You and your husband discover that you are expecting your first child. This new little person will change your life forever. Even if your baby isn't here yet, you already know that you want the best for your baby: the best opportunities, the best schools, and the best education. You simply want your baby to have the best in life. The first and most important decision you will make for your baby is whether to feed your baby breast milk or formula. Today, many women are opting for formula, but which is the best choice? There are pros and cons to breastfeeding and formula feeding. You should carefully weigh the pros and cons before making your 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 many illnesses. Although scientists and researchers have made numerous attempts to reproduce it, breast milk is simply too complex to be reproduced artificially. 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 healthy. Breast milk is full of antibodies that fight infections. The 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 producing their own until several weeks or even months after birth. So the only place they can get these necessary antibodies in the first few weeks of life is through 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 Environmentalist.” News and features on the environment and climate change plus green living tips - The Ecologist. April 1, 2006. Web. October 3, 2011. Wu, Joyce. "Breastfeeding or formula feeding: the debate intensifies | Current events | Living frugally." LearnVest - Where life gets richer. June 30, 2011. the web. October 3, 2011. .Newman, Jack. “How breast milk protects newborns.” Breastfeeding online. Cindy Curtis. Internet. October 12. 2011. .