Anecdotally have you found breastfed children get ill less than combi fed?

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We are due our second baby in a few months and trying to work out what to do about feeding.

I EBF our first for just under a year with a little bit of formula mixed in the last few months and (touch wood) our little one has been pretty lucky with illnesses even beyond stopping breastfeeding (she's now 3).

We've had some of the usual chickenpox / cold etc but she has dodged quite a few sickness bugs and HFM that have done the rounds at nursery and wiped out most of the room.

This could be a bit of luck and tbh she is pretty hygienic as far as kids go (doesn't like feeling dirty, likes to wash hands etc).

I'd like to combi feed from the beginning with our second as I felt quite trapped EBF. I'd still like to breastfeed mainly but introduce one or two bottles of formula a day from the first couple of weeks to allow some flexibility. I don't know how it will go but open to the possibility that formula takes more of a default position if it works out.

Maybe I want to have my cake and to eat it, and I know that all kids are different etc but in an ideal world we get another illness dodger.

Has anyone had multiple children, fed them differently and noticed a difference in them catching the usual bugs that constantly do the rounds? If I was to breastfeed daily, would that be enough to up the immune benefits or does it really have to be all / the majority of the feeds?

Nope! First child I stopped BF after a few weeks, latch issues and poor growth. When she started nursery and was constantly ill I gave myself such a hard time about stopping breastfeeding, convinced that she was so ill all the time because I didn’t BF her. Seriously to the point of quite serious anxiety, guilt and shame.

second child I BF him until 18 months. He’s almost two now and if anything he gets more ill than his sister did! Infact he’s lying in my bed next to me coughing and sniffling right now. It made not one damn bit of difference. I wish I could go back and give myself a hug and tell myself it wasn’t my fault!

I breastfed one and formula fed one. My breastfed child is ill far more often than my ff one but he was premature and my ff child was full term so that could affect it

My DD was formula fed as I had no milk. I was gutted. But she thrived and was an incredibly healthy baby. All the kids at nursery would be dropping like flies and she never caught a thing.

5 kids here, Mix of BF and bottle fed, No difference in health or life achievement. Last child was bottle fed only, most robust of the lot. Wish I had not persevered so much with DC1 (EBF until 7 month) I regret all of those times that I had an hour on and hour off through the night, mastitis, and just being the only one that could do it, and the social pressure (and there was plenty), and the tiredness. For what ? No real difference in anything. DIL has recently given birth and set out her stall early to bottle feed, and I applaud her. I know this is an unpopular view in these times, but I think valid. If you can BF, and it suits you, then do, but, if you don't want to, then don't. It does not make for a better mother, nor a healthier baby,

DC1 EBF for 6 months, never ill
DC2 mixed fed for 3 months, the most ill of my DC but not ill very often.
DC3 EBF for 6 months, not ill often

Anecdotally, yes. DD1 was breastfed for over two years, not many bugs, and hardly any sickness bugs. I’m sure it was a coincidence but her first ever sickness bug was 1 month after stopping breastfeeding, despite having been at nursery for 18 months at that point.
DD2 was ebf for 6 months, then combi fed, stopped breastfeeding and formula at 12 months - she gets every bloody sickness bug going.
I doubt it was the breastfeeding that made a difference - maybe it was, but who knows.

I will say that I found formula feeding much more of a faff than breastfeeding though. But that’s only personal preference. And I did pump for DD1 so was still able to leave her with DH.

Child 1 combi fed - rarely ill apart from asthma complications when she does get a cold
Child 2 majority bf until nearly 4 - never sick
Child 3 ff and sick all. The .goddamn. time!

I couldn't breastfeed either of mine and nether have had any of the childhood illnesses and are rarely off school. Most years they get the 100% attendance award.

I breastfed both my dcs until they were over 3, no formula fed dc to compare them to. But both of them are very hardy, were off sick less than 4 days in total throughout the nursery years, and almost never off sick in primary. No eczema, asthma, allergies, ear infections, or digestive issues. No chickenpox as they were vaxxed before a year old. I found bfing very easy, convenient and painless though and didn't feel trapped with it at all.

My child, now in their mid 50s, was bottle fed.

In their working life (worked every university holiday and consistently since finishing university) they have had three days of sick leave.

They are so very healthy. For no reason I nor they can explain. They just are.

My 1st child was BF until 5 months,very sickly and tonsils out aged 4
2nd child BF until 4 months old,tonsils and adenoids removed aged 3
3rd child FF ,absolutely no infections but had reflux.

Doubt there much in it.
Breast feed both but then moved to formula with both, so combi. both hardy with barely no sick days off school. But ds2 barely slept and colic almost broke me.

Breastfed eldest for 11months. He was a ball of snot for much of his first two years, and during puberty had migraines which made him throw up. He also has epilepsy.

Second son was fostered (with us) from birth. Fed on organic formula until 11 months, then goats’ milk. He had some chest and stomach issues on the formula, which mostly cleared up on goats’ milk. The residual issues, he grew out of. He does have ADHD.

On the whole, son 2 has been healthier as a child, which is surprising, given his bio mum smoked 60 a day during pregnancy. His birth weight was 5lbs 10oz, compared to DS1 at 8lb. I ate very healthily during pregnancy, and was 14 years younger when I gave birth, than DS2’s bio mum.

I honestly think the food doesn’t make much difference. Having said that, I was fed on condensed milk as a baby, and have chronic gut issues.

No! Fed my eldest for 18 months. He’s 15 now and catches EVERYTHING!

My first (3) never caught any nursery bugs except chick en pox and had bronchiolitis once. My second (17 months) has had every bug and illness under the sun. Both EBF so I can’t say it made a load of difference although I do find it helped calm them and settle them if they were really poorly and also they bounced back super quick so not sure whether the antibodies in the milk helped them fight things off quicker.
(That said we have had a constant snotty nose since November)

My combi fed child is much more resilient than my BF one!

My daughter was EBF for 6 months and then started eating food so obviously doesn’t count at EBF but she didn’t have formula. She has asthma and eczema and picks up everything. My son was combi fed from almost day 1 and is super sturdy. I’ve seen similar levels of random from any of my friends’ kids too.

Mine were both EBF, one has some kind of super immune system (almost never ill, shakes it off in half a day when the rest of the family is floored for a week) and the other gets EVERY cold going! Constant running nose etc. Honestly just do what is best for you and your family.

Dd1 was formula fed after 1 month old as she was tongue tied which wasn't picked up and after pumping for a month I gave up as I couldn't produce enough and it was so stressful. She is 6 and catches everything.

DD2 was EBF and carried on until 16 months. She gets the usual coughs and sniffles but she is rarely ever properly unwell.

Could be nothing to do with breastfeeding but it has followed that pattern for me. Fed is best though OP, do whatever is right for you and your family

I know ideally you asked for those with multiple children and both experiences but I hope you don't mind me posting too!

I EBF my son and BF him until nearly 3 years. He has only ever been poorly with colds. And then they've only ever been mild - a runny nose and cough. Never needed a GP appointment (other than for nappy rash that wouldn't budge, and check ups/vaccs!). No known allergies yet either. Never even suffered a fever.

Yes it is all anecdotal but this is my experience nonetheless.🙂 we've been lucky so far with DS.

You can take a flask upstairs so why would you need to go up and down stairs?

No. DD1 was mix fed and DD2 was breastfed to natural term. The only difference I see a decade later is better mental health in DD2.