Emily Oster on Breastfeeding - minimal benefits.

[IamOvercome]

I am pregnant with my first and am an economist so I was recommended books by fellow economist Emily Oster. The books don’t give advice. They review the statistical studies underlying pregnancy advice and whether they are any good or not.

It’s been such an eye opener. For example it is pushed pushed and pushed some more that breast is best. But when you review the evidence there is minimal evidence for benefits of breastfeeding for babies. The strongest evidence is actually for mothers that it can marginally reduce chance of breast cancer in later life.

Same with not introducing babies to bottle to confuse them when breastfeeding. Literally no concrete evidence for it.

Yet this is all pushed as clear cut facts by midwives and other health professionals.

What about caffeine and miscarriage please?

Any relation to Ostermilk ? The baby formula manufacturer.

Anybody can find studies and statistics to prove anything. Doesn't mean it's true.

Breastfeeding is best for babies. End of.

Where is this ‘mafia of midwives and breastfeeding mothers’? Not in my experience at all. I was a breastfeeding mother, and kept quiet about it, largely because what appeared to be a very touchy bottle-feeding ‘mafia’ around me always had something to say about it. Each to their own, but really, why do we need to be so down on breastfeeding? It’s what breasts are for!

@RowanAlong

Where is this ‘mafia of midwives and breastfeeding mothers’? Not in my experience at all. I was a breastfeeding mother, and kept quiet about it, largely because what appeared to be a very touchy bottle-feeding ‘mafia’ around me always had something to say about it. Each to their own, but really, why do we need to be so down on breastfeeding? It’s what breasts are for!

Exactly. Every anti-breastfeeding thread on MN has been started by a bottle feeder.

@Ozanj you can’t ethically study breastfeeding comparative to formula feeding so we won’t ever see proper research into the issue.

@MadameDragon

She’s an economist rather than in the medical field and where she’s writing on topics I have worked on she makes lots of errors so I have to assume the other chapters are similarly affected. I like the research driven approach but it should be written by someone in the field.

This. She's ok, but not a medic, and not even a very good economist.

OP I think if you're going to try and make parenting decisions based on proven statistical outcomes you're going to have a long hard road ahead of you. Life is not stats. Babies/children are hugely complex and variable, and you have to make adjustments and modifications as you go along.

I know that's not exactly what your post was about, but I sense that you are approaching motherhood in a textbook-led manner, and I would strongly advise against that! You will set yourself up to feel a failure.

@Halllyup17

Anybody can find studies and statistics to prove anything. Doesn't mean it's true.

Breastfeeding is best for babies. End of.

Exactly. Especially when it comes to formula which is more studied than Breastmilk precisely because it can kill babies when prepared incorrectly (while breastmilk can’t).

God this is an eye opener for me! Still feeling the guilt of not BFeeding

"That quote,
*
breastfeeding is only cheaper if we don't value women's time.*

What an ugly view of motherhood, and of life generally. As if when feeding / nurturing her baby, a woman is making a bad use of her time."

Quite agree, what a sad indictment of modern society 😔

Haven’t read the full thread but does she discuss the research into SIDS? The lullaby trust advises that breastfeeding (doesn’t have to be exclusive) halves the risk of SIDS. Yes that is still very small numbers but it was enough for me to try my absolute hardest to breastfeed.

Breast is best. It boosts your baby's immune system, it's amazing for comfort and bonding, it's natural, it's free.

Why wouldn't you try it? If you can't or don't like it, stop.

And as others have said, sadly books like this sound like "defensive formula feeding mother with a chip on her shoulder, trying to justify her choices", when in fact no one needs to justify their feeding choices. Live and let live!

[quote elbea]@Ozanj you can’t ethically study breastfeeding comparative to formula feeding so we won’t ever see proper research into the issue.[/quote]
There are genetic studies being started. A former googler has already identified a specific gene associated with longevity that benefits from breastmilk in hispanic and Asian populationd - but futher studies are underwear and it’s likely the recommendation to bf will definitely be data driven in the next 5-10 years.

Underway not underwear.

[quote SnowdropViolet]@Iamovercome

I'm not suggesting that my experience of breastfeeding wasn't primarily for my own benefit. It puzzles me that there is so much focus on the benefits to the baby and so little advice of the "breastfeeding is great if you can't be arsed with the faff of sterilising bottles" variety.

I think it may be a feminist issue - women conditioned into not considering their own needs. At the end if the day, if a baby is warm, fed and loved, the actual mechanics of feeding are secondary. But for me, breast feeding was brilliant - I could do the night feeds without switching a light on, and get straight back to sleep afterwards. I didn't have to pack bottles etc for a day out. I could, and did, feed anywhere. My periods didn't come back for over a year, which was a major win![/quote]
I agree. I always thought breastfeeding was so little effort once you get it established. Not to mention living on a steep hill and getting snowed in for a couple of weeks and not worrying about running out of formula.

@beattieedny

Gonna come back once you've given birth and tell us all about statistics, yeah? Bet you end up feeding him/her until at least two and become evangelical about it. Trust me, the hormones are fucking brilliant. Best high I've had since the illegal raves of the 90s. Es don't have a look in compared to the massive dump of oxytocin you get latching a baby on.

This.

Also, as I understand it evidence doesn’t have to be statistically significant to be relevant. Just because something isn’t totally quantifiable, doesn’t mean it isn’t valuable.

@RowanAlong

Where is this ‘mafia of midwives and breastfeeding mothers’? Not in my experience at all. I was a breastfeeding mother, and kept quiet about it, largely because what appeared to be a very touchy bottle-feeding ‘mafia’ around me always had something to say about it. Each to their own, but really, why do we need to be so down on breastfeeding? It’s what breasts are for!

Particularly if you feed beyond 1 yr, even more after 2 years. I could never understand why people thought it was appropriate to pull faces and make vomiting gestures.

@Ilostit

God this is an eye opener for me! Still feeling the guilt of not BFeeding

I'm really sorry to hear that. Women should be far better supported.

Haven't RTFT and won't be reading the book, but when my baby had cancer I was extremely grateful to still be breastfeeding her. She didn't have to have an NG tube (unlike most other babies on chemo), was barely sick and, most tangibly, I was able to comfort her during months and months of distressing medical procedures. I even breastfed her in NICU when she came round from her general anaesthetic. I don't look down on anyone who can't or won't breastfeed, but I am extremely grateful that I could and did.

I'm guessing "I'm too lazy to make bottles" is a bit tricky to quantify economically

@Poppy709

Also, as I understand it evidence doesn’t have to be statistically significant to be relevant. Just because something isn’t totally quantifiable, doesn’t mean it isn’t valuable.

I find in life generally though when people say stuff like "oh the research says" or "the science says" and you ask for the research link then the information giver dissolves into mumbling. Its fine....its morethan fine to make personal choices and have personal opinions, what is not fine is to pretend that there is valid research backing up your choice unless there actually is and you can reference it.

The discovery of the benefits to the child's microbiome from breastfeeding is quite recent. Any book that covers breastfeeding should cover this topic; if Emily Oster's book didn't it's not worth the paper it's printed on.