You and your husband find out you're expecting your first child. This new little person will change your life forever. Even if your baby isn't born yet, you already know that you want the best for him: the best opportunities, the best schools and the best education. You simply want your child to have the best in life. The first and most important decision you will make for your baby will be whether to breastfeed or formula feed him. Many women today opt for formula, but what is the best choice? There are advantages and disadvantages to both breastfeeding and formula feeding. You need to carefully weigh the pros and cons before making a decision. There are very distinct nutritional differences between breast milk and formula. Nutritionally, breast milk is exactly what your baby needs. Breast milk will also help protect your baby from a large number of diseases. Although scientists and researchers have made many attempts to reproduce it, breast milk is simply too complex to be artificially reproduced. Breast milk should be your first choice, but formula can be a healthy alternative. Breast milk has the perfect nutritional balance your baby needs to grow strong and be healthy. Breast milk is full of antibodies that fight infections. All five basic forms of antibodies IgA, IgD, IgE, IgG and IgM are found in breast milk. The IgA antibody protects the baby from invading bacteria in the respiratory and digestive systems. Babies do not receive IgA from formula and do not begin to produce it on their own for several weeks or even months after birth. Therefore, the only place they can get this necessary antibody in the first weeks of life is breast milk. White blood cells, another...... middle of paper......33>.Planck, Nina. “I am fed the perfect food.” Real food: what to eat and why. New York, New York: Bloomsbury, 2007. 39-44. Print.Thomas, Pat. “Breast Milk vs. Formula – The Ecologist.” News and insights on the environment and climate change as well as advice for eco-friendly living - The Ecologist. 1 April 2006. Web. 03 October 2011. .Wu, Joyce. "Breastfeeding vs. Formula Feeding: The Debate Heats Up | Current Events | Living Frugally." LearnVest - Where life becomes richer. 30 June 2011. Web. 03 October 2011. .Newman, Jack. "How breast milk protects newborns." Online breastfeeding. Cindy Curtis. Network. October 12. 2011. .