Is breast really best?

[sneakypanda90]

Hello all,

About to become a first time mum. For many reasons I've pretty much decided I'll be formula feeding however baby isn't here till the end of September and I still have a pretty open mind to how she's fed changing.

However, in doing some more research just now I've discovered that breastfed babies need vitamin D drops??
Soooo, if 'breast is best' and give the baby everything they need, surely you wouldn't need to supplement?
Do you see my point? I find the information on breast feeding wildly exaggerated and how a little contradictory which just adds to my thoughts of 'whatever' when someone's going on at me about breastfeeding.

I never gave my breastfed babies supplements.

It's up to you what you decide but I think that if you research you'll be hard pressed to find anything to support the contention that FF is better overall.

I’d find it weird to think a bottle of formula would be “better” than a bottle of breast milk for a baby? Surely formula is a copy made in a lab and unlikely to be a suited to your child? Nobody really cares how you feed your baby so I’d just do what you thinks best.

Formula contains it so bottle fed babies are being supplemented too. We don't get enough sunlight in the UK.

Breast is best nutritionally but it's only a very slight difference with today's formulas. If BF isn't for you or is affecting your mental health or just not working then formula is best.

It's a massive debate and a personal one, this thread will light up. Personally I wasn't too bothered either way but tried BF and found it easy. It's free, on tap and I didn't need to get out of bed in the cold winter months to make up bottles. But if you don't want to that's fine too. Just do you, don't worry about what anyone else thinks.

It's not about breast milk being 'better' than formula.
It's that it is optimal.Therefore, anything else is sub optimal.

I would always respect a parents choice un how they feed their child, and "fed is best". That being said, breast really is the perfect food for a baby, providing all of the nutrition required. The mother's body constantly scans the environment and changes the milk according to benefit and protect the baby. The formula manufacturers cannot completely recreate the chemical makeup of breastmilk. Breastfed babies don't need vitamin d drops.

In the past, babies used to have more exposure to sunlight therefore breastmilk didn't need to have high levels of vitamin D. Now as our lifestyles have changed e.g. foods mum eats/babies not recommended to have direct sun exposure, mother's may not have enough levels of vit D to pass on to their babies through their breastmilk so a supplement is advised.

Breast milk is tailored exactly to your babies needs and changes all the time depending on your baby's saliva/health/gut etc. Therefore it IS best in terms of what is best for your babies health, but may not be best for the mother's circumstances.

This is a good article on the ingredients of breast milk v formula.

You know formula has vitamin d in in it too?

Depends on the baby, depends on the mum.

I pulled my teeth out practically to try and breastfeed because "breast is best" it was hell 31/2 months later turns out baby was allergic to my milk.

If mums well being is going to suffer and that will affect her parenting, or baby is getting ill or malnourished on breast for whatever reason then formula is obviously better. "Fed is best"

But if it works out that's great too as breast is naturally perfectly designed for baby.

I just hate this passing judgment and throwing around the selfish card when you have no idea what you are expecting to put the baby through for your assumptions.

My major panic was that article saying breast fed babies had higher IQ, my baby was premature so already at a developmental disadvantage 😅 I felt she was screwed at every angle. The pressure in motherhood from people around you is ridiculous 😂

Yes, breast is best.

formula has vitamin D in it too. It’s not like formula fed babies aren’t getting it.

Breast milk is undeniably best for baby BUT its not always best for mum and she's important too. Vitamin D drops are recommended if you're breastfeeding because so many people in this country are deficient in it so it doesn't pass along in breast milk if you yourself don't have the recommended amount. Formula will give baby everything they need to grow and is nothing to feel bad about or whatever, but that doesn't change the fact that breast milk has additional benefits too. I would recommend if you can harvesting colostrum before giving birth though (midwives can help with this) as those first few foods really benefit.

Everybody in the northern hemisphere should be taking vitamin D supplements.

It's up to you. At the end of the day, formula is an UPF at a time everyone is up in arms about UPFs and personally I find it a pain in the arse to deal with and expensive, but it's good that we have it available. I wouldn't choose to use it but I would and have used it if I had to. But we have to make many decisions as parents based on our own ability to handle things as well as what's best for the baby, and everyone's tolerance levels will be different.

As PP said, breast feeding is optimal. It's benefits go beyond nutrition and include various long term health benefits for mother and baby. However formula feeding is absolutely fine too so do what works for you. I BF my daughter and I hadn't appreciated the realities of what this meant - she would only settle on the boob, wouldn't take a bottle and was pretty much glued to me for months, we had issues with latch and she was a very refluxy baby so quite a stressful experience all round. Others have a very different experience though and the health benefits are a real positive, so it's really down to personal choice, as both methods have pros and cons.

All other things being equal, breastfeeding is the best option.

However, if you have a preference for formula feeding or if there are other factors that make formula the more suitable option, then your baby will be absolutely fine.

The differences are actually tiny and only really observable at a population level.

Breast is best, formula is an adequate substitute that will ensure baby thrives.

Yes you may have to give vit d, but breastmilk changes to suit baby on a daily basis. It has more water if it’s hot or baby is thirsty, it contains more fat if they’re going through a growth spurt. If baby is ill breastmilk with contain the antibodies to help them get better.

I really would consider giving colustrum for the first few days. It is an absolute powerhouse packed with so so many good things that formula will never be able to replicate and all babies should have it really.

Something artificial is never going to be better than natural that your body specifically makes to keep your baby alive .
But is breast feeding harder for the mum than FF, absolutely.

Bespoke v Generic

It seems obvious to me that something specifically created for YOUR baby is better for YOUR baby than something created for any / every baby

Well, formula fed babies also need vitamin D - it's just included in the formula! It's to do with people living more indoors lifestyles these days in a darker/rainy country like the UK. When lifestyles were different in the past, breastfed babies wouldn't have needed supplements. It just depends on how much vitamin D the mum has in her body.

Breast is the best thing but I personally don't think it matters

What's best for your baby is being fed by a happy, relaxed mother.

One of mine never had a drop of breast milk and is now a happy, thriving teenager who never had any health issues.

The other one breastfed for a week or two but it was the most draining, stressful, painful few weeks of my life. When we stopped I felt instant relief. That was best for me and best for my baby.

Are you on a wind up?

Do whatever you want. No one cares. Formula feeding is fine. No need to justify it by looking for reasons why breast feeding might actually be worse.

Either is fine it’s what works best for you. Don’t pressure yourself and don’t feel judged by others. I formula fed from birth (never even produced any colostrum). My baby is 8 months old and has thrived from the beginning. Good luck to you and congratulations x

Of course it's better.

A lot of women cite their "mental health" as an excuse for not doing it, but most just either get on with it or switch to formula and just accept it without all the hand-wringing.

Its best in the same way:
A straightforward natural birth is "best"
Being a stay at home mum is "best".

I knew i would be unlikely to have a straightforward birth, so opted for a elcs which gave a great outcome for myself and baby.
I opted to go back to work when my dd was 13m and my DD is with an excellent childminder who she loves and vice versa, shes happy and thriving.
I BF (or attempted to) up until 4 months. by the end i was pumping 5 hours a day. My milk wasnt an issue but my dd would not latch properly despite thousands (literally) being spent. She wasnt gaining weight as well as she should and i was losing my mind via sleep deprivation and exhaustion. Switching to formula saved my sanity, she sleeps better, rarely gets sicks. Wish i switched sooner tbh.