Why is breastfeeding better than formula?

[Lagirl20]

Hi everyone! We are planing to TTC within the next six months, and I'm super excited to breastfeed. Hopefully it will all go ok and be possible for me to do this. In the meantime I've been reading lots, and I'm curious as to the research and evidence behind the claim that breastfeeding is much better than formula - it makes sense but I've failed to actually find any stats and I have lots of friends who think formula is just as good and they never bothered. Sorry if this seems like a silly question but - what's the research/evidence behind this claim? Making no judgement on either method! X

[superfandango]

www.who.int/features/factfiles/breastfeeding/en/

The World Health Organisation has a handy page.

[RandomMess]

Basically human breast milk is designed for human babies and formula is based on cows milk that is best suited to cows not humans.

[Delbelleber]

There's just been a big debate about this. Why don't you read the thread on page 3 called breastfeeding vs formula.
It started off about the original post question and escalated in to a debate with loads of links in.

[BonnieSeptember]

Bf transfers antibodies made by mum to feeding baby. These are created on demand and in response to your baby's requirements. Breastmilk is essentially custom made for your baby.

Additionally, you can't over feed an (exclusively) breastfed baby.

Then there's the practical advantages (although I'm guessing these aren't what you're after) such as convenience when out and about, no waiting for bottle to gets up cool down in middle of night with screaming baby, no need to worry about bottles and sterling (although I express and use bottles for my partner to feed so there is an element of this, just not to the same extent), no worrying about safe prep of formula, and no "oh let me feed the baby and give you a break!" In the first key days and weeks when you want to spend time cuddling and bonding with baby :)

I don't know about specific studies but its scientific fact that breastmilk has more health benefits than formula due to the antibodies alone. In my experience (limited and of course not true for everyone) but the only women I know who are reluctant to accept that breast IS best are women who tried and gave up on bf. Most likely due to lack of proper support.

[UtuNorantiPralatongsThirdEye]

Have a look at what breast milk contains and then compare it to the ingredients in a tin of formula. Side by side the formula reads like junk food compared to breast milk.

Having said that, I used formula and my dc is fine and thriving, I'm not going to pretend formula is remotely as healthy as breast milk in the majority of cases though.

[Lagirl20]

Thank you I will take a look now X

[CloudyVanilla]

Tbh the actual statistics for breastfeeding vs formula from studies can be a little shaky; it's also clouded by lots of confounding factors plenty of research done is not based on the gold standard RCT trials.

However, this doesn't mean that breastmilk isn't idea and that you shouldn't try. It shouldn't really matter which is better as such, as saying that formula is not inadequate does not take away from the value of breastfeeding.

So rather than worrying about which method is best, I'd focus on doing as much research as you can on making breastfeeding work if you want to, and if it doesn't work please do not beat yourself up as formula fed babies do perfectly well .

Also, (I will get flamed I know) there is no research out there that shows conclusively that breastfeeding is so much better for children that it is worth killing yourself over if you are struggling.

Enjoy the precious newborn weeks and dont forget to look up your local support networks for breastfeeding; I had a lovely lady at my sons 5 day health check who was reassuring that my latch was fine, and they do have more dedicated staff to help with lactation these days, in my experience.

[CloudyVanilla]

Formula milk is NOT junk food by the way

[TheClausSeason]

'What are the benefits of breastfeeding?
Apart from the fact that breast milk is tailor-made for your baby, free, and always available, it offers protection from:

infection – breast milk provides natural (germ killing) antibodies that help your baby fight infections like tummy bugs, diarrhoea, colds and chest and ear infections.
vitamins and nutrition – your breast milk provides the perfect combination of vitamins and nutrition, it’s also much easier to digest than first infant formula.
SIDS and childhood leukaemia – breastfeeding reduces the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), also known as cot death, and childhood leukaemia.
long-term health – breastfed babies are less likely to develop diabetes, or become overweight when they are older.
Any amount of breastfeeding is beneficial, but exclusively breastfeeding your baby for 6 months offers a lot more protection. There are benefits and advantages for you too – breastfeeding helps:

your uterus get back down to size – after your baby is born, your uterus (womb) will gradually get smaller day-by-day, but breastfeeding will help speed this up.
you bond with your baby – breastfeeding is a lovely way to feel close and strengthen the bond between you and your baby.
protect your health – breastfeeding lowers your risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, osteoporosis (weak bones), diabetes and cardiovascular disease (conditions affecting the heart or blood vessels).
burn off calories – if you are exclusively breastfeeding, this will help burn off about 300 calories a day.
There are many benefits of carrying on breastfeeding after 6 months – your breast milk protects your baby from infections and there’s some evidence it helps them digest solid foods'

www.nhs.uk/start4life/baby/breastfeeding/your-questions-answered/

It also is a natural laxative so helps prevent constipation in newborns.

[Nicecupofcoco]

If your keen to bf then great, give it a shot...but don't beat yourself up if you can't or struggle. Fed is best as they say, doesn't matter which way.

[Calmingvibrations]

Breast milk is superior to formula. But breast feeding isn’t always better than formula feeding. Other factors can come into play.

[BonnieSeptember]

Breast is best, fed is minimum. Anything less than fed is neglect

[PencilsInSpace]

It's free, it's far less faff and it's the perfect food for human babies.

Formula is fine too and a good choice for women who struggle to bf or just don't want to.

[DamnYouAutocucumber]

I think I'd struggle with making bottles, particularly at night. The idea of getting up and faffing around to get all the temperatures right an unspecified number of times really doesn't appeal.

We're also crap at shopping and always running out of things, which normally an be muddled through, but there's no alternatives for the first 6 months if you're formula feeding. I've heard people say they've struggled to buy certain brands at times and that sounds like a nightmare.

[Starlight456]

Can I just add breast is best when it works.

A mum miserable , stressed breastfeeding feeling unreasonable pressure to breast feed is not best.

That said I breast fed , when my Ds had a tummy bug I saw the gp physically relax when I said he was breast fed.

Don’t put so much pressure on yourself is my advice. If it doesn’t work there is an alternative

[managedmis]

Please do NOT feel guilty if you can't breastfeed - it's not the be and end all, at all.

Medical professionals really pressurise you into doing it.

Fed is best

[randomsabreuse]

Cynically it's free and you can't go out without food for your baby - useful if sleep deprived! If delayed out and about you can feed. Also don't have to be quite as awake for the night feeds so easier to get back to sleep after!

[Graphista]

Loads of info online but personally I wanted to because there's a shitload of genetic allergy issues in my family and dds dads and bf is believed to help with these.

She still has eczema & hay fever but she's not had an asthma attack in donkeys years and the eczema and hay fever are really very mild compared to how the rest of us are, she's also not had any of the other allergies.

I know I cannot know for certain how she'd have been if she'd not been bf but I do think it's made a difference.

As a mum I ended up doing both bf and bottle as my milk dried due to a medical issue before she was 1.

So I've done both - bf was SO much easier and way more convenient - and free!

My milk dried literally from normal supply at last feed to nothing! So we had to dash out and get everything for ff in one go and it cost a bloody fortune! Not least because it was trial and error on formula, bottles and teats until we hit the right combination for dd - not talking preference but first few formulas made her projectile vomit! She couldn't suck the silicon teats at all to get any milk out even fast flow ones - so we had stuff we bought that was only used once and at that point we didn't even know anyone we could give it to so it just got wasted!


I also really hated all the faff I'd washing and sterilising, measuring bloody scoops, having to gauge how long we could spend out of the house because bottles only last a few hours out the fridge even in specially insulated carriers. Whereas with bf could come and go as I wished, didn't need to remember to take stuff, or think where I was going in terms of facilities for warming bottles etc - hated all that it was a right pain in the arse!

Another thing I loved was that breast milk adjusts to your child's needs. Dd never had any tummy troubles while bf with formula even with the one she was best suited to we had regular bouts of constipation and bad wind to deal with. I very much noticed the difference when she was poorly with bugs she recovered far more quickly while being bf. Breast milk changes constitution according to babies health.

Ff is not awful but it's not ideal and it can never really replace bf completely.

Quite honestly for mums I think it's the mental attitude makes the difference.

I've noticed those that say "I'll try" are more likely to stop and quite early on too than those that definitely decide they ARE going to bf.

For me it didn't even occur to me to have ff stuff in I just had in my head I'd be bf.

It isn't easy at first, it's a new skill for you and baby to learn together, it takes time for your body to get used to it and it can be uncomfortable even painful in the first weeks and I think it's important to be honest about that. I honestly get annoyed at the "if you're doing it right it doesn't hurt" that's not true for everyone or even most!

Your nipples need to "toughen up" and getting the latch right takes practice.

Eg dd would only feed by turning her head to her right so a "normal" position on left boob but needed a rugby ball hold on right boob so she was kinda tucked under my arm - awkward madam!

But I'd definitely say - having done both - that bf is way easier, more convenient, flexible, cheap and really healthy.

[Graphista]

I've heard people say they've struggled to buy certain brands at times and that sounds like a nightmare.

Yep! I've known people stuck for that.

That actually reminded me the formula that first worked for dd they changed the bloody recipe so that she could no longer take it and we had to try again to find one she could take.

There's been issues in recent years with poor hygiene in manufacturing, I'm trying to remember the brand but I think earlier this year a major brand changed their recipe and the new recipe made a lot of babies sick, I'm sure that was in the news

Just Googled

Last year apparently

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/business-44765890

Total pain for parents and babies.

[Amanduh]

‘Ff is not awful but it's not ideal’ and ‘breast is best, fed is minimum’ is bollocks. As is ‘it’s not remotely as good.’
Formula is balanced and nutritional.
Breast milk is the perfect natural nutrition.
Fed is best. Fed is ideal.
Breast milk can be slightly more beneficial, it may help some things, it may not. All that matters is that you and baby are happy and baby is fed. Whichever way is the best way to do that is the ideal.
Do what works for you and please don’t think if one thing doesn’t work you have failed or are not ‘ideal.’ Try what you want to try and if it doesn’t work out, you have a perfectly good alternative.

[Booberella9]

BF can be hard to start with so you will need people around you to support and encourage you through the early days. If you are under pressure to switch to formula it might all be even harder. Ask for info on local bf support groups. The NCT or your health visiting service are good places to start. Good luck!

[PatricksRum]

Breast is best, fed is minimum. Anything less than fed is neglect

Fed is best is such a ridiculous phrase.

[PorpentinaScamander]

"There are three reasons for breastfeeding. The milk is always at the right temperature.
It comes in attractive containers. The cat can't get it" - Irena Chalmers.

There are more than 3. But this always makes me laugh.

[missnevermind]

The best things about breastfeeding are it's free. No bottles. No measuring. No counting scoops. No planning ahead. No washing bottles. No sterilising.
Basicly it's babies for lazy people 😃

[EatDiamondsForBreakfast]

Of course the milk YOU make is the best thing for your baby!!