Is there any difference between FF & BF babies in your opinion?

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I FF my first but now thinking about BF for my second. I wonder though from people's experiences on here, what difference in any did you see in a FF vs BF baby?

I'm not wanting to start a controversial thread, fed is best and I don't judge anybody for how they decide to feed their child. I just want opinions.

But is that because being EBF stopped them getting sick enough for antibiotics in the first place,
seriously? what utter nonsense.

I also have one daughter like this! She was actually FF. I was BF and am a terrible binge eater. Not sure what it shows but from my experience it’s not BF that gives that amazing attitude to snacks

Mine too. I'd actually forgotten this benefit but yes, DD never cried and was a very happy baby. Also the bonding EBF created between us was amazing and we are still super close now. Never had the bratty teen thing with DD. She's 17 and a delight, cuddled up to me on the sofa last night just as she did as a toddler. Bliss. It definitely helps create a unique and special bond easily. You are their food supply, their comfort, their everything when you EBF and no one else can fulfil that role. (Realise not everyone wants to be that role or is able to for a whole host of reasons but for me it was an absolute gift and I loved every second).

Can you expand on why you think the "special bond" with breast fed babies is different to the bond with formula fed babies?

I don't see how it is "obviously different."

DS1 is nearly 12, DS2 is 8.

Both BF from birth, DS2 had his last feed the night before his 4th birthday. We also co-slept (still do occasionally). Neither had formula, ever.

Both boys very academic, DS1 diagnosed with ASD/ADHD (suspect DS2 ASD).

Touch wood they're very healthy and get sick rarely. Neither have had antibiotics. Both a normal weight.

Do I think they would have developed differently if FF? Impossible to know, or prove. There are too many confounding variables in a child's upbringing to know this.

The PPs relating anything positive to BF can be done with FF babies too.
There's no special medal for you having BF, it's incredibly smug and again think of any struggling mums reading this contrived nonsense and beating herself up.

My brother was BF and has colitis. He’s also
morbidly obese. I was FF and don’t have colitis, am not obese and have outperformed him academically all the way through school and university.

These kind of anecdotes are quite pointless really, because you can’t compare outcomes for the same child.

It’s possible that your brother would be morbidly obese and have colitis and diabetes/rheumatoid arthritis/asthma if he hadn’t been bf. Or not. No one can ever know. On a population level you can see differences but that means nothing for any one individual child.

I’m really surprised at all the “FF babies sleep better as they have full tummies” comments. Er yes, formula milk is less easily digested so takes longer and the sleeping more deeply is a risk factor for SIDS - not sure why anyone thinks this is a great benefit! Sure it must be good to get a bit more uninterrupted sleep but not at the expense of these risk factors.

I am pregnant with my first, planning to breastfeed but accept I may not be able to, so I have no real skin in the game here.

For me, everything we’re learning about UPF makes me favour breast milk which is natural, “live” and full of antibodies. I also think there’s something to the “bonding” thing, I mean you’re literally feeding your child from your body, with all the associated hormones generated, how can that not create a really strong bond?

The “benefits” of FF all seem geared towards being able to leave your baby with other people (or sleep as mentioned above), which is fine if that’s what you want but I’m a big believer in the fourth trimester so I can’t see myself wanting to leave my baby for a good while at this point. Maybe that will change but I know lots of mums IRL that feel the same.

Most of the differences are statistically small. My three were formula fed, not really by choice (extremely low supply). They were all different in every way. One had awful, awful CMPA (or MSPI as it's called here, he couldn't have soya formula either) and had to go on special formula that smelled foul. He can tolerate dairy now but will not touch a glass of milk, and I do think that's related. Other than that, I think the main difference is in infant feeding and sleeping habits because BF babies feed more frequently.

There are some populations it makes a difference for. For example in very premature babies, breastmilk appears to have a lower risk of NEC.

Aside From those high risk groups, or areas without proper sanitation, I dont think that the differences are so big that women need to neglect their own needs or preferences. It's certainly good, even better to BF -- but not better than someone's mental or physical health.

I'm studying this exact topic at the moment.

None of the things you mention have been studied as lower risk if BF, apart from a reduced risk of asthma. That's reduced, not zero, risk.

BF can help with jaw placement but doesn't negate the need for braces. My extended BF obssessed child will need them for factors unaffected by method of feeding.

You did an amazing job feeding your children, please do not feel guilty. These are not things you could have prevented.

I was replying to a poster who was implying that he DH has colitis because he was FF. I was showing that my experience is the opposite.

Also, on a population level it is still very difficult to determine because BF babies are statistically more likely to come from more affluent homes which has an impact on health and academic performance.

I have one FF child and one BF child. The FF child has far out performed the BF child academically (well to be fair he’s outperformed the vast majority of kids of his age). It has zero to do with how he was fed. It’s inherited intelligence that runs down the line of my mum’s family. He looks like her (and my uncle and cousin and cousin’s child) who are all exceptionally high academic performers. Unfortunately, I didn’t inherit it and neither did my other DC. We take after my dad!

This was exactly my experience too. Youngest couldn’t latch hence the bottle. In retrospect I do wonder if he had tongue tie, but believe it or not, that information wasn’t as readily accessible 22 years ago due to lack of internet!

I don’t judge anyone for choosing what works for them, when they’re at school, you can’t tell which child was BF and which was FF

We are lucky to have options for either. The differences are seen across populations, rather than in individuals, though.

But it is possible that in her DH’s case he might not have had colitis if he was bf. It’s not a direct 1-1 cause and effect - genes and their expression are complex and it is known that bf impacts how immune systems work. Your brother having colitis is irrelevant to someone else with colitis and it’s simplistic to suggest otherwise.

This whole thread is just a mass of anecdata. There is actual scientific data that is freely available and tbh most people are aware of it anyway.

Mine too. I'd actually forgotten this benefit but yes, DD never cried and was a very happy baby. Also the bonding EBF created between us was amazing and we are still super close now. Never had the bratty teen thing with DD. She's 17 and a delight, cuddled up to me on the sofa last night just as she did as a toddler. Bliss. It definitely helps create a unique and special bond easily. You are their food supply, their comfort, their everything when you EBF and no one else can fulfil that role. (Realise not everyone wants to be that role or is able to for a whole host of reasons but for me it was an absolute gift and I loved every second).

Are you saying that FF babies don't have as close or as a unique bond as EBF babies? And that this translates into teenage behaviour?

This has been my experience with mum groups too and I did feel like I was the weirdo breastfeeding a 3yo even though deep down I know it's a cultural thing and it's not weird at all.

Yes it will affect your gut microbiome for life. That's why when people say it makes no difference it's just ignorant. You can be healthy having been formula fed, I was from 4 weeks and I've always been very healthy, but being ebf is superior and there is no way around that

My family experience was I FF mine. They ate well are fine tall young men picture of health.

All SIL BF, babies didn't sleep through until after weaned. All had a variety of allergies and eczema. I really felt for them though kept my mouth shut on my dormice children.

Honestly I would advise so what suits you because a happy healthy mother will negate anything else.

I breastfed DS to 15 months, and he also had cow's milk from 10 months until about two and a half. DD is now 21 months and still breastfeeding, and has never taken a bottle or drunk cow's milk.

Both of them have been very attached to me as babies, loved co-sleeping, didn't sleep through the night until around 18 months even after being night weaned. Both seem to have good immune systems but not sure how much of that is due to breastfeeding and how much is due to being surrounded by germs at nursery from a very young age.

No idea what they would have been like if I'd formula fed, perhaps no different, but I love the special bond that breastfeeding has given us. Feeding DD first thing in the morning and before bed is one of my favourite parts of the day.

DD is, however, a reluctant eater. I've had to deliberately cut down on breastfeeding to make her hungry enough to eat more real food. Her weight gain has plateaued in the last few months and she does sometimes get a rash round her mouth but we haven't identified what triggers it. DS is and always was a much better eater.

I really struggled with breastfeeding. With DD1 I did a mixture of breastfeeding and formula feeding until she was 3 months old when I switched fully to formula.

With DD2 I think I'd been so stressed about breastfeeding DD1 I stopped by day 2 or 3 but then expressed my milk for her so she was fed breast milk from a bottle until 6 months old then a mix of breast milk and formula until she was 9 months.

Expressing milk was probably the worst and the best of both worlds. It was more time and effort but I built up a really good stash in the freezer that saw her through for a while after I stopped, I was able to leave her with someone else to bottle feed her and I was also able to donate breast milk to the local hospital. So there is a third way of feeding available.

Zero difference between them anecdotally.

@Iamthemoom

My daughter is the same, better at regulating herself, was always a content happy baby, not fussy about food. I hope this is down to bf because I'm having another and I keep worrying I'll get a baby that cries a lot

And as I said, a lot of that scientific evidence is flawed. Even the NCT advisor teaching the breast feeding classes that I went to pointed out that the scientific evidence wasn’t reliable. I am sick to death about how women beat themselves up over breastfeeding and people like you feed into their misery.

I’m not the poster you quoted but yes I do think BF babies have a unique bond with their mum, you’re literally sustaining them from your body, with all the associated hormones generated, they are solely reliant on you for life, how can that not be a unique bond?

I’d personally be surprised if this extends beyond maybe 2yo though.

I have 4 children. First was mainly bottle fed (because of disapproving relatives), others were breast fed - which I really enjoyed

No major difference- other than the three that were breast fed have anaphylactic level food allergies - all to different common foods. The bottle fed one doesn’t have any allergies

Can you imagine how much that infuriates me!

Granted my ds is adopted but even at 13 I am sustaining him. From my fridge and cupboards mind you, but none the less I've kept him alive thus far.