To suggest that ff babies are generally more content than breastfed babies?

[mrsb26]

...because they are fuller for longer?

Following on from an article I read recently regarding a study that suggested that of its recipients, the ff babies were generally deemed to be more calm, easy to settle to sleep etc than breastfed babies.

I know this is bound to be a taboo subject, but I must say, as a breastfeeding mother myself to a 4 month old dd, I have considered whether she'd be more satisfied on formula. She's not the easiest of babies and, to me, seems fussier and more demanding than her formula fed peers.

For example, she is really hard to settle to sleep for naps. She will sometimes feed to sleep, but not always (I know this is a debate on itself). I have never been to the shops or out for a walk for half an hour without her fussing (even if it's just for a little bit). She will sit on my knee or go to someone else for five minutes tops before fussing and starting to cry.

I'm not doubting the benefits of the quality of breastmilk, obviously. I guess I just feel like I'm filling up a tank that's emptying as quick as it's filling^^ and that she's never fully satisfied. I know breastmilk is digested quicker, but still.

She has no issues re: reflux, tongue tie or anything either.

Of course there are behavioural differences amongst all babies, but as a general rule, what is your opinion? Interested to hear from anyone who has perhaps breastfed one baby and formula fed another.

Piper I see your point, and I agree. I just think the long term benefits people claim are down to breastfeeding are questionable

Alis yeah I see what you mean. I do think it's hard, I wanted to wait until 17 weeks but he was stealing food and screaming for it. How much of his eagerness was down to reflux I don't know, if other babies do that I can understand why some wean early

Just want to add a positive of BF that hardly ever gets mentioned is that Aunt Flo didn't pay me one visit until I stopped BF my second child at age 11 months. I went nearly 3 years and had 2 pregnancies without a period.

When she came back she made herself known and my god awful menstrual migraines returned too. So yeah DC3 when you arrive early next year go for it kid, you can live on my boob 24/7 for however long you like you're gonna be the last child I have, I might as well enjoy my last blast of being PMT free before the menopause hits.

I don't give a flying fuck what anyone feeds their babies, feed em beer for all I care.

But as far as facts and research are concerned, breast is absolutely indisputably better.

You can't ignore it just to suit your own choices.

Or you can, but you'll look like an arse.

Hully for passing on antibodies yes.

The other benefits are dusputed.

Is having an extended break from menstruation disputed?

I found this poster to be interesting:

www.bcbabyfriendly.ca/whatsinbreastmilkposter.pdf

Perhaps the information in the poster is all irrelevant and inaccurate, I'm not an expert, but if I had a free choice between breastfeeding and formula, it would be breastfeeding every time. The problem is that many many women don't get a free choice as other factors come into play.

Captain not everyone gets a break from periods when breastfeeding. It depends on you

Culture if I had free choice I'd bf for the first couple of weeks and then switch to formula. That way baby gets the colostrum but I don't have to put up with leaky boobs for ages

Umm leaky boobs isn't part and parcel of bf.. I bf my 10 month old son and have never needed to use Breast pads even in the early days.

Also your periods are most likely to return if your baby sleeps through/does not feed during the night as night feedings are what causes prolactin levels to stay high which in turn causes absence of your periods. Which was a massive pro for me!

Yip, no periods for me and the weight dropped off me both times, though that might have happened anyway.

I did read recently that exclusively feeding on demand is a fairly accurate contraception - not that i would put it to the test.

You have to breastfeed for six months to get the full range of immunity benefit.

Have a look at long chain fatty acids which can't be replicated.

Have a look at IQ studies.

Have a look at metabolic regulation.

Just for starters.

Freezing when I bf they were like running taps. Obviously it's not like that for everyone.

Hully the IQ studies have been disproven and the metabolic regulation isn't clear iirc

Breastfeeding is great but it is overhyped.

What exactly is the point of coming onto a thread and rather smugly listing all the wonderful things about breastfeeding? Don't most of us already know?

Is it just to rub salt in the wound?

Why don't people channel their energy into doing something positive to support other women who want to breastfeed and might be struggling?

Funnily enough both times I stopped not one midwife or health visitor asked why or what might have helped me continue. Just the disapproving.

You have to breastfeed for six months to get the full range of immunity benefit

This is quite simply NOT true.

Do you think that breasts go "yay six months to the day, time to start pumping the antibodies out"

Crap like this being spotted really damages people's journeys with BFing.

pyjama I have no idea. I'll go into a postpartum weight loss thread and comment about how I was in my regular clothes 6 days after having DS next. Oh wait I won't cause I'm not a smug bastard who likes to make people feel inferior

This thread is not a support thread! The OP was asking a question about the differences between formula and breastmilk. It seems that no one is allowed to say anything at all positive about breastfeeding because it's taken as an insult/attack/judgement on those who chose or have to formula feed.

Breast milk as a substance is better for babies than formula milk as its what they are designed to have. That's not to say BF is a better choice in all cases (with stories of babies being admitted to hospital on this thread as a good example). But there's no getting away from the fact that the substance is better suited to humans than formula which is the milk of a whole other species

Yes, I don't think anyone really contests that breast milk is best. However, it's only marginally better and the long term effects haven't been proven. We're talking frozen veggies vs. fresh veggies here. Both are good for you and the fresh produce is always best, but frozen is still healthy as well.

Here's the study about BF vs FF long term. It's basically a non-answer.

The difference between the two is small enough to make it a lifestyle choice either way.

No the op asked if formula fed babies were more content.

Since then the thread has moved on, it usually goes one way. A poster comes on and states that breastfeeding is far superior, and that formula feeding mums pretty much don't give a shit about their babies health and just want to farm them out to anyone who'll give them a bottle.

Then some ff come on and defend themselves, give their reasons why they didn't breastfeed. Often share stories of poorly babies.

A bunch more people come on and say how fabulous breastfeeding is just to stick the knife in.

There actually was a thread the other day where a poster said that she felt really guilty as she had t bf and her dc were poorly. She asked people to make her feel better.

Some people still came to stick the knife in.

So no one is allowed to talk about the benefits of breastfeeding at all?

Poorly babies are also not confined to those who have formula fed. My DS was in SCBU when he was born and had formula because I was also ill. We then mix fed for a while as he was crap at latching, and then stopped using formula after a few weeks. I think formula is great, it's a fantastic invention that saves babies lives. That doesn't stop me from also saying that breastmilk has benefits over formula.

Hold On pyjama this thread didn't go like that. It was full of snippy bitter remarks about BF from the start. fF were not coming on to defend themselves, they (especially Tali) were gagging for a row from first post