What are the pros and cons of breastfeeding?

The pros of breastfeeding almost always outweigh the cons unless a mother cannot do it for medical reasons. The list of positives is long:
•    Breast milk provides all the nutrition (calories, protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals) that a baby needs for the first six months of life.
•    Breast feeding requires close physical contact, which helps to create a special bond between a mother and her baby and can be especially soothing for babies.
•    Breast milk contains special proteins made by the mother’s immune (infection-fighting) system that help to protect babies from illnesses such as ear infections (otitis media), lung infections (pneumonia), and vomiting and diarrhea (gastroenteritis).
•    Breast milk is easier for babies to digest, and breastfed babies tend to spit up less often.
•    Breastfeeding has been associated with lower rates of childhood obesity.
•    Breastfeeding is convenient, costs less than formula, does not need to be prepared, and is always available at the right temperature.
•    The production of breast milk burns extra calories and helps women return to their pre-pregnancy weight more quickly.
•    Breastfeeding helps the mother’s uterus return to its normal size more quickly after delivery.
•    Breastfeeding may reduce a woman’s risk of breast and ovarian cancer.