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Original poster

Nurse said something strange about breastfed babies

308 replies

Chocolateegg123 · 23/07/2025 19:14

My 8 week old had her jabs today. The nurse at my GP surgery was taking an awfully long time getting down to business and kept faffing around such as explaining how to use a syringe for the calpol for about ten minutes. Then, she asked me if I was breastfeeding and when I answered yes, she asked how it was going.

I was honest and explained I’d found it hard and we had to combi feed etc but that my mental health had been really awful whilst breastfeeding and so I have considered moving over to formula.

She then completely matter of factly stated… “breastfed babies are more intelligent so if you can continue feeding her your milk you should.”

I was kind of taken a back as I didn’t think this was true but also is this kind of advice ok for a health professional to give? Whenever I have gone to a local breastfeeding clinic or spoken to a professional about my struggles they have never ever said anything like this?

I guess I want to know if I would be unreasonable to complain about this nurse? She has been unprofessional in the past when I went to have a vaccine during pregnancy and now this. However - is it true that breastfed babies are more intelligent? This has added to my guilt and anxiety over my breastfeeding journey now. Help!

OP posts:
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W0tnow · 23/07/2025 20:27

u3ername · 23/07/2025 20:25

There’s clearly research that has, correctly or not, concluded that. So wouldn’t call it idiotic and wouldn’t complain.

Also, if she said ‘stronger immunity’, would that be idiotic or strange too? And if we all agree it does have an effect on that, are we saying it’s less important than intelligence?

I think you might call it ‘flawed’, if it didn’t take things like section economic status, or IQ of parents into account? Or even parental involvement.

u3ername · 23/07/2025 20:25

There’s clearly research that has, correctly or not, concluded that. So wouldn’t call it idiotic and wouldn’t complain.

Also, if she said ‘stronger immunity’, would that be idiotic or strange too? And if we all agree it does have an effect on that, are we saying it’s less important than intelligence?

WaterOfADucksBack · 23/07/2025 20:23

didgeridid · 23/07/2025 19:19

🤣🤣🤣

Show quote history

🤣😁😂

EleanorReally · 23/07/2025 20:23

i love that expression
Fed is best
just repeat that in future

that that expression, a Happy mum is a happy family that they love to trot out

Tangerinenets · 23/07/2025 20:23

no idea if it’s true but in my case definitely not. I exclusively breast fed all of mine from 1-2 years each. None of my children are academic at all. All great kids, great work ethic, emotionally mature etc but definitely not academically intelligent.

EleanorReally · 23/07/2025 20:21

some nurses have such idiotic opinions, was she a health care assistant?

godmum56 · 23/07/2025 20:18

Bourneyesterday · 23/07/2025 20:02

I think it would be very petty to complain. People will not bother talking to other people soon.

well they shouldn't tell them bullshit if they are in a job that is supposed to be medically accurate

LovingLimePeer · 23/07/2025 20:15

The issue with studies into breastfeeding is that most are comparisons between children fed in different ways by very different families. There are many confounding factors for these studies.

There was a large study done as a sibling study i.e. children where the feeding method varied between siblings and if memory serves me right, the only negative difference for bottlefed babies was a slightly increased risk of gastrointestinal illness. There was no difference in IQ or any of the other 'benefit of breastfeeding' often oversold by NHS midwives/health visitors who are well meaning but often have little understanding of statistics.

JMSA · 23/07/2025 20:10

Academically mediocre children here, and all three of them were breastfed 😄

Welshcake15 · 23/07/2025 20:08

The link below has some info about this subject. However, as some have said what is not known is why babies who are breastfed tend to have a higher IQ. It might be due to socioeconomic reasons rather than something magic in breastmilk as the nurse suggested.

https://www.ndph.ox.ac.uk/news/new-study-finds-that-breastfeeding-directly-supports-children2019s-cognitive-development

TY78910 · 23/07/2025 20:07

EH???

OneNaiceSnail · 23/07/2025 20:03

I thought this was a fact. I read about this when I was pregnant with my first 18 years ago. I can’t even remember exactly what it was I read now, it was something along the lines of babies being breastfed between 6-9 months statically had a higher IQ by a certain amount of points

exceptionaley · 23/07/2025 20:03

It’s funny as well because it’s like saying to someone, that apple will make you smarter than be that banana. Yeah the apple might be slightly “healthier” on some level if you dig deep into the science, but it doesn’t mean you can’t have the banana! You can absolutely have the banana and you’ll be absolutely fine..

Bourneyesterday · 23/07/2025 20:02

I think it would be very petty to complain. People will not bother talking to other people soon.

exceptionaley · 23/07/2025 20:01

Oh for gods sake. My son is totally formula fed (except for 5 long days of blood sweat and lots of tears) he’s one of the brightest in the class. How dare she try and guilt you into continuing something you’re not enjoying. I haven’t scrolled down but I’m sure there are lots of people trying to pursuade you to continue, don’t do anything you don’t want to do. FF is not for everyone but for some it is! It was for me!

windyfarmers · 23/07/2025 20:00

That's generally down to genetics, maybe she was bottle fed!

hennybeans · 23/07/2025 19:59

Complain!
My health visitor told me when I was really struggling to breastfeed that if I switched to formula, I couldn’t leave the house with my baby because you can’t safely make up a bottle of formula out and about.
It was only when a friend who is a GP told me that she formula fed all her babies that I felt ok about formula feeding and less guilty.
My formula fed baby is currently hoping to achieve his predicted 4 A stars in a few weeks and take up his offer at Oxford.

PumpkinPie2016 · 23/07/2025 19:56

She's talking total rubbish 🗑

I have a Physics degree and two postgraduate degrees but was formula fed from birth.

My son has just achieved greater depth in SATs and is off to grammar school in September- also bottle fed from birth.

Ignore her.

tostaky · 23/07/2025 19:56

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What does this have to do with nationality??!!

TiaKofi · 23/07/2025 19:53

Clearly she wasn’t breast fed then, silly old cow!

MathNotMathing · 23/07/2025 19:53

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dottiedodah · 23/07/2025 19:52

It's generally accepted that BF babies do well academically. However this may be because MC mums are more likely to do so.its like many things really. I think it's the Ideal.but FF babies do well also.Dont report her.just forget her comments and feed babe However you feel happiest .

BlankBlankBlank14 · 23/07/2025 19:51

ArabiattaPrawn · 23/07/2025 19:18

Fucking hell. No, there is no link between intellect and breastfeeding. I'd complain, that's totally inappropriate and could absolutely derail someone with tenuous mental health. Although I'd have been tempted to respond that she clearly wasn't breastfed either then.

Brilliant response! I wish you’d said this OP!

Stripeysockspots · 23/07/2025 19:50

I think there was a large scale study that did find this a few years back but they didn't control for mother's IQ so therefore the findings are stupid. And I say that as someone who breastfed until 3 both times

UnbotheredQueen · 23/07/2025 19:48

I was bottle fed and have a PhD. Report the knobbish nurse.

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