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.

@Josette77

I think she probably means because a bf baby will be more likely to be responsively fed. This is difficult to do with formula (although it certainly can be done) although I suspect more parents don't, it is easier and more practical to follow a routine instead. Also there is the matter of hormones and physiology, you are physically connected through the baby's need to feed and your body's need to produce the milk. It's like the fact co-sleeping is only recommended if you're breastfeeding a baby, it's because your bodies are more attuned with each other and the baby will naturally sleep at breast height.

My mum left me for a week with my grandmother as a newborn as I was formula fed and also went back to work for long hours from 6 weeks, when i had my daughter this was completely unthinkable because of how she was fed and the thought was distressing.

But I have no doubt in my mind my mum loves me and we have always been close, even when I was a teenager. It would be completely ignorant to say you can't have a close bond without breastfeeding, it just blatantly isn't true. The way you parent has much more baring.

Could be coincidence, we won't ever know, but DS was/is breastfed (still has a tiny bit some naps and bed time). He's never been really ill, yet. Worst he's had is a runny nose and cough, so mild colds. Even had chickenpox very mild (5 spots just on his back). I was also breastfed and don't have any allergies and not yet been very poorly (worst I've ever had was the flu, once). Never been to hospital for illness. DH was also breastfed and no allergies.
It would be nice to think my hard work has paid off. Not saying that FF parents don't work hard too, but i like to think the painful nipples, cluster feeding, sleepless nights (BF tend to wake up more for feeding), sole-parent feeding weren't for nothing!

Zombie thread from January.

OP hasn't been on Mumsnet since then.

Why are there so many Zombie thread's popping up again lately?

What do you mean “people like me” - all I’m doing is pointing out that anecdotes are scientifically irrelevant. This is as true of the people talking about the positives of bf as of the negatives of ff. Struggling to see how that is “feeding into people’s misery”.

Because you picked on me rather than responding to the post that I was responding to. You didn’t respond to the pro BF anecdote.

Im not “picking on you” - I just responded to the most recent post that I saw on the thread. That’s generally what people do on mumsnet, it’s not personal.

What I said was correct, as I’m sure you know, and not an attack on you or anyone.

These threads always descend into aggression and hyperbole - there is nothing I have said that suggests that anyone should be “beating themselves up” over anything, or “feeding into anyone’s misery”.

So if the proof is in the population statistics can someone send a link to it? I am pregnant and although the midwife is encouraging breastfeeding she said she didn't breastfeed...lol.

I was breastfed over a year,I has chicken pox twice,I have asthma,hayfever,pet hair allergies. I am not overweight but i am very mindful of what I ea and usually count calories.

My sister was breastfed 2 days. Didn't have chicken pox,but is immune as had a test when pregnant. Doesn't have asthma or any allergy. Is slim,out performed me both in sport and academically.

I needed braces,she didn't. Oh and she is far closer to our mum.

I have googled benefits but can't find anything significant when the mother has access to safe drinking water. I also want my partner to bond not just Me.

@Betterthanitseems there is plenty of research available on the internet…Im
not sure this is a genuine post if you really can’t find it yourself?

The NHS website is the simplest place to start:

https://www.nhs.uk/start-for-life/baby/feeding-your-baby/breastfeeding/the-benefits-of-breastfeeding/

Of course your partner can bond with your baby, however you feed them.

Currently still in bed but I can tell you the research is well cited in the lactation textbook I have downstairs - I'm literally studying this atm! A thread like this you will hear those who tell you if it's true or not for their own children.

Braces - not really to do with it. It can help with jaw placement but braces can be all sorts of things like overcrowding, or teeth coming down too high. Not affected by BF.

Bonding - in the immediate term, babies tend to want their mother regardless of feeding method because her smell/voice is what they know. Some babies in general are very mummy focused as they get older, others are not. Your partner can bond in so many other ways that is not feeding related.

I now have teens and yes, I have a close bond with both. Do I believe that's because I BFed them? No, it's partly personalities but also a million small choices I've made in parenting along the way that have made our relationship what it is.

Both mine were BF, one has no allergies, the other had quite severe dust mite allergy although this has improved, older is more academic. Both are of a slim build, we are as a family anyway. Looking back, and it may have changed, I had lots of support from the midwives in establishing BF, but there was a a very young poor mum who choose to FF and got told off by the MW for making baby take a full bottle, as baby’s tummy was too little, so instead of letting her get on with it, more guidance on how to approach FF, especially for first time mums, when baby starts fussing, don’t get het up if baby doesn’t take all of the bottle, and always make sure to cuddle when FF, just as you would a BF. I sometimes see a baby in a pram with just a bottle put to them. The cuddle/closeness everytime you feed whether FF or BF is an important factor in my book anyway.

I FF #1, BF #2 and #3. Biggest differences which may or not be due to BF:

#1 (FF) has always been very overweight, despite eating broadly the same diet as 2 and 3, who were always very thin. Also bizarrely has no allergies. Genius level intelligence (ASD). Never slept.

#2 BF for 13 months (exclusively for the first 6 months) has ALL the allergies - Oral Allergy Syndrome (allergic to tonnes of foods), eczema, asthma, hayfever, allergies to dust, latex, animals/birds. Anaphylactic to peanut and kiwi. Slept well. Average intelligence. Very slim.

#3 BF for 6 months. Food allergies, lactose intolerance. Slept well. Average intelligence. Very slim.

My only anecdotal evidence is that I have three siblings and according to my mother, I was the only one she successfully breastfed for any length of time.

We are all now in our late 50s/early 60s and I would say that over the years I have been the healthiest, though I am the only one who is overweight. I am not the clevererest of us.

Both my children were breasted for at least 18 months. Both are very healthy. The one who was breasted for 18 months is brighter than the one who was fed for 2 years.

My friend never did any BF, and have to say the baby seemed to catch every bug going, for years.

Opinions are completely irrelevant. There are enough studies and research papers which demonstrate the benefits of breastfeeding on a population level. They are facts and not there to be disputed because someone knows one breastfed child who has allergies/asthma/fussiness etc.

The other facts to consider include that babies need to gain weight to grow and attempting to breastfeed but failure to thrive is damaging to the infant. Also when a mother has an untreated mental health condition, this impacts bonding with her baby and the baby is much more likely to grow up and experience difficulties themselves. Forcing breastfeeding at the expense of mental health and bonding is not always worth it. Breastfeeding support in this country is quite frankly appalling. All the pressure to breastfeed because it’s best for baby but absolutely no support in doing so when there’s issues and endless guilt tripping.

It is a nuanced topic and what’s best for one mother isn’t best for another. The whole picture needs to be considered

Apologises my last message wasn't well worded. I thought there might be studies with percentages which is what I have been looking for.

Like 86% of breast fed babies do this while only 4% of formula fed etc. The other 10% in the study were on a combination of both breast and formula.

I know that breast is deemed better I just wanted to see statistics. Even on the WHO I can't find stats..I'm very mathematically thinking and just wanted to see data to compare.

Some.studies have said "marginal" differences but again no figures.

The studies are more looking for significant differences between the two groups. So you won't get those sort of answers I'm afraid!

If you can get hold of the first chapter of Core Curriculum for Interdisciplinary Lactation Care (i think that'sthe full title), 2nd ed - try on google books - you will find that really useful in listing out studies and findings.

@betterthanitseems try here: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=FZySEAAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

I loved breastfeeding my son and did until 15 months and am a midwife so I advocate for it and support it 100% BUT....

My son suffered with ENT problems for 1st 4 years of his life. Had so many respiratory problems throughout his life that included hospital admissions for nebulisers and pneumonia. Had toddler diarrhoea till aged 5. Eczema. All things more likely to not have. My stepson was predominantly formula fed and has had none of that. Think he has had 2 Dr's appointments for illness and he is 13. My husband and I have excellent immune systems so not to do with that.

I would absolutely breastfeed if I had another child as I found it easy, cheaper and more convenient and I did love the bonding aspect. But for me the health benefits never happened.

I don’t think there is any difference once they are older. The only difference is when you’re actually doing it, there are pros/cons of both so it depends what will work for you. For me the pros of breastfeeding were worth it (no bottles to clean, no formula costs, no issues with which formula works for baby, easy to settle baby straight away as not making bottle). Downside was not being to leave her with anyone, but it was Covid so couldn’t really do that anyway.

You'd think breast milk would be better for your baby just by the fact that it's your milk your body has created especially for your baby. Mine were all bf and are all healthy intelligent alert active kids. Very few illnesses and good immune systems.

You won't find what you are looking for as humans are individuals with their own genes. So once you take out sanitary factors e.g. clean regular water supply and wealth factors even comparing siblings wouldn't give the information you are looking for as while siblings have similar genes they aren't exactly the same.

I suppose if you did an identical twin study where one was bottle fed and the other breast fed from birth you would get the information you want. However this is highly unlikely to be done for a variety of reasons and the ethics of doing such as study would be highly questionable.

BTW my DD was mixed fed like I apparently was. She rarely gets ill there as I had a lot of minor illnesses especially rashes as a child. Her childminder actually commented on how rarely she is ill. I don't know how her father was fed but he rarely gets ill either.