To wonder how much breastfeeding matters 14 years on?

[ringle]

Genuine question. I bf both my kids with relatively few problems, mostly because I found it enjoyable.

But looking back it doesn't seem that big a deal.

What's prompted this is a couple of people testifying on another thread that their ongoing efforts to bf drove them to depression.

What are the stats?

So, if the benefits are too few to make a real impact, especially in our world where we have unlimited access to clean water, why do the health organisations continue to push bf at all? What's behind that? And clearly the messaging doesn't work as we have very low bf rates. Why bother?

I had to stop BF at 3 weeks for both of mine because I had a chronic immune problem and developed acute infections. I was bitterly disappointed but very ill and had no choice.

My DF was a Biochemist and supported my decision to BF AND to FF. His most helpful comment was that although milk from mum is best, always at the right temperature and comes in lovely containers, in the western world we also have a reliable, safe water supply plus educated mums and it's ultimately about making sure babies and mums are ok.

The bottom line for me is that I have healthy grown up daughters and I'm still around to see how they've turned out!

I warmed to the Atlantic article as it went on. Historical context is very useful!

The WHO pushes it for the benefit of countries without a safe water supply. As in the past it was UK/US educated doctors who gave formula to mums in developing countries without considering water quality.

Obviously those who didn't choose to breastfeed are going to deny any benefits into adulthood but the evidence is firmly on the side of the breastfeeders. That said plenty of formula fed babies do just fine, considering.

"So, if the benefits are too few to make a real impact, especially in our world where we have unlimited access to clean water, why do the health organisations continue to push bf at all? What's behind that? And clearly the messaging doesn't work as we have very low bf rates. Why bother?"

Great question!

Crumbs -which evidence?

I agree with WashingMatilda

There's mounting evidence that breastfeeding sets a child up for healthy gut microbiomes which reduces risk for loads of illnesses including dementia, MS, diabetes, cancer. There are other ways to develop a healthy microbiome but bf means it's happening from birth. If you want to know more read brain maker by Dr David perlmutter.

Some women can't bf. That doesn't mean we shouldn't do lots to encourage those who can.

Honestly I bonded much better with my EBF child. I was able to give him more attention and was just generally a better mum. He is consequently incredibly happy, kind, sociable and intelligent. My FF child is always sick, tired, and is very quiet, which I do sometimes think is my fault. That said, if I hadn't gotten PND from the intolerable guilt at failing BF then I probably would have bonded with the eldest just fine.

Ultimately I agree with PP. It does matter for various reasons, the stats aren't just made up. But does it matter enough to put yourself through hell and risk the bond with your baby? No, of course not.

My ds (7) was FF. He's never ill and is very very clever. Hasn't affected him in any noticeable way.
Never gave not breastfeeding a second thought. Way too many other important things in life to worry about

Is the evidence about impact of poor mental health more robust? (I'm guessing yes ...)

Anti hop,

I'm not saying you are wrong, but I am asking which of the multiple claims you support on the basis of what evidence.

Two babies both breastfed. The first weaned himself at 12 months. He’s in his 40’s now and healthy as a horse. The youngest was breastfed until he was 22 months and his late 20’s and also as healthy as a horse.

They were both healthy as babies and young children except for ear infections. I never even owned a baby bottle and wouldn’t even know how to bottle feed a baby human. Seems like a lot of work though. I miss those days of milky smiles....

I’m in my 60’s and was breastfed for 9 months, I was healthy (as a horse) until I hit mid-50’s then...well the old gray mare ain’t what she used to be.

As others have said, I think the greatest benefits are while breastfeeding is actually taking place. The baby gets a lot of health benefits/increased immunity during that time and the risk of SIDS is also lowered. The milk is tailored to the baby and its developmental age is a way that formula milk cannot replicate.

As the children get older, I think so many other factors come into play that it's almost impossible to be able to determine whether any good health/higher cognitive abilities, etc are related to breastfeeding or not.

The much bigger factor that I believe has the greatest influence on health (both mental and physical) and future success in general is trauma (linked to parental mental health, DV, etc) within the first few years, and the resulting attachment issues and cognitive delays and deficits that can come from that. Sadly, this seems to be a much more controversial issue than BF vs FF and doesn't get the attention and resources to address it that it should.

I think the western approach to medical care may play a part; I remember the whiplash-inducing switch from "YOU MUST BREASTFEED OR YOU'RE A SHIT MOTHER" to "YOU MUST GIVE FORMULA OR YOUR BABY WILL STARVE" in my own case. That complete switch in position really threw me at the time. I think in other countries (poss ones where BF is safer due to water issues) they push it for longer and also don't demand so much immediate 'improvement' in baby weight etc.

6 years on and I still feel shit for not managing it.

I just took a quick peek at the uk data which measures bf for longer than 12 months. that's a long time honestly.
all the developed countries start out well it just seems some wane sooner than others.
MN just gives me the impression that bf for two years just isn't possible with the need to return to work.

Well, if I was Theresa May, I'd be tempted to bother less with bf and more with trauma/mh on the basis of this thread.

Really interesting. Thanks everyone. GoodNight from me.

I was FF and now in my 40's. I've never been in hospital apart from to give birth. Never been on any medication. Never had asthma, eczema or allergies. Straight A throughout school.

Life is full of judgement. It saddens me that new mothers, along with all the other stresses and learning curves that motherhood brings, also have to worry about being judged for their choice of how to feed their newborns.

Contessa, and others who have suffered, the Atlantic article may be good reading...

www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2009/04/the-case-against-breast-feeding/307311/

I breastfed my kids for years. all grown up now. one allergies from birth, one teen onset. One with ibs like his mother.
As for breastfeeding making kids brains more intelligent, that depends on what you consider intelligent.
All reasonably healthy, all incredibly tall but thats just genes, not breast milk!
Breastfeeding saved me lots of money, (did earn enough to cover childcare for return to full time work) I didnt buy much in way of bottles, no formula, dummies, etc etc.

I've just read the other thread you mention and I can feel those feelings of inadequacy and judgement come flooding back. Made me fairly furious to be honest.

I did 6 weeks with one of mine and 4 with the other. I hated it, I really truly did. I found it really hard, I found it really painful, I used to dread feeding time, I felt horribly self conscious doing it front of people. I think it's so emotive and difficult when it doesn't work out because there is huge pressure to breastfeed and I felt I was failing at the first thing I was supposed to do.

I read all the stuff, I went to see a breastfeeding councillor but I gave up. I remember reading the ingredients on the side of the aptamil carton and crying at the thought of what I was about to put into my brand new baby. I read all of the research about the benefits of breastfeeding obsessively.

Ten years on I have a bit more of a perspective. I support breastfeeding and would encourage anyone to do it but I think the pressure we put on women at the most vulnerable time and the refusal by some health care professionals to acknowledge real difficulties do new mothers a huge disservice and probably reduce breastfeeding rates. The attitude filters down as well, you see it with on some of the more strident and arrogant opinions on the other thread. I had a fellow mum at NCT come up and ask me why I wasn't breastfeeding in a very confrontational way. I can see now that I was teetering on the brink of really not coping with mine at first and we were all happier once I switched to formula. It was the right thing for us but I still find it hard to admit.

I’m a secondary school teacher. I teach hundred+ students in a week. I have no idea who was breastfed, who co-slept, who was a natural delivery or who was vaccinated. It’s not worth anyone losing sleep over!

We need to move away from emphasising the benefits of breastfeeding (or worse, the risks of formula feeding) on an individual level. You will not be able to walk into a nursery class and tell the breastfed kids from the formula fed kids; even with access to their medical records and test scores.

We are putting too much pressure on individual women to correct what is a societal problem. We don't live in a BF society; HCPs currently pile on the pressure and then, in many areas, vanish when the practical help is required. There is stigma about boobs, stigma about nudity and stigma about feeding children. It's not fair to put pressure on women at what can be a very vulnerable time, to breastfeed "because our rates are so low".

If a woman wants to breastfeed, she should receive practical support. If a woman doesn't want to breastfeed, that choice should be accepted.

There are a long list of people and groups we need to pile the pressure onto before we start looking at the role of new mums.

We are putting too much pressure on individual women to correct what is a societal problem.

That's an excellent point that I hadn't considered before ovaries.