I realize that most on this list don't buy in to the idea that breastfeeding is "more difficult" than bottle feeding. The available research certainly doesn't support that notion. I'm traveling and don't have my computer but off the top of my head research by Omen Matthew showed that work of breathing was more difficult (used more energy) than work of sucking, but his research was with bottles. Scads of other research has shown that babies coordinate their suck-swallow-breathe better at breast than with a bottle, even preterms and sick babies (look at Paula Meier's work for one). SO it stands to reason that even (and especially) a baby with breathing difficulty such as Tracheomalacia (a condition where the cartilage of the trachea is too soft and can basically collapse upon itself when the baby inhales) would be much more likely to breathe better when feeding in a good position at breast. Right? This has been my observation.

It is possible that this baby is using more energy and burning more calories during feeding due to the Tracheomalacia but it is extraordinarily unlikely that bottle feeding would be "easier" for the baby in any regard. 

-Laura Wasielewski, MS, CCC-SLP, IBCLC

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