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.

You could do both for the first 4 weeks?

I was determined to breast feed from early in pregnancy but it's not as easy for straightforward as I presumed. My milk came late apparently due to low blood pressure or something from losing too much blood given birth. Had to sit for 45 min with breasts pumps so they could see how much milk I produced and it wasn't even 1oz so my baby had to have top ups of powdered milk.
I tried for 4 weeks but it was hard as was told to sit up throughout the night as milk is produced more at night so wqs pumping for hours then hours during the day. In the end i have up because I spent the first 4 weeks house bound as it was impossible to feed my baby this sort of way and I was over tired, stressed and felt like I had failed so was very emotional...always felt that I made a huge mistake looking back and I'd have just bottle fed from the start. They did however say that 4 weeks of breast milk wqs enough to help my baby gain benefits like from allergies etc. If your breast milk comes through easy....I'd just do both.

But vitamin d is recommended for all children beyond the point where they are breastfeeding. It’s considered deficient throughout society rather than just in breastfed babies. There’s an easy way to get it into formula fed babies - in the formula. It’s like saying “I thought a varied diet with lots of fruit and veg was best but clearly it’s not if I have to give my child vit d supplements too”

If 'breast is best' is true it seemed strange to me you'd be getting recommended to give vitamin D drops. Best in my eyes would be that it gives everything without the need to supplement

The things that aren't in formula, like antibodies, are things you can't supplement though.

Fashion for this or that vitamin comes and goes.

Breast is extremely well researched to be best, and even the formula manufacturers admit that is the case.

If you take a multivitamin when you breastfeed than you don’t need to give your child vitamin D drops. I work in health and there is zero scientific evidence that formula is “better”. It might be better for mom’s mental health or to allow her to go back to work etc but in terms of nutrition there is zero questioning this. Breast milk can also change depending if baby is sick and depending on baby’s age.
formula is also expensive, you will end spending lots on £££ bottles, teats and formula. Honestly do what you want but don’t pretend there is a doubt what’s actually better for a newborn.

Vitamin D has been recommended for a while, predating covid. Please stop saying to people just not to supplement because you didn't, of course if someone chooses not to that's up to them but to advise it just because you didn't as didn't know it was beneficial is a crap reason.

It’s like saying “I thought a varied diet with lots of fruit and veg was best but clearly it’s not if I have to give my child vit d supplements too”

Exactly. Vitamin d is the only supplement recommended by the nhs for everyone. Children 0-4 all year round, everyone else just in autumn and winter.

Breast is best on a population level, so as a society we would be healthier if all babies were breastfed. Breast milk is better due to antibodies and the fact it can change due to the babies needs. Also there is no need to sterilise and make it up, so no chance of getting that wrong. It’s also much harder to over feed a breastfed baby.

We are also now discovering and acknowledging the dangers of ultra processed food. Formula is an ultra processed food, it was mentioned by Dr van Tulleken in the documentary he did on the dangers of ultra processed food.

Coco-pops are fortified with vitamins while rolled oats aren't. Doesn't make coco-pops the healthier breakfast. (Though in both cases the child will be fed and fine)

Breast IS best. The data is pretty hard to argue with.

Formula is also fine. Lots of people cannot breastfeed and baby is fine.

Why not try breast feeding if you can, do mixed feeding? You don't need to decide right now.

Then baby gets the benefit of breast and you get the benefit of formula. (There are also benefits to you of breastfeeding but won't go into it).

Adults also need to supplement their vitamin D. By your logic this means that meal replacement shakes are better than a balanced diet of tasty unprocessed food.

And in many ways they are. They are convenient, free up your time allowing you to do more of the stuff you love, don't require a kitchen, are much more accessible than home-cooked food for some people with disabilities, give you the nutrients you need without having to think about it, can be much safer for some people with allergies and food intolerances.. They can help people who have very specific nutritional requirements, who need to lose weight, or gain weight, or can't process normal food. They can be produced with less strain on the planet than a standard diet.

For some people, nutritional powder shakes are absolutely the best food choice. But very few people would claim that they are a better than eating wholefoods.

When you have a lump in your breast and go for a biopsy or whatever one of the first questions they ask is did you breastfeed? as it greatly reduces the risk of cancer. So for that alone it is worth persevering with breastfeeding. And of course something natural is better for a baby than something created in a laboratory. That’s why it’s called ‘formula’. So the answer to your question is it is better but mums are entitled to make
up their own minds whether they want to or not.

Just because we have to supplement it with vitamin D does not mean breastmilk isn't blooming brilliant🤨 as PP have said, we generally lack it here in the UK (I definitely do as I work inside, not even windows!). Formula has every bit of it added artificially, so I don't really get your point🥴
When mum has a cold, breastmilk will create more antibodies to help baby not get it. Just one of the many advantages.
Breast was best for my baby and me. If it isn't for you, no need to try and look for disadvantages to justify not breastfeeding. Just formula feed it that's what you want.

Breastfeeding has benefits but is demanding for the mother, especially at the beginning when getting it established. Later it can make life much easier. Some people find it a lot to do, and it sounds as if you don’t really want to do it.
I personally believe breast is best if it works for mother and baby. But you are sceptical, and maybe you might be someone who finds breastfeeding too much responsibility and too much hassle and too intrusive and too uncertain. So don’t do it then, because you are not motivated to do it.

Breastfeeding has other upsides too - convenience, weight loss and it's free

What's different about babies now that supplementing breast milk is 'necessary' in comparison with babies before supplements were available?
What detriment have babies experienced who were not given vitamin D supplements?
When you say 'necessary' do you actually mean 'may be beneficial'? They aren't the same thing. Necessary implies clear detriment if it isn't done. What is the detriment?

Actually there was a rise in rickets, which is why they started to recommend vitamin D supplements, nothing to do with Covid. Think it started years before.

Of course it’s better-
doesnt mean you’re negligent if you don’t for whatever reason- but don’t knock bf- do it or don’t but own your choices

Breast is best and always will be no doubt about it. Formula will never be as good as breastmilk because how can it be, but I would do some more research and maybe give breastfeeding at least a try.

Weight loss is a total myth!

Nutritionally it is better but I don’t think that equates it to being what’s “best”
Sometimes formula feeding can lead to a more content baby, a more content mum and more content family which is obviously best 4 baby. I breastfeed but my sister formula feeds and I think it’s definitely the right decision for her family. Everyones situation is different

But the vitamin D supplement is because of the environmental conditions we live in (lack of sunshine) not because of dietary failures of breast milk. Breast is best from an immunological and long term health point of view.
I'm not knocking anyone's choice to feed their child how they choose but from a scientific point of view, breast milk is superior.

When you have a lump in your breast and go for a biopsy or whatever one of the first questions they ask is did you breastfeed?

Isn't it also because breastfeeding can leave you with random lumps in your breasts ?

Babies are high risk of vit d deficiency. Lots of information out there on vit d deficiency for everyone. Don’t know if that makes it “necessary” but it’s definitely above “nice to have” on the scale.

Yes this. There have been cases of ricketts in recent years in babies who have not had a vitamin D supplement. My HV was very keen to push that point when I was BF.
as it turns out my baby has CMPA and severe reflux so switching to formula literally saved my mental health and stopped me from starving my baby so I didn’t supplement for long