Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5

Original poster

..To Think That The Benefits Of Breatfeeding Are A load Of Tosh?...

114 replies

CheekyVimtoGal · 04/05/2010 12:52

I breastfed my 1st DS from day one, he fed for 6 weeks completely on Breastmilk with no formula at all.
I got mastitas 3 times and gave up feeding him at 6 weeks due to the pain and his constant hourly feeds, it was draining me.

I then said i felt like a failure for it, and that if i had anymore children i would feed them for at least 6months to a year.

When i fell pregnant with DS2 i was adamant Breastfeeding was for me, so much so that i did not buy any bottles at all.

After i had DS2 he didnt have his first feed for 2 hours due to the damage to my area, it took the midwife an hour to stitch me up. He finally got a feed 2 hours after been born and wasn't latching on properly.

Until i went home i tried my hardest to get him to latch on and suckle from me. It was no good and i was already a failure, he wouldn't latch on and he had to have a replacement forumla to replace low sugars (or something similar - i forget now, as i was still out of it from the drugs)

Now that was 2 years ago and he was a sicky baby, had reflux and didn't wean until he was 10 months old.

My oldest son who was breastfed eats anything and everything but catches EVERY illness going.

My youngest son who wasn't breastfed has NEVER been ill.

Sooo, as for the benefits of Breastfeeding - what is it meant to be, because i do not find it has helped my sons immune system at all!

OP posts:

everythingiseverything · 04/05/2010 12:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mamsnet · 04/05/2010 12:57

Are you really that stuck for something to fight over to come on here????

I could tell you my own experience... how my DD couldn't feed until she was 4 hours old as she was in incubator.. and fed brilliantly for 14mths..

didn't have any ABs until she was 3 and a half etc etc

But I'm BORED of this so I'm not going to bother..

BusyMissIzzy · 04/05/2010 12:58

I think a sample size of two children isn't enough to draw proper conclusions. Obviously there are other factors than just breastfeeding when it comes to how much a child gets ill. I don't think your personal experience is enough to discount all the other evidence that breast is best.

I've also had problems with BFing, so sympathise with you on that front. I'd be prepared for a flaming for suggesting that Bfing benefits are "tosh" though. Good luck

DaisymooSteiner · 04/05/2010 12:58

YANBU, your experience with two children clearly outweighs all the evidence based on thousands of other children.

mshadowsisfab · 04/05/2010 12:59

yabu
that is like me saying well BF must be rubish as my dd who was FF is never ill..........
just luck of the draw

Firawla · 04/05/2010 12:59

Maybe it helps for some children, but im sure there is no such equation as bf children = so healthy, and ff = unhealthy, anyone who claims that would be ridiculous. I think you have just done your best to feed your dc, whether bf or ff does not really matter so I wouldn't dwell on the issue too much? If you take a group of older children you wouldn't be able to tell who is ff and bf as babies.
Obviously bf does have benefits, for those who it works for its a good thing but it doesn't mean you have to justify to anyone whether you bf or not, and don't have to feel bad about if you dont, as you said your dc is still very healthy without it. Same for mine i only bf not v long then switch to formula, both are very healthy and dont seem to be damaged by not bf the full time

EggyAllenPoe · 04/05/2010 13:00

i like cheekyvimto or used to, before all these blasted children got in the way of my drinking...

in answer to the OP, YABU. going into why is just going to be a massive yawnfest though...

AMumInScotland · 04/05/2010 13:00

I'm sorry that you've struggled so much with breastfeeding and with your feelings of failure about it. But two children does not make a statistically-valid sample - some individuals get sick more than others, breastfeeding doesn't totally miraculously prevent illness. It just improves the probability, that's all.

If you took 2000 breastfed children, you'd be able to see differences in the averages between them and 2000 bottlefed children. Sometimes a coi comes up heads twice in a row - that doesn't mean that it doesn't come up 50% heads if you throw it often enough - that's the difference between scientific evidence based on large samples, and the experiences of one individual person.

OrmRenewed · 04/05/2010 13:00

Yes YABU.

MaisietheMorningsideCat · 04/05/2010 13:00

Yes, absolutely, it's just the same as formula, and all the evidence to the contrary is just a load of mumbo jumbo. I bet you know plenty of smokers who are perfectly healthy too.

l39 · 04/05/2010 13:01

And here we go again!

YABU and deliberately inflammative.

JustAnotherManicMummy · 04/05/2010 13:01

Please may I request that you don't refer to "my area"?

The correct term is vulva, perineum, labia or vagina depending on which bit.

Fanjo will do as an acceptable euphamism for the whole lot.

Oh, and have a for your efforts.

porcamiseria · 04/05/2010 13:01

not again.....sigh. Sorry but this ole horse is ridden to death

runnybottom · 04/05/2010 13:02

You're so right, because scientific samples are always based on just 2 children!

1 out of 10 for effort and imagination. Jog on.

shimmerygoldglitter · 04/05/2010 13:02

Whatever.

What a silly thread unless just looking for a row by using this subject matter, which lets face it has been done sooooooo many times before. Dull.

l39 · 04/05/2010 13:05

Oh, by the way my mum has recurrent depression and has taken a shedload of different antidepressants, none of which did any good. All those people who take ADs are wasting their time, then? If they don't work for every single patient, they must be totally worthless? Just like breastfeeding!

Why am I bothering, you won't listen to a word anyone says!

mistletoekisses · 04/05/2010 13:05

YABU. Are you bored with all the election talk that you drag this one out for a good thrashing?

paisleyleaf · 04/05/2010 13:05

It was only 6 weeks though.
I think breastfeeding can help your immunity - not cure everything.And I expect that breastfeeding might have really helped you DS in those early weeks. There's no way of knowing what they would be like if you'd done it differently.
My DD was breastfed for just over a year and gets eczema. I don't know, maybe it would've been worse, maybe she'd have had other allergies or asthma etc.
Who knows?

Original poster

CheekyVimtoGal · 04/05/2010 13:06

Porcamiseria - Not been on long enough to see the 'other' threads that have been on this forum.

JAMM - Thanks for biscuit ;)

MTMC - No everyone who i know who smokes have some kind of problem with them related to smoking!

OP posts:

porcamiseria · 04/05/2010 13:07

really? I thought I recognosed your name (not doubting you BTW), there have been LOADS, there is dried blood all over AIBU! nice....

runnybottom · 04/05/2010 13:08

{[http://www.dummies.com/store/product/Statistics-For-Dummies.productCd-0764554239.html for the OP]]

nancydrewrocks · 04/05/2010 13:08

Sample size of two - very scientific.

Do let us know when the Lancet will be publishing...

runnybottom · 04/05/2010 13:09

try that again

GoldenSnitch · 04/05/2010 13:09

YABU

and bitter

MaisietheMorningsideCat · 04/05/2010 13:09

Well, there you go, people get ill through smoking. Medical evidence can be right - perhaps it might just be right with regards to breastfeeding too? Just a whid, crazy thought...

Flip

1 2 3 4 5

Swipe left for the next trending thread