101 reasons to breastfeed your child

[mears]

cameacrossthisthismorning

[strawberry]

Thanks for this Mears. DH is not the most supportive about BFing - hopefully this will help when new baby arrives next month.

[SeaShells]

Definately agree with the bonding issue

[paolosgirl]

Thanks for this, Mears. I work in Health Promotion, and it's nice to see the all the reasons for breastfeeding together like that.

[oops]

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[oops]

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[hermykne]

what a great link mears, it encourages me no end to keep going as do you and oyur contributions.

[Gwenick]

Was going to post on the other thread going on at the moment -but decided since it was linked to this one to post here.

1. I'm not bothered what the American's say
   
   
2. I bonded fantastically well with both my boys, actually more so with my 2nd who was the bottlefed one of the two
   
   
3. I STILL hold DS2 (now 15 months) for his bottlefeeds, he gets lots of cuddles and probably more than his brother did at the same age! And DS1 howled constantly for the 1st 4 month of his life - even thought he spent 75% of that time attached to my breast
   
   4, 5 and 6 - not going to argue with those
   
   
4. WHAT?? You are joking - what about all those genuises who were born in the REAL bottlefeeding era?
   
   8 and 9 - no arguemtns
   
   10 - true to an extent - but my BF DS was the more sickly baby
   
   11, 12, 13 - again no argument
   
   14 - no effect on weight - took much longer to shift the weight at DS1 despite bf exclusively
   
   15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 (wow some of these are awfully similar! 21 and 22 for example!)
   
   23 and 24 - didn't help in my family - BF ones developed asthma just the same as the bottlefed ones
   
   
5. neither of my children have had ear infections
   
   26 - no argument
   
   27 - hmm please tell that to my DS1 - he was notorious for getting the runs - I still have nightmares about 'some' of his 'episodes' - touchwood DS2 hasn't had any (yet)
   
   28, 29 - know of children who've had all of these things and been exclusively BF - no saying it's not true - but certainly not 'certain' (and again similar to earlier reasons)
   
   30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36 - either don't know or no argument
   
   37 - lol tell that to my Dad - exclusively bf and seriously overweight - bf me - overweight, bottlefed brother skinny
   
   38 , 39,40, 41 - no argument (although again 'very' similar to earlier arguments for bf)
   
   42 - I wish!!!
   
   43, 44 - no argument
   
   45 - as it explains only in the 'right' circumstances
   
   46 - not really - found both pretty easy going
   
   47 - true
   
   48 - so is using disposable nappies, paying for children care if you're a working mum or buying premade baby food
   
   49 - not really relevant to UK
   
   50, 51 - no arguments
   
   52 - REALLY? had the stroppiest toddler around!
   
   53 - never did for me - I've fallen asleep with bottle and babe in hand though
   
   54 - Try telling DS2 that
   
   55 - no argument - but repetitioin
   
   56 - yes I suppose that's true in 3rd world countries
   
   57 - ok - if they say so - not in our case
   
   58 - not relevant in the UK
   
   59 - so do ready meals, disposable nappies etcetc
   
   60 - don't actually notice a difference - still got to have a bag with changing things in
   
   61 - ?????? with an increasing adult population there's going to be more cows anyhow!!!
   
   62 - and...........
   
   63 - "develop only as much brain power as a cow needs" !!!!
   
   64 - don't think anyone is denying that - and besides who gives their baby COWS milk at birth?????
   
   65 - no argument
   
   66 - DS1 would dramtically decreased his feeds when he had his recurrent chest infections
   
   67 - LMAO - they ARE joking????
   
   68 - again they've got to be kidding!
   
   69 - so that's a good reason then???
   
   70 - don't take up much space and don't take long to clean (quicker than the breast pump IME)
   
   71 - what if people 'like' gadgets???
   
   72, 73 - no argument
   
   74 - never let it stress me out with DS2 - just picked the first one off the shelf and he liked it - if he didn't like it I would have tried another one
   
   75 - erm - so why are we told to boil the water before making up the bottles then
   
   76 - again back to the cows issue - growing population needs more cows!
   
   77, 78, 79 - I was BF got cr*p teeth..........
   
   80 - "mouth breathing, lip biting, gum disease, and a generally unattractive appearance" !!!! Never noticed a difference - DS1 was a very late talker too
   
   81 - no argument, but not 'fool proof' (and thought we'd already had a similar one)
   
   82 - so does DS2 - bottlefed
   
   83 - DS1 was awful for spitting up - I guess mainly because he was such a pig
   
   84 - Got lots of handmedowns from my cousins's TWO bottlefed babies - all in wondeful condition and no stains
   
   85, 86 - Not relevenat in the UK or 'different'
   
   87 - rather 'hazy' evidence
   
   88 - no argument
   
   89 - someone should have told DS1 (the bF one that!)
   
   90 - DS1 was HOPELESS at social skills until he was about 2 1/2yrs
   
   91 - no argument
   
   92 - doesn't seem to have affected DS2 being bottlefed
   
   93 - I had anemia while BF DS1
   
   94 - periods started 8 months before I stopped bF
   
   95 - hmmm - I'm perfectly happy with both my chubby boys
   
   96 , 97 - no arguments
   
   98 - As stated earlier - I don't worry about these things
   
   99 - oh yes of course DS1's BF nappies all up his back and 'spread' everywhere we much nicer (NOT!) than his younger brothers more 'confined' ones!! I HATED changing DS1's nappy it was alwasy so awful
   
   100 - both boys smell the same when they come out of the bath,.........
   
   101 - no-one's denying that

[Gobbledigook]

Yaaaaaaawn.

[Gwenick]

gobble - you said you weren't going to post

[JoolsToo]

Gwenick

I'm going to read themself now - but first I have to wash this colour off my hair

[Gobbledigook]

Arrghghghgghgh, I KNOW!!!!

[Gobbledigook]

Gwenick, I was rather impressed by your effort to reply to each and every point though! Blimey!

[noddyholder]

101st You can judge all the MOMS who don't

[aloha]

I thought it was very interesting. Thanks Mears.

[Marina]

Thanks for taking the time to post it Mears, interesting to read all the reasons together like that

[suzywong]

great link, thanks for that I shall look at it properly after dinner

[motherinferior]

Oh Mears, thank you; I remember asking on MN when dd2 was about four months old for 'reasons to keep going' and things like this really help.

[Gwenick]

Gobble - took me ages - and I was disturbed in the middle by my mum calling

It was interesting how some of the reason IMO were simply 'rewording' of other reasons

[aloha]

I thought it was very interesting. Thanks Mears.

[beansprout]

Thanks Mears - great link.

[Gobbledigook]

Can't argue with some of that list but lots of it just had me PMSL! Don't agree with bonding issue, obesity issues, IQ issue, mother losing weight, getting more sleep.....

And what's this one 'easier to clean up spit stains' - ROFL!!!!!

[Marina]

I think it refers to the fact that regurgitated breast milk doesn't stain like formula does, GDG. I certainly found with ds, who was mixed-fed, that my washing powder didn't shift the Hipp stains without soaking and Vanishing first. Possetted breast milk washed out completely first time.

[Prettybird]

Thanks Mears.

I fed ds for just over a year, which I was really proud of as ds was a rluctant feeder initially - and then we just relasied he was doing in his own thing, which included following his own growth chart.

He does have a propensity for ear infections - but my thinking is, "What would he have been like if he hadn't been b/f?!".

[tiktok]

GdiG: when you say 'don't agree with' do you mean, 'this doesn't match with my own personal experience and that of some people I know'.....because you can't 'disagree' with research. You can of course do your own research, or find some other research that contradicts the original findings, but I don't think that's what you meant.

I am not sure what's so funny about spit stains - formula does stain more and smells more when it dries having been spit up. For some mothers that might be a daily inconvenience.

Not as important as increasing the risk of breast cancer, though...

[Gwenick]

I've never found any issues with cleaning up formula - no different to breastmilk.

And 'research' can show what ever it wants to show - while a lot of those 'resarched' things ARE fact - I'm sure some of the things can be 'disputed' with other bits of research.

I think the fact the MANY of us (just here on MN - not including people with know in RL) have found the opposite to be true for many of the 'reasons' mentioned shows that research isn't always 100% correct