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.

But is it appropriate for babies after birth?

If you’re going to bring a life into this world shouldn’t you be able to put your wants and needs aside for a few days at least?

I BF all of mine but genuinely don't think it makes much difference, I have three kids, lots of friends with kids ages 2-20 and can't see it benefits them that much unless it's later in life.

Of course it is. Colostrum is the best and I'd advise any woman who is pregnant to try and harvest some prior to the birth, but of course its appropriate for some women. Babies aren't harmed by it, logistically it's sometimes impossible for a mother to breastfed their newborn and thankfully we have free choice and body autonomy even as mothers.

I do agree with you on this! It’s just when mothers who have no reason not to attempt bf and go straight to formula irks me.

You may flame me for that, but every baby deserves the best start. Imo.

Best is the wrong word as it implies bottle feeding is inadequate which of course it isn't.
But breast does have the correct nutrients and antibodies for the child. It's fantastic for bonding, it's cheaper, environmentally better and reduces risk of certain cancers for women. It adjusts during the feed moving from drink to main to pudding in one feed. It's also easier to digest. And statistically breast fed babies are less likely to develop allergies/intolerances.

Obviously breast is best. Can you name one artificially processed food created in a laboratory that is better than natural foods? I can't. Breastmilk is just the same.

“Plus, more intelligent/educated mothers bf so are more likely to have more intelligent offspring”
🙄🤣

Studies do show a correlation between higher rates of BF in wealthy/educated demographics.

https://equityhealthj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12939-021-01393-7#:~:text=In%20the%20UK%2089%25%20of,mothers%20initiated%20breastfeeding%20%5B7%5D.

Its still cows milk though? That most of us drink? The judgement on this website is just astronomical. The OP wants to FF THAT’S OKAY. All you bloody earth mothers on here make me die, bet you’re all fun at parties

Loads of studies say the link is tenuous. But I really don’t care that much to get into a debate about it to be honest.

This is a very well known fact and has been researched. It is more likely that lower income/lower educated mothers bottle feed.

[She debated]

There also links to say that bf babies shouldn’t be obese adults. So something isn’t quite right!

Lol fair point.

The one’s who can least afford formula…….

Hardly a fact - DH and I are a doctor and an accountant - both have degrees and post grad qualifications. High income / live SW3 and we used formula. That formula produced DC’s who got 1st degrees.

Breastfed babies perform better in their GCSEs, that was a recent Oxford study.

And formula has vitamin d already added, so there is no need to double dose.

There is a lot of evidence why Breast is better for both mum and baby that's why I'm still breast pumping almost 6months later (feeding directly from breast didn't work out despite huge effort!) so that I can combi feed - it's like saying there is a free, magical medicine that is perfect for your baby would you like this or a processed alternative that has far fewer magic ingredients?

I do find the argument of how formula is made in a factory etc an odd one when most things we’ve ate our whole lives have been made in a factory. I also think it’s over emphasised how ‘good’ breastfeeding is for mum and baby when in reality I had the best experience last time formula feeding my baby, mentally I felt great, we got into such a great routine, he slept all night every night, would always take his bottle, always happy and rarely cried. In comparison I have friends who have breastfed and their baby won’t take a bottle so even at 7/8 months old they aren’t able to let anyone else give them a break or let dad do the night feed. One friend’s baby literally just screams everywhere she goes to the point she’s had to leave multiple lunches/friend’s houses because she just will not stop. She cries so much at home and during the night too. I don’t see how the benefits of breastfeeding (which there clearly are some) could possibly be worth both you and your baby being so exhausted, unsettled, anxious and unhappy for a year or more ☹️

I’m about to have another baby and going to combi feed this time if I can but it will be formula and a bottle of expressed milk so no actual breastfeeding as I really want to keep the same routine as last time. You’ve got to do what suits you, there is no one golden way to do it when parents/babies can be so miserable breastfeeding

Hardly a fact - DH and I are a doctor and an accountant - both have degrees and post grad qualifications. High income / live SW3 and we used formula. That formula produced DC’s who got 1st degrees.

She said more likely. Not that only less educated mothers formula feed.

I thought that was a fairly well known fact as it's often cited as a problem with studies showing the benefits of breastfeeding. Higher educated women are more likely to breastfeed, and higher educated women are more likely to have higher achieving children. So the studies struggle to say definitively whether it's the breastfeeding causing the benefits, or the educational status of the mother.

@Parker231 if you are a doctor then you should know that breast is best.

As long as it's possible - it is nature's intended way of feeding the baby.
If not, we have invented alternatives to keep baby fed and thriving.

People naturally like to defend their own choices whatever the science shows.

Yes re weight loss I lost all my baby weight in four weeks via breast feeding/expressing. No exaggeration.