Why is this no longer about IQ points? I thought the whole argument from the other thread was that there was a study proving that breastfeeding raised a baby's IQ by up to 6 points.
For me, what is needed here is balance. Yes, breastmilk is the best option, but is it by no means the major factor in a child's intelligence, how good their health is, or how well they do at school.
For example - my boys were exclusively formula fed after the initial few weeks (12 weeks mixed feeding with ds3 was my longest), but when I weaned them, I took care to give them the best diet I could - I did lots of cooking and pureeing of different veg and proteins, and went on to do as much cooking from scratch as possible. I've encouraged them to exercise and take up sports; sent them to bed at a reasonable hour; taught them about hygiene etc, and generally done all I can to make sure they stay healthy.
Dh and I have always surrounded the boys with books, read to them, encouraged them to read, provided them with paper and pencils so they can write and draw whenever they want, supported them at school, helped with homework etc - all things that will help improve their academic performance.
I don't have any figures or studies to back this up, but it is my belief that the things that I have managed to do for them probably far outweigh the 'damage' I did to them by not breastfeeding as long as I wanted to.
I must also say that I wish that the fervour that is being put into arguing the case for breastfeeding was being put into ensuring that the support is available for women like me who want to breastfeed but are struggling for some reason. Given my choice, I would far rather have been given the correct information and support I needed, and breastfed the dses than failing as I did.
And the healthcare professionals need the proper information and training so that they can support breastfeeding from the word 'go'. Ds1 developed neonatal jaundice and had to have phototherapy. Initially I was feeding him 4-hourly because I was told to stick to this routine to ensure he got as much time as possible under the lights. When his serum bilirubin rose instead of falling, a second set of lights was put behind his incubator, and I was told that he needed more calories and more fluids in order to recover, so I had to feed him every three hours and top him up with formula - and I am sure that it was the topping up with formula that spelled the end of breastfeeding for us.
At the time, I simply did what I was told - my pfb had jaundice, and it wasn't improving, and that was bloody scary for me, so there is no way I would have argued with the HCPs and refused to top him up with formula - but I do wonder, in hindsight, whether this was actually neccessary - and I may never know.
Once home, I did try to relactate, by breastfeeding ds as much as he would, and then using a breastpump hired from the NCT and topping him up with the ebm and then formula if he was still hungry - which he always was. On the first day of pumping, I produced a grand total of 4.5oz of breastmilk - and on day 7, after pumping at least 4 times a day for half an hour minimum each time, I produced a grand total of 4.5oz. At this point, I gave up - it seemed clear to me that the pumping wasn't doing any good, and ds was clearly hungry and unhappy unless given formula - so that's what I did.