At night, whereas the formula-feeding parent must wake up and get out of bed to prepare a bottle, the breastfeeding mother can have her baby brought to her, or, if her baby is sharing her bed, nurse without ever fully waking up. A spare diaper in her purse, and the breastfeeding mother and her baby are on their way. As many working women can attest, however, their lives are made easier rather than harder by breastfeeding. It's much harder finding time to iron a shirt. The immunologic properties of breast milk benefit working parents as much as their babies.
Breastfed babies wake their parents less often at night with earaches and stuffy noses.
Because breastfed babies are generally healthier, they also tend to be happier. They cry less, smile more, and are less wearying to care for after a long day at work. The anti-infective properties of breast milk are a real boon when a baby is or will be in group day care. Babies in day care are exposed to more germs than are babies cared for at home. But when these babies are breastfed, they are protected against many serious bacterial and viral infections and secondary complications.