil-<br >dren. Some governments， such as that in Switzerland， where<br >the picture of a nursing mother appears on the fifty-franc<br >note， actively encourage breastfeeding by paying nursing<br >mothers.<br > In the United States， the nursing mother is the noncon-<br >formist， a member of a minority group. It seems， however，<br >that the long-term trend away from breastfeeding is now<br >being reversed， at least among better-educated， middle- and<br >upper-class women. Since these women led the movement<br >away from breastfeeding in generations past， perhaps their<br >renewed interest will spur a similar resurgence in the country<br >at large.<br > Before you decide how you will feed your baby， you will<br >want to consider the advantages of breastfeeding for both<br >baby and mother， and its ramifications in your personal<br >situation.<br >BENEFITS FOR THE BABY<br >HEAL TH<br > From the physiological point of view， the breast is best.<br >l~ecent studies do not show significant differences in rates of<br ><br >