To think BF support group are a little over the top??

[ethelfleda]

We have a local BF support group who have been very helpful in answering a few questions I have had now and then regarding breast feeding. However, just recently they started talking about the 'virgin gut' and how just one bottle of formula can completely throw a babies gut bacteria out of sync and that it takes up to 4 weeks of ebf to get it back to normal again. DS had a few formula top ups during the first few days of his life as we were struggling to establish bf and he was a low birth weight and jaundice. He has been ebf now for 9 weeks. I mentioned this to the group and was told that formula given in the first few days can cause irreparable changes to a baby's gut and it may never be the same as a baby who has never had formula!
Now I don't know if this is scientifically true or not but it's a bit bloody late to do anything about it now! IABU to think that there was no need for this to be pointed out? And what about women who choose to combi feed - surely any amount of BM is good and it's not very supportive of a woman's choice to do so? Does anyone know if this is actually true??

Actually I'd go the opposite direction. There's a theory that formula top-ups v early in life (esp in combination with antibiotics) then followed by exclusive bf is a risk factor for developing cows milk allergy. I have no idea if it's true or not, it may be bollocks, but that was in fact what happened with one of my kids. In retrospect I wish I'd carried on giving the odd formula top-up in combination with breastfeeding!

@Calvinlookingforhobbs you can tell your friend that 5 a day was a marketing ploy by an American fruit/veg producer and is not based on any research or evidence.

That analogy doesn't really work Calvin. Not in the case of the op certainly. Her baby was losing weight and had jaundice. It would be more akin to you being unable to eat any fruit and veg for some reason and your friend insisting you continue to try and eat it even as you lose dangerous amounts of weight.

Fair point, auntLydia. This topic is always fuelled with emotion which often result in the facts being viewed as personal insults or digs.

"This topic is always fuelled with emotion which often result in the facts being viewed as personal insults or digs."

Actually, the problem with BF conversations is that so many theories are presented as fact. They aren't. Most of them aren't even based on robust studies and fall apart in peer review. The only thing boarding on fact is that you shouldn't dilute formula or mix it with dirty water if you want healthy babies. After that, it's a case of which study gets the most media attention and what sounds good on a pamphlet.

Thanks for the comments. Luckily I've managed to develop a thicker skin since having DS so didn't take the comments too much to heart but was still a little shocking to hear! Nice to know the virgin gut is just a theory.

As I understand it, the theory is based on the observation that formula fed babies have a different microbiome to exclusively breastfed babies, which is thought to be related to prebiotic substances in breast milk promoting the growth of different bacteria. There is speculation that this is linked to obesity later in life, but this is far from proven.

It’s worth bearing in mind that gut microbial composition changes as the gut matures anyway, and the health impact of the various microboimes really isn’t well understood. Neither is the impact of other things taken orally or early antibiotic use. It’s also worth noting that modern formulas now include many of these probiotics so many studies comparing the two are now out of date. The impact of occasional formula use on the gut microbiome is even less well understood as mixed feeding tends not to be included in these studies.

Regardless, even if the gut was irreparably damaged (very unlikely), breast milk contains many bioactive substances that are of benefit to babies, such as antibodies and immune cells, and so every feed is beneficial from this point of view regardless of formula use.