Should mothers breast-feed their children?

Frankly, that's a rude and disrespectful response. The fact of the matter is, we'll never know if they would have been smarter. We as women need to start supporting each other despite our differences. If she chose not to breast feed, for whatever reason, that's no one else's business. It seems to me that she still provided a healthy environment for her children, and in today's crazy and unhealthy world, that's really all that matters.

I know plenty of "perfectly healthy" smokers too, but so what?  Anecodotes are one thing, statistics are another...

There are no "perfectly healthy" smokers. That's an oxymoron.

I smoked for over 10 years, and never had the first health problem. That doesn't mean smoking is healthy though, does it? That doesn't mean I can go around proclaiming the health benefits of smoking, because we all know it's not true. Maybe your formula fed kids are normal and healthy. That doesn't mean that formula is equal to or better than breast milk.

I did not breast feed (cancer prevented me from doing that), and my oldest daughter is graduating number 1 in her class and with the highest GPA in our county. Full ride scholarships to any college of her choice here in the states as well as some colleges overseas.

: how much better could she have done with breast milk, answer that for me. It is not the milk that makes the child, it is the parenting and nurturing!!!!!!!

as there are no perfectly healthy smokers, there are no perfectly healthy breast babies or perfectly helathy bottle babies. the mom know which options is best for her and can make that choice as she sees fit.

Jen...based on your comment you obviously weren't breastfed!

Attachment parenting and breasfeeding are critical investments for our human race.

Taurine for the rapidly-growing infant brain is found ONLY in human milk.

Our largest organ the SKIN, responds to contact which in turn affects the growing organism as a whole.

We are mammals and mammals of any kind stay attached for a long time for optimum health on every level.

I have worked with neonates for 25 years and have had three children, all breast fed, of my own. I think you should have the choice as to whether or not you breast feed and not be made to feel you are less of a mother because you formula feed. We would never feed a premature infant straight breast milk because it doesn't contain all that is needed for an very premature infant and additives need to be combined with expressed breast milk so the thought that breast milk is the best milk is not altogether true. If you feel you did not bond with your infant because you did not breast feed it isn't because of not breast feeding but rather a much deeper problem. You will not dislike your baby because you choose formula. Everyone should have the choice, not be talked into breast feeding as so often happens, but the choice to choose which ever method they want to give nutrition to their infant. You are not a bad mom if you formula feed. It sometimes leaves a much less stressed mother if you don't.

I am sorry, but itdes affect health, mental problems, etc.

I'm with Jen. Well said.

When you are on your death bed, you won't wish you had spent one more day climbing the corporate ladder or one more year in the cubicle. Children are the future ... give them every advantage. We need more relationships and less drive for money and power.

Not Breast feeding doesn't mean your children will turn out to Idiots.

Jen, you are a mean person and obviously don't have a clue, just a talking head full of air.

HERE'S WHAT I NOTICE:

• Hanna Rosin, a mother of 3, is questioning a pediatrician who successfully raised 7 children and has decades of experience after having done maybe one year of research. (???) Uh... ok.
  
• After reading through the responses, it seem those who don't breastfeed are angry and easily offended. To me, this is a sign of an insecure belief and argument. On the contrary, Mother's who breastfeed don't seem to feel the need to defend themselves. They're at peace.

Bonnie, I think "Die Maus" pegged you perfectly. ;-)

Politely said, Jen! Don't let angry people get to you.

Children are the future. Let's give them every advantage.

Furthermore, breastfeeding is FREE.

(What does a month of formula cost these days anyway?) At least pump. My goodness, during these tough economic times, isn't it a no-brainer?

:-)

How much smarter would they have been? What a rude comment. Let's see, do I get to judge your parenting based on the diet you've given your child since then (including when they're out of your sight), what cleaning products you use, what toys they chewed on, dust & allergens they're exposed to at your home, daycare & school. What about where you've chosen to live? Certainly air quality is quite different depending on where you live. What about how many siblings they have, how much individual time you give them? What about your parenting skills? Could they also be evaluated and judged by others?? Get a grip and get off your soapbox.

I practiced obstetrics for 40 years before retiring. I encouraged nursing to all my patients. But for various reasons not all were able to do it. Some women felt very guilty as a result of not being able to breast feed their infant child. This guilt was brought on by breast feeding women, who thought they were somehow superior to the mothers who did not nurse their children. Being a mother is much more than breast feeding. Bonding still happens to women who do not nurse their children. There are definite benefits to children who are breast fed and all mothers should be encouraged to attempt it. But some have insufficient mammary tissue, others have jobs, that prevent them from doing such, and others may not for reasons only they are aware of. All mothers should get counseling from a lactation consultant. No matter how much you read and hear, that consultant can really help. Mothers who otherwise would have given up may be able to nurse after all, even if supplementing is required. The benefits to babies has to do with continued protection against infectious disease because mom continues to pass antibodies to the infant, and there is a reduced incidence of allergies in children who were breast fed. For the mother, her bleeding is cut shorter due to a more rapid involution of the uterus and there may be protection against getting pregnant right away (but that is not 100% reliable). But you moms who nurse your children are not in any way superior to those who did not or could not. By the way, my mother bottle fed me. In the 1930's breast feeding was looked upon as an inferior form of feeding your infant, only used by those too poor or stupid to used modern methods of feeding infants. As far as allergies, I had none and none of my friends had any. I only knew of one person with asthma. I suspect the increase that has been seen in the incidence of allergies among our children has more to do with pollution of air and water than the incidence of breast feeding. Which has also increased since I was born in 1937.

Granted breastfeeding is a choice, BUT i'm sure they would have been healthiER and smartER. People in your age group didn't know the benefits of breastfeeding back in the day to make a better educated decision.

I have had two beautiful children myself. The oldest was breastfed for 6 months before being weaned onto formula (she was off the breast completely by about 9 months), turns out she is/was lactose intolerant and couldn't keep any of it down - not even soy. My youngest is only 4 months old now, but because of a great deal of stress and not enough time to sit down and nurse or even use my pump (family illness, having only one car to take care of two households and not producing enough milk), had to be weaned from the breast and onto formula at about 10 weeks (the weaning process took until she was about 15 weeks).

My baby is happy, she is healthy and she tolerates formula well. She's 18 weeks old and can wave hello, she giggles, sits with support, rolls from her stomach to her back, etc. I notice absolutely no difference from her older sister's development or health save that she is not lactose intolerant and her sister is.

Do I wish I had been able to breastfeed longer? Absolutely. I honestly feel that formula is an unhealthy thing because I've done the comparison between its ingredients/nutritional components and that of breastmilk. There is nearly four times the amount of iron and other minerals in formula. I try to encourage low iron formula whenever possible because I tend to believe that heavy metal poisoning is BAD. (I was overdosed with iron during pregnancy and nearly lost my oldest daughter because of it!) I also strongly suspect that too much iron in formula has a lot to do with the abundance of babies with acid reflux issues. Rather than producing more of the lower iron formulas, though, they are developing formulas with rice proteins that coat the stomach, quell acid and force the formula to stay down.

Its virtually impossible to get low iron formulas anymore because a lot of doctors don't believe in iron sensitivity. You know how you can find out if your baby really NEEDS these massive amounts of iron? Go to your local health department or WIC office and ask them to test your baby's iron. If its high, then the iron content in the formula is the likely culprit to your baby being fussy, constipated or even throwing up. It was the WIC office that told ME my doctor was WRONG about me needing so much iron and suggested I stop taking ferrous sulfate and switch to a prenatal vitamin that had a lower dose of iron in it or even to a multi vitamin that had no iron at all. Look up the signs and symptioms of iron overdose - excessive vomiting is the first clue.

All of that said, since formula is a neccessary evil for me, I chose to buy a formula that was not low iron for my youngest child because her iron was a bit low due to me not being able to tolerate iron supplements and being severely anemic during pregnancy with her. (No two pregnancies are alike is not something that is simply said, it really is a fact).

Do your homework, read labels, get tests run, do NOT let your doctor bully you into thinking your baby NEEDS something it doesn't and write to the formula companies letting them know you are in favor of lower iron in formulas so they don't stop making it. (One major company already has). Your baby can be healthy, smart and happy even if you don't choose to breastfeed (or simply can't).

I honestly think breastfeeding is the best way to go for a variety of reasons, but so long as you are smart about your formula and your own personal baby (not those thousand or so that are NOT your baby who participated in some random study), there's no reason to feel guilty about not doing it.

I am a mother of 5 children and I breast fed all of my children. If I hadnt had to go to work, I believe I still would be breast feeding my 15month old. It is a mothers choice to feed her children the way she wants to. I do not pass judge on others that do not wish to shair this beautiful bonding experiance with there child, so why should they pass judgement on women like myself who have decided to do so. I can see the health benifits between my children who were breast fed and my sister-in-laws who wasnt. What would children have done years ago before powered milk was available starved??? So something so natural and beautiful always gets put down by women whom are to busy to shair themselfs. Think about it.

As a mom who did both (BF for a few months and then formula), the general impression I get from these posts are that the BF supporters are just judgmental and self-righteous. My two children are the brightest in their classes and rarely sick. Meanwhile, my friend who nursed all 4 kids for the full year deals with allergies and sickness galore. My sister nursed for one year and my niece is the sickliest child I have ever known (ear infections, colds, fevers, irritability, you name it). So, don't tell me that a child who is BF will not be sick and is destined to be a genius. What ultimately determines your child's destiny is clear and simple--genetics and parenting.

Amen Carol! You say it best.

I don't "have to", nor am I going to, support an inferior nutrition choice another mother has made for her child. Formula is NOT just as good as breastmilk.

Formula was developed for women who CANNOT breastfeed. And thank God it exists for those babies. I fully support its use in those situations.

Explain to me why a FORMULA company would tell you that breastfeeding is best if it wasn't true? If anyone stood to benefit from saying "it's just as good" it is them. If even the maker of a product is telling you that something else is superior, maybe you should listen to them and use that product.

Higher IQs among breastfed babies is a proven statistic. It doesn't mean your formula fed child will be dumb. My DH has an IQ of 195, got a free ride to law school on scholarships, runs his own firm, and is a community leader. He was formula fed. Statistically speaking, his IQ would have been even higher if he was breastfed, and perhaps he could have achieved even more. No way to undo giving formula, so no one can say for certain, but I'm going to gamble on the product that statistically speaking gives my child extra IQ points.

Stating a fact is not rude - just factual. If you are defensive about hearing the facts, perhaps you should examine exactly why you feel defensive.

I have to say something!! I have read more than one person write that breastfeeding was hard work, but if you ask me, it's MUCH easier!! (I breastfeed all three of my babies, now 12, 10 & 7. ALL in challenge or in advanced classes.) If you ask me, the bottle feeding is much more labor intensive!! You have to go to the store and buy the bottles and the nipples and the formula, and sometimes even the water because the tap water is inferior. You go home and have to sterilize the bottles and nipples, then you have to mix the formula then heat the formula, but don't get it to hot, if it does you have to wait till it cools down or start over and then you've wasted a whole bottle!!!! SHEESH!!! Sounds like a lot more work than breast feeding! You just lift your shirt and go!! AND it's at the perfect temperature, too!!! I have to say, the benefits way outwiegh the supposed ease of bottle feeding. The statistics of breastfed babies being healthier and smarter are researched and documented BUT that doesn't mean a bottle fed baby will be dumb. It has allot to do with the other things in a child's life that turn them into who they become as an adult!!

Breastfeeding and Work are compatible. I am a full time breast feeding/working mom. i went back to work after 4 months and was able to exclusively Breasfeed until 6 months when I started introducing solid foods; even now at 9 months my daughter only drinks breastmilk and nurses when I am at home. Pumping at work to keep your milk supply is very easy and completely doable you just need to be commiteed to it and things will work your way. I can not believe Mrs. Rosin almost suggests that if a woman wants to BF they have to give up their careers and practically become a milk producing factory. I understand that in some types of jobs it might be more challenging but if you want to do it I am sure you will find ways to do it successfully. I know several women on different types of professions that have been able to successfully BF and work.

Breast feeding does not tip the parenting / sharing responsibility balance into the women's side. Yes it is true that my husband can not breastfeed, but then he helps in different ways. He gets dinner ready, and cleans afterwards while I am nursing the baby to sleep; and about nightime wakings? oh well they can't help with that but no body will ever take you the memory of those quite nights when it was just you and the baby sharing into the wonderful experience of breastfeeding. I look forward to the times my baby wakes up to nurse at night.

Mrs. Rossin article made be a bit mad, more so than anything b/c I think it lacks sound research and is extremely misleading. I hope that the Today Show gives a chance to BF moms to come forward with their experiences. I believe it is the best a woman can do for herself and for her children.

I agree with you totally - women who can't or won't breastfeed shouldn't be looked down upon - but I don't really see that. In fact, what I see is Selma being made fun of for nursing a starving African baby. I also see my wife (and indirectly, me) being looked down on because she is staying home until our kids go to school, resulting in us having a strict budget for ten years or so. Staying home (The HARDEST job in the world!)obvioulsy makes it easier for her to nurse and she popped back to her original weight very quickly because of the tremendous calorie use during nursing. Being FREE, mother's milk also fit in nicely with our budget.

It has been done for centuries and in the distant past when the mother couldn't nurse for whatever reason, there was often a nurse-maid. A mom doesn't have to do it if she doesn't want to, but lacking any medical reason, it is - in my opinion - a selfish issue. The mom doesn't want to put forth the time and effort.

I agree with you, however, both sides are judged. Everyone's a critic, and everyone seems to think they're entitled to judge you. You can't win. Bottom line is that there are millions of choices we make along the line of parenting -- no one has the right to tell anyone what they should or shouldn't do. We all get our 'report card' later in life and we very rarely know how much each decision impacted their life.

Amen!!!!

Right on sister!

Well said!

I absolutely agree with you!!

Excellent advice!

I tried to breast feed my first born son and had to give it up after 10 days because I just didn't have milk. We had an exciting delivery and were both a little shaken up so I didn't get to try to feed him until he was a couple of days old. He did well with formula, as did his little sister that came along 20 months after. I could have tried again, but I was going right back to work and found formula to be more convenient. Babies still make the nyum nyum sounds and funny faces if they're bottle fed.

My son is 24 and is in the top 2% of the intelligence scale. My daughter is a Jr. in college and has been on the dean's list every semester and has received some academic scholarships.

The only DUMMY around here is ME!

PS I also smoked and drank (moderatly) throughout both pregnancies. NOT recommended but the Dr's were a lot more liberal 25 years ago. Son was a 37 week preemie at 7.1, daughter, full-term 8.1.

What is this comment??? What I find ridiculous are all the guilty feeling formula mother's looking for a reason to call BF supporters Nazis, and then all jump on the response wagon, with "Atta girl", "you tell those dirty liberals.." and other childish retorts.

And where do you get off saying that the BF kid is mean spirited because BF mothers disagree with this article?? What I do see is a society that is conditioned to believe whatever someone with an M.D. at the end of their name says. That is sad, very sad, since our doctors are bought even more than our politicians are. The fact that Doctors are paid, publicly and lavishly, by drug companies to push their drugs even at the expense of their patients health, when there are valid and appropriate holistic treatments, is not the scariest scenario, the scariest scenario is the population attacking anyone who questions our corrupt medical establishment!

FACTS People! And facts support breastfeeding is better for the child and Mother than formula, Immensely! Does that mean everyone should be forced to breastfeed? NO! But the worst thing this article does is try to pit the two against each other, simply to make an insecure father feel more involved (why can't he give the baby a bottle of breast milk? Does he also feel left out that he didn't carry the baby in his belly?) , and a corporate mother feel better about putting business before family. YES, people need to pay bills, and if that is a circumstance and you do not want to put forward the effort to pump and set up a schedule, then it is your choice! Just don't try dressing the donkey up and calling it a horse! Accept that you are making sacrifices and get on with your parenting. A Father that spends long hours at the office and climbs the corporate ladder is attacked for putting Business before family, the standards do not change when the parent is the Mother.

Let's put aside the political issues with this question, how can anyone deny the problem with using Chinese chemicals, which are found in many of our formulas. Are you saying those children that died eating the formula in China, would still have died had they been breastfed? No one is demonizing anyone for the choice they make for their family, I think most of us on here are more upset with an article and forum that tries to justify that decision by attacking breastfeeding, and if you do not see it as an attack on Breastfeeding, explain the title "The Case Against Breastfeeding"

THANK YOU Meegan!! If more people had your attitude women wouldn't be beating each other up!

I tried to nurse my now 16-month old son but had to stop due to medical issues. Once we switched to all formula I was much less stressed, healthier, and the rest of my family became happier as well - I just wasn't able to be a good mother when i was sick and exhausted from round the clock nursing that wasn't even provinding enough nutrition for my son. But the guilt that has been forced on me from other mothers has been ridiculous! Why anyone thinks I care less about my son, or we have less of a bond, or I'm not raising him as well as a breast feeding mother does her child is beyond me. Oh, and my son is right where he should be on all the charts, in fact he's ahead in a lot of his cognitive developments, I believe the word his ped used at his last check-up "perfect". I may try to breast feed my next for the weight loss benefit, but i refuse to feel guilty again if it isn't the best choice for us!

Really, simply for the weight loss factor, that's your deciding factor? WOW, I mean, like I said, everyone should make up their own minds, but is this really about you or your child, or is it that you feel it is equal either way, and since you view it equal, why not get the benefit of weight loss?

I for one would hate that your insecurity could be blamed on others, if you are feeling "guilty" about breastfeeding, then maybe you shouldn't breastfeed. OR maybe you should look into other factors in your life that are making you feel guilty about something like BF. Yes it is difficult, PAINFUL and deflating when it isn't going well at the beginning, and if you want to stop, stop, just don't resort to that old "blame others" excuse so many like to resort to.

The SUPPORT BF mothers are giving you while you attempt to BF is not pressure or guilt, but think of it in terms of a Marathon, they wouldn't stand on the side and yell "it's ok to give up, you don't need to finish the race, why don't you just stop already??", rather they would continue to Yell "You Can Do It, Don't Give Up!!". That shouldn't stop the runner from stopping if his health or energy started to give in, but maybe it would help keep that runner going if their health could handle it and they knew there was support. Why is it that when it comes to breastfeeding, it's "They made me feel guilty", but when it pertains to a meaningless race or sport it's called SUPPORT??

Mojo-mojo,

I don't think any of is blaming another for not being able to breast feed. I DIDN'T HAVE MILK for two weeks! My son was born without a developed sucking reflex, was an emergency C-SX where the Dr. nicked my bladder to get my baby out quickly. My uterus was infected and I had 105 degree fever for 5 days while they gave me abx and SWABBED my uterus six times a day. I went home with w/foley cath for a month and all kinds of medication. Thank God my mother took an emergency flight in because I was in no shape to take care of my baby. And I sat in our wicker rocker, day after day as my little boy screamed because he was HUNGRY! So, I'm blaming myself, okay?

I suppose we've learned to put the wall up when ATTACKED by the more radical BF mothers. Some of us didn't have a choice due to health or career. Now that my kids are older, and I'm seeing the big picture, I believe we make more out of this issue then is neccessary. I failed my kids by getting a divorce, and probably 100's of other ways, if you ask them. I can only do my best

I completely understand the difficulties, and I understand some difficulties make it so there is no choice, and for those of you who had no choice, I HOPE TO GOD noone imposed guilt on you, or just as bad, noone tried to use you as a reason to argue with BF mothers.

We are a unique case as well, 32 hours of close to breach, natural (no drugs what so ever) midwife labor ending with an emergency rush to the hospital and a c-section with very little drugs as well (another of our commitments was no drugs). We had a full time job after the c-section in keeping the hospital from imposing every conventional remedy on us, as they were programmed to treat the birth in ONLY modern western pharmaceutical ways.

We did find a HUGE support network in LLL, and I find it offensive that people try to demonize them. It took over 8 weeks of Thrush, pain, latching issues and extreme abdominal pains. So please do not think that all supporters of BF are only the ones that had it easy. I mean we definitely did not plan to have the baby in a hospital, and we fought for 32 hours to have the baby the way we wanted to have the baby, but we were not able to due to emergency difficulties, so we understand there is a limit to dedication, and do not fault anyone that is not able to BF.

That being said, we had the unique experience of our sister having a baby at the same time, and being completely bought into the western medical treatment of births, which is the same as treatments for surgeries and sicknesses. She was very negative, very aloof, very much looking for the negative influences around her to make her feel her choice was a good choice by deconstructing the BF and No Drugs choice. This is what was most aggravating for us, that instead of accepting her choices and doctors on their own merit, she needed to demonize LLL, BF, Midwife and Holistic measures. She found plenty of "Support" in her negativity, and it had the appearance of a very catty and bitter group of nags.

Flash forward 9 months later, we are still BF, and our daughter is the perfect picture of health (arm rolls and all, lol!) and super happy and peaceful with no prior issues. Our niece has had non stop issues with Colic, Acid Reflux, Phlegm, Very very restless to an unmanageable degree, has been sick 3 different times, ear infection, etc... So although genetics play a part, and our daughter and niece are not guaranteed results of our respective practices, some of our nieces issues are directly related to formula feeding (acid reflux, colic)

What I found most ironic, was that this group of nags/yentas, had the audacity to try and call the "Supporters" of BF, Nazis and they often used the excuse of "Guilt" being thrown at the mother by LLL and the BF Nazis to influence our sister to do what they did. These are the people I am most upset with, people who disguise their own bitterness and guilt as support and label the support groups as gestapos. People need to see gossipy, negative yentas for what they are, instead of looking at strangers trying to help as the enemy.

I can't agree more with what Mojojo says.

True True True!!

I notice with each formula fed child I come across - waaaay more acid reflux issues, way more ear infections, way more allergies, asthma, etc. later on. Hmm.

I was formula fed and I COULD claim that I'm perfectly healthy, which I am for the most part... I'm also very smart... but the fact is, I've had seasonal allergies my whole life - is it because of the formula or something else? WHO knows... but the fact that statistics show that you're more likely to suffer from allergies as a formula fed baby - well, makes me at least WONDER... There are a lot of things that can go wrong health-wise YEARS later...that you'd never think to link to formula since it was so long ago... but that *are* linked to formula statistically...

For me I'd rather know I did my best for my child in protecting them, then wondering if MAYBE I caused his diabetes, asthma, allergies, etc... later in life because I was too lazy to breastfeed. And I'm not saying that everyone who doesn't breastfeed is lazy - but I do think some moms don't bother to look into the research around it to see what it is exactly that they're choosing to deprive their child of... they just assume they'll be "fine" and I think THAT is lazy.

And besides - even if your children ARE super healthy and smart, it doesn't matter! It's about looking at statistics. Everyone has a right to smoke in this country too - doesn't mean it is healthy, nor does it mean every smoker will end up with lung cancer... just because you may smoke and not get lung cancer, doesn't mean others should follow your advice to keep on smoking...

My son was breastfed and has allergies. Same for myself and my mother-so much for breastfeeding preventing allergies. I personally feel that breastfeeding is best and not work or a chore, but I also think everyone should make their own decision. I would never criticize another woman for bottlefeeding.

My wife tried to breast feed our 2 kids, but it was very difficult and only lasted about 3 months or less for BOTH.  For our first one, we didn't know what we were doing and our daughter was very fussy.  She had a very sensitive stomach and projectile vomiting on EVERYTHING including breast milk. Yet the doctor was always checking her and she was fine.  Now she is taller than her mom, dancing, B student and excelling at everything.  She had childhood asthma, but seems to have grown out of it at 15 now.  Her younger brother is a pain in the neck, top of his class, honors student, ADD/ADHD, borderline Aspergers (but tested and not diagnosed) and skinny as a stick.  So while it is nice to breastfeed as long as possible, each Mother and baby is different and situations arise that cannot be forced one way or the other.  Let the mother choose and support her choice!

I was bottle-fed as a baby and no one would ever be able to argue that my mom who stayed home with me until I was three wasn't the best hands on mom going. I was reading long before any of my peers, was an early walker and talker and that was because my mom spent a rediculous amount of time with me. She read to me, bonded with me every waking moment. I was never a sick kid (just accident prone, but I doubt that my uncle's dog biting my face had anything to do with the fact that I wasn't breast fed). I didn't have major allergies aside from the occasional bout of hayfever. I am an active and healthy adult now.

My mother was much more to me than a convenient milk dispencer. It is insulting for anyone to insinuate that she was somehow lacking as a parent because I didn't get a breast in my mouth each time I squacked. A mother is much more than just a pair of breasts.

Oh, and my hands on dad... he was aces too.

My mother smoked for 40 years - was "perfectly healthy" til she got lung cancer. Up until that point should people have taken her advice that smoking was perfectly healthy - just look at her perfect health?? Give me a break!

Statistics are one thing, anecdotes are another. Everyone knows SOMEONE who has smoked who is healthy...but so what?? Same logic applies to this formula discussion... it's about statistics not anecdotes.

Kids who are fed chemicals instead of breast milk end up having a lot more ailments and issues - statistically - than kids who are breastfed. Doesn't mean a specific breastfed kid won't end up sick, and itdoesn't mean a specific formula fed kid will. It means OVERALL there is a higher risk for formula fed kids. And the reason is obvious - formula is NOT a natural food for babies. It's a great substitute in it's absence, but it's not the same by any means!

And... I have a hard time believing your child was never sick A DAY in her life... you should either call the National Enquirer to let them know of your miracle children... or get a grip on reality and stop defending your choices as "healthy" when they're not.

The quality of research on breastfeeding varies greatly, with some including babies in the breastfeeding category even though they only breastfed once and were formula fed the rest of their lives. Research studies with tight controls do show significant differences between breast and formula fed infants and the benefits extend well into adulthood. Breast milk is a living fluid (look at it under a microscope and you will see cells moving around, just like you would if you were looking at fresh blood), formula is not, and the best they can claim to be is a substitute food. When you are looking at a healthy, intellegent 2 year old, thank God. But know this, breast milk is better and statistically, the child has a better chance at avoid long term health problems later in life because of the feeding choice their mother made at birth.

I am laughing so hard @ people. I think you breastfeed cause its part of the process. Baby comes out, milk comes in. WHat else do you do with the milk? Had my first baby @ 19 & breastfed. Have had two more & breastfed, total of 4 years! WHy? Because I wanted teo, I love my children, and my boobs were full of milk. Was it hard? Harder than childbirth. But holding my babies so close, never having to pack bottles, or warm up milk was amazing...Plus BONUS for mom I am still a Size 3, 13 years later!!! I never read any studies, just asumed my body makes the milk, my baby eats whenever they want without measuring ounces, works great. Did I ever "flash" people when nursing, NO! But if my babies were hungry I fed them WHEREVER I was and was pretty good at concealing it. I wish people wouldn't look at BF as "work", its actually just mothering...

Is it really necessary to imply that not- breastfeeding makes your children more intelligent than those who are breastfeed? I breastfed my oldest and used formula because he wasn't gaining weight and my milk started to dry up after I went back to work. He is very intelligent, walked early, talked early, top of his class in school. (oh and he does have allergies) My second son nursed exclusively...would not take a bottle. He is very bright as well. Neither have ever had an ear infection. They are 6 and 4 years. My thrid son (9months) is breastfed. He has had an ear infection and was diagnosed with epilepsy 3 months ago. I think we all need to stop judging one another and recognize that we all make different choices and live in a country where we are afforded that privilege. My sister in law phsically could not breastfeed because of a abnormality that she was born with. Does that make her a bad mother? NO! It is not always available for everyone to nurse. It is a choice it is our bodies, no one else should be able to tell us what we can or can not do! But, If it is available I do think that we as women should need to make the best decision for our children. Not what is always convient or easy for us. Breastfeeding is a committment, time consuming, and there a lot of times is a learning curve. It can make you sore but should not hurt if done correctly. I am happy I nursed and am nursing my babies. I think this is the best choice for my children....everything does not fit into a box, so lets all stop trying to make it. There are many health benefits for all mom and baby when breastfeeding. If all things are considered and a mom still chooses to bottlefeed....it's her choice. Just as it is mine to breastfeed, I have seen many benefits and some drawbacks. I wouldn't change a thing. I do feel that as we debate this shift to breastfeed, we forget that publicly breastfeeding is still shuned.....it's better but the public opinion is still that it should be behind closed doors.....this I don't agree with!

Memorizing books is not the equivalent of reading. My toddler has numerous books memorized as well, but I don't go around claiming he is a genius because of it.

If you want to see the downside of formula - look at China. You NEVER know for certain what is in formula, but you do know to some degree what you are consuming and can evaluate and weigh the risks/effects.

As far as China is concern, do they have the same strict health and food laws that we do here in the USA?

I think this is a rude comment. You chose not to breastfeed. Great. I'm sure it was the right thing for you, and that your kids are healthy and smart. I chose to breastfeed. My kids are healthy and smart, and breastfeeding was the right choice for me. Neither formula feeding nor breastfeeding provides a DISadvantage. And why be nasty about it?

Unless you've actually researched it and realized JUST how much better it is for a developing baby's body. Then you can go ahead and feel superior... :)

I did a lot of research and I am telling you it makes a difference.

I think the controversy comes from the judging of mothers who do not choose to breastfeed.

I think every mother should give it a good try. However, I understand that it's sometimes too difficult and/or painful for new mothers to handle and with so many new responsibilities they switch to formula. What I don't understand are mothers who don't even give it a try.

Personally, my son had trouble latching. We worked with a breastfeeding coach and used those nipple cover things for a while until he got the hang of it. But was it every painful!!! I wasn't producing enough milk for him (possibly because of the trouble we had at the beginning), so we supplemented with formula. But I gave it my best shot for my son and breastfed for six months. It just made sense to me to go along with what mother nature provided first, and luckily there was an alternative to help us out.

Now that I know what to do and how to do it though, I expect to have much less trouble with our second child and intend to breastfeed for much longer.

I admire Selma Hyak (sp?) for breastfeeding the child she met in Africa and cannot imagine why, as the previous poster mentioned, she would be ridiculed for feeding a starving baby when she had the means to do so right there and then.

If being "judged" is such a problem, maybe they're living on the wrong planet?

What I meant by "judged" is being ridiculed and looked down upon for not breastfeeding. The debate does not seem to be as much about the benefits of formula vs. breastmilk as it is about implying that someone is not a good mother unless they breastfeed, regardless of their reasons for choosing the formula route.

Joy, can you please post a link to the study that found the correlation between formula feeding and leukemia? Not an anecdote of "a study found..." but the actual study itself?

I am not Joy, but here is one link: which says:

Childhood leukemia

Breast-feeding may lower Leukemia risk in children. A study found children who were breast-fed for at least one month had a 21% lower risk of developing two forms of childhood leukemia - acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). This is the first study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (vol. 91, No. 20) that found a significant association of breast-feeding with a reduced risk of childhood leukemia. The authors also emphasized that the study was not conclusive.

is another interesting link. I am sure there are a lot.. I just don't have time to search for now. :)

I agree to a right to choose, definitely... but I also think a lot of moms are not informed of exactly what they ARE feeding their babies when they choose formula...and what the risks are. Formula, in our culture, is presented as "a convenient alternative" to breastfeeding...as if it's "pretty much the same thing".... but it's actually a highly inferior food in reality... and is linked not only to illnesses in babies but also as adults... for instance -higher rates of diabetes as adults in formula fed babies. It really should be rare that women would choose formula... if they knew the facts. Instead we get presented with slick marketing from manufacturers of formula that seem to imply their stuff is "just as good" as what comes from mom...

Why all this competitiveness about who is a better mother ? Its not just you but almost every poster in here. Rather silly to be honest.

Because, as a mother, you want to give your child the best foundation for a sucessful life and worry that maybe you're not doing the best job you could when you see others doing it in a better (more healthful, more creative, you name it) way. While it's unproductive to be defensive about your choices, it does show that these mothers care about their children and want the best for them - and made the best decision they could at the time with the information they had.

Although I don't see better choices, techniques, etc. as other mothers being better - I see them as somthing for our family to try out and see if it would create a better chance for our child's success in life - an opportunity for improving what we already do.

Kim,

I too have had difficulty with milk supply. I have one breast that 'works' fine and one that doesn't produce milk. I nursed my first baby, but couldn't understand why she didn't gain weight. After working extensively with a lactation consultant to try to increase my milk supply, I was so relieved when she gave my daughter a bottle of formula - at that point, my only concern was her ability to thrive and get nourishment. Not every woman can breast feed. I too pumped what I could and supplemented with formula, however, I did get comments from friends who couldn't believe I wasn't breastfeeding. I felt like I had to justify my actions whenever I mixed up a bottle for the baby.

I am happily pumping and supplementing with formula on my second baby with occasional nursing. One thing that I never read in the literature is the pain that can be associated with nursing even if the technique is correct. I was so happy when my lactation consultant described it as ' Thirty seconds of Toe-Curling Pain'. Knowing that others understood what it felt like for me to breastfeed was a huge relief and made me relax more than any book talking about what a wonderful experience it is. It isn't always a smooth road. Support your fellow mothers no matter what path they choose. You too may need their support some day.

Thank you for aknowledging that it's not easy for all! Kim your experience sounds like mine - except my son would nurse for almost an hour and then 1/2 later he would want to nurse again! Needless to say no one was very happy or well rested in our house. Oh and did i mention he spent a lot of that hour of nursing crying and fighting me? I was almost relieved when I had to stop for health issues, but i was shocked at the people who thought i was nuts for not breast feeding. I wonder if people are still going to be asking me about it when he's in colllege? lol!

No one wants to talk about the reality of formula (and diseases) because they don't want to feel guilty about their choice.

All of these "I fed my baby formula and he has an IQ of 195" stories remind me of smokers who say "My uncle smoked his whole life and lived til 100..." in response to anyone bringing up that smoking can kill you... it's just defensiveness and or perhaps them not understanding that anecdotes are meaningless in light of statistics...

Well, formula was a God sent gift to me. As I mentioned in my comments, I was not producing enough milk by the third month, plus the pediatrician said that my baby had a hard time digesting cow milk and that I should not eat any diary (not even the milk in cookies), an indication which was sometimes hard to follow, as one cannot know the composition of every item we put in our mouths. After four months, when I finally started feeding my baby formula only (the brand name is Good Start) I witnessed an impressive improvement in her stomach problems. As you can imagine, I was really glad that formula existed. BTW, she has never had an ear infection, even though she loves waddling in the swimming pool and does so two to three times a week.

Also, any milk left out too long, even mother's breast milk, will be a breeding ground for bacteria.

Ingrid- You make wonderful points. People do tend to defend what they do, no matter if it is healthy or not. The bit about the smokers makes me laugh. I smoked for years, and am seemingly 'healthy', but have no idea what I have really done to my body. Much like formula fed babies. They seem fine, but who knows what allergies and cancers they are going to get because they were not breastfed. And, on a side note, just because I have not suffered any afflictions from smoking as of yet, I do not, and never did think it was ok, or thought other people should do it. Maybe formula moms need to think like that. It's cool if you do it, but don't try to push unhealthy habits on other moms.

Rosie,

I have 3 boys and breastfed, or attempted to, with all of them. I was in the military with my first, so therefore, I could only breastfeed for the first 6 weeks, pumped after and eventually ran dry. Unfortunately, with my other two, I didn't produce enough milk so I could only do it for the first month and that was it. They had bottles as substitutes. I can completely understand where you are coming from! I don't see myself as any "Less" of a woman or a "bad" mother because I chose the way of the bottle. I also agree with your formula choice of "good start." It was the only formula that my children could tolerate and did very well on! :)

To the mom who says breastmilk is also a breeding ground for bacteria. Breastmilk actually gains anti-bacterial qualities when left out, which is less likely, since it mostly stays in it's original package until use.

I do commend your efforts to breastfeed.

M

To A Wilson,

In my case, it did not stay in its "original package until use". I guess you never pumped your milk out or left a bottle of pumped breast milk out on the kitchen counter for half a day... it gets as bad as any formula or cow milk, I have witnessed it!

If breast milk wasn't supposed to be fed to our babies, why would we produce it?? I understand that there are some women that have medical conditions that prevent it or are unable to produce any or enough milk for their baby, but at least they try. I hate to say it or admit it but I do look down on a woman if they won't even try when they are perfectly capable of breastfeeding.

Here here... I agree - everyone should at least TRY it. It may not work, you might have medical reasons for not being able to..but gosh, TRY for pete's sake. It really is what's best for your kid!

How darn self righteous can you people be?!??!?!?! It's not like someone who does not breastfeed is starving their child. Women don't need to be made to feel guilty for not breastfeeding, WHATEVER the reason. Shouldn't we, as women, all be supportive of each other? So high and mighty.

Absolutely! You first must TRY and then if you cannot succeed, then go for the formula. I breastfed my first for only 3.5 months because back then it wasn't a law in California that your work place must have a certain area for you to pump in and it cannot be the bathroom and I didn't know any better because it wasn't talked about as much and there weren't any medical studies . My second, my husband knew the law and when I went back to work, they had a room for me to pump in and it was fabulous. I breastfed my 2nd for 14 months and we have an amazing bond. Breastfeeding is a choice but if you haven't tried it, then you run the risks with what is ultimately put in that formula. We all know what is in breastmilk! Who knows what's in those formulas now days and to me it's not worth the risk that's involved. It wasn't easy breastfeeding for 14 months but it's a family effort, best for the baby (granted if you can!), easier and CHEAPER! I'm a huge advocate of nursing and to all of the women I know having children, I try to buy them 'my breast friend' to help them with their nursing. Let's not forget how vital the husband/partners roles are in this effort as well. My husband did a lot of laundry, cooking and cleaning while I was feeding our daughter. That is the way it should be!

I hear you!! I went through similar struggles. I DID try to BF. My daughter has dysphasia. She has a small chin. I have inverted nipples. Those things lead to trouble latching. It HURT me too! She wasn't getting enough milk, I was in pain...it made me dread feeding her which lead to PPD. And whoever said BFing is "easy" must have been a lucky lady, because that certainly was not the case with me.

I see a lot of women on here saying how they are upset that NON-BF ladies are pushing their beliefs on BFing women...but I almost ALWAYS see it the other way around, every site I visit or chat room I go to. I get so tired of all the militant, BFNazis that run around chastizing NON-BFers. First of all, get a life. Second of all, who made them Queen of all Motherhood choices?

In regard to breastfeeding, a woman has a right to choose what is best for her and her child without persecution. They most certainly have their reasons for choosing their route. End of story.

I bf my first 2 and attempted with my 3rd. She just wasn't having any part of it! I thought she had a tummy ache or something because everytime she latched and sucked she went to screaming. After about 5 days of endless screaming I finally got her into the Dr. to find out what was wrong. Turns out she was lazy lol. She sucked down 4 oz in the dr. office. He explained to me that some babies just dont want to have to 'work' for it. She was happy having formula draining down the side of her mouth and sucking on that bottle as fast as she could! The little pig!! So that being said I have done both. If I could go back I would have bottle fed all of mine *gasp* lol!! I didnt realize untill my 3rd how much daddy time they were missing out on. It was soooo nice to have him share the responsiblities of feeding her and he got to bond with her also. I didnt have to deal with sore, dry, cracked, painful nipples! I didnt have to be the sole provider of food for her. I no longer had to deal with engourged breasts or clogged milk ducts! I didnt have to hook myself up to a contraption like a cow being milked!! It was absolutely great!! When we were out in public I didnt have to worry about having her want to eat at the worst times like when we were shopping(back in the 90s before they passed these laws about bf'ing in public). I would bf my first 2 in public with a recieving blanket thrown over me but it was always uncomfortable. And lets not forget the 'looks' ya get when you are doing this. I even had 1 lady suggest to me that i should bf in the bathroom. I told her no thats ok I didnt think it would be sanitary for my baby to eat in the bathroom but I had no problems if she wanted to take her plate and go sit on the toilet and eat!! For me not bf'ing was liberating! I got to enjoy my baby w/o pain, w/o the 'looks' and I got to watch my hubby bond with her too. Do what feels good for you. If mom isnt happy noone is happy!!

Sarah,

Not all women are fortunate enough to produce the breastmilk, therefore the formula is there as an alternative.

kudos

Formula should be offered as an ALTERNATIVE only. It does have it's place in society, but it was developed for adoptive mothers and mothers who physically can't produce milk--not for those who just don't want to because it's time-consuming or presents an imbalance to the marital relationship. Not for those who have lacked the education and support and believe they physically can't, when, with a bit of proper help they could overcome their obstacles.

If formula was available by prescription only, as it is in several other countries, then it would have it's proper place in society.

I always used this analogy in my classes: Do you want to feed your kid homecooked, healthy, balance meals or do you want to feed them processed junk food every meal? Both will fill their belly, but I doubt there's any parent out there that can intelligently say that junk food is the same as health food.

The problem is that if you fed your kid junk food and saw that it was to their detriment, you could at least try to reverse the process and make better nutritional choices. When you choose not to breastfeed, you don't get to have a do-over if your child has ongoing health issues.

Noodle,

I don't think that comparing "junk food" to "healthy food" is the same as comparing breastmilk to formula. While I understand that there are differences, I think those two comparisons is a little far fetched. Freedom of choice is the ultimately what this discussion is boiling down to. Not everyone has to agree with eachother, but in my opinion, neither side is "wrong." We all, as mothers on here, tried or are still trying to do what WE feel best for OUR children. What works for one may not work for another. It's not about right or wrong, it's about personal preference and the freedom to choose to do so.

Only took a few minutes for a Republican to turn up with the usual condescending remarks about the unemployed.

The thing is - there are a few "types" of non-breastfeeding mamas... those who choose not to because of they've experienced various issues with trying it - they try it and fail or they have major challenges with it that are just not worth it. In that case it makes sense not to judge nor does it make sense for them to feel guilty at all...for it doesn't come so easily to everyone. Not to mention the millions of moms out there who have adopted children and just plain can't breastfeed them - they shouldn't feel guilty either of course.

BUT...then there are the mamas who don't do ANY research and just assume formula is "about as good as" breastmilk and choose formula over breastfeeding for the various conveniences - like having someone else feed the baby and not having to pump to make that happen. I fed my sister's baby a container of formula the other day, and yes, I have to say, in some ways it IS more convenient than the breastfeeding/pumping routine I did. But that one convenience is not really a good reason to feed your child formula "fast food" that hundreds of studies show causes all sorts of issues down the road.

how far down the road ? I was formula fed, I am 48 and have never been sick or hospitalized, no surgeries, no medications , have a high IQ, college grad, successful business owner, thin, etc..... Same can be said for my parents who are in their 70's.

So, according to these 100's of studies that you have read, when exactly am I, my siblings and parents going to fall prey to all these "issues" ?

Yes! And how about the 30-something year boycott of Nestle products because of the thousands of babies they killed? It's one of the number one selling formulas, and buying that is supporting the destruction of newborns in other countries. So, you're not only poisioning your own child by using firmula...

Thank you.

Exactly - not to mention that there have been HUNDREDS of studies comparing health and disease rates of formula vs breastfed babies that shows clearly formula is inferior for a baby's development and health.

I don't care how many anecdotes we have of "I was formula fed and turned out fine..." it's the same thing as smokers who say "My uncle smoked his whole life and was fine..." puff puff puff... Give me a break. Would you want to take this chance with your BABY if you have a choice in the matter?? It's one thing if you try to breastfeed but can't... it's another thing entirely to pretend like formula is "just as good" as breastfeeding and the two are pretty much interchangable.

Can everyone just stop already? Most all mothers want what is in the best interests of their babies and their families. Can EVERYONE stop acting like the route that they have chosen is superior. Even when people say---"It's one thing if you try to breasfeed but can't"...who are you? Don't we have entirely too much judgement in our world? When I had my first child and was having problems with breastfeeding my mother in law said "I have 6 boys, 3 breastfed, 3 formula fed, which ones were breastfed". I had no idea. They are all intelligent, and healthy. As a matter of fact, the only one that had any health issues at all was breastfed. We can't begin to imagine what each mother goes through when making this decision. As far as the immunological benefits of breastfeeding---do you know that we are actually interfering with how this is passed on from mothers to babies? Do a little research on how MMR vaccine actually interferes with the natural process, and therefore does not allow for the passage of antibodies from mother to baby (mother didn't have the antibodies to pass on) for the babies first year. I both breast and formula fed my babies. My personal conclusion---don't act holier than thou for choosing breast and don't worry if your baby is formula fed. There's MANY other REAL problems in the world today!

Totally agree.

The same goes for fruitless debates about choosing between reusable or disposable diapers, pacifier or no pacifier, and even baby or no baby. The important thing here is that we have choices, and that the ones who chose are have a free will, have freedom of choice and will live with the consequences of their choices. So we all should do what we think is best in these cases. Respect other people's choices. Everything would be much easier this way.

Personally, I don't judge a mother for not breastfeeding, but I would like to know reasons for not trying it at all. I'm sure they are out there, but I haven't heard any that don't categorize the mother as lazy or ignorant.

I'm honestly looking for more information, as I suspect others are, too. If anyone can relate stories of why breastfeeding is sometimes not considered an option, please post them.

Breastfeeding can be not considered an option for some very viable reasons: breast size and shape and how the baby's mouth is shaped can be a factor (ie, the aerole can be too big for the baby to hold so he/she always falls off and doesn't get any nutrition and hurts the mom), a chronic illness can make it too difficult for the mom to breastfeed because she doesn't have the nutrition/energy/time to spare, the mom has to go back to work soon after giving birth (this is happening more often in the economic slump and crisis) and so wouldn't be able to breastfeed exclusively very well, may have an insecurity about it (unsupported by family/friends/spouse), the infant may be a 'preemie' or ill and so should be on a formula specifically made to handle any problems the baby has and finally, baby may be allergic to breast milk.  (It happens!)

Breastfeeding is great, but so is formula; and here's something a lot of pro-breast don't consider: formula allows the whole family to bond with baby.  Fathers often talk about bonding over the bottle in a way that they couldn't if baby was exlusively breastfed.

I didnt get the feeling that the women is upset over giving up her social life to be a mother. She also mentioned that she does breastfeed, did you hear her say that? She was saying you should only do it if YOU enjoy it, and not because you feel pressured into it. The medical proof is not as strong as they would like for you to believe. Sorry, but its the environment the baby grows up in that matters most.

The enviornment the baby grows up in that matters most.

The key word there is "most". It is a matter of degree. Because breastfeeding still provides benefits that cannot be achieved via enviornment alone.