101 reasons to breastfeed your child

[mears]

cameacrossthisthismorning

Thanks for this Mears. DH is not the most supportive about BFing - hopefully this will help when new baby arrives next month.

Definately agree with the bonding issue

Thanks for this, Mears. I work in Health Promotion, and it's nice to see the all the reasons for breastfeeding together like that.

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what a great link mears, it encourages me no end to keep going as do you and oyur contributions.

Was going to post on the other thread going on at the moment -but decided since it was linked to this one to post here.

1. I'm not bothered what the American's say

2. I bonded fantastically well with both my boys, actually more so with my 2nd who was the bottlefed one of the two

3. I STILL hold DS2 (now 15 months) for his bottlefeeds, he gets lots of cuddles and probably more than his brother did at the same age! And DS1 howled constantly for the 1st 4 month of his life - even thought he spent 75% of that time attached to my breast

4, 5 and 6 - not going to argue with those

7. WHAT?? You are joking - what about all those genuises who were born in the REAL bottlefeeding era?

8 and 9 - no arguemtns

10 - true to an extent - but my BF DS was the more sickly baby

11, 12, 13 - again no argument

14 - no effect on weight - took much longer to shift the weight at DS1 despite bf exclusively

15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 (wow some of these are awfully similar! 21 and 22 for example!)

23 and 24 - didn't help in my family - BF ones developed asthma just the same as the bottlefed ones

25. neither of my children have had ear infections

26 - no argument

27 - hmm please tell that to my DS1 - he was notorious for getting the runs - I still have nightmares about 'some' of his 'episodes' - touchwood DS2 hasn't had any (yet)

28, 29 - know of children who've had all of these things and been exclusively BF - no saying it's not true - but certainly not 'certain' (and again similar to earlier reasons)

30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36 - either don't know or no argument

37 - lol tell that to my Dad - exclusively bf and seriously overweight - bf me - overweight, bottlefed brother skinny

38 , 39,40, 41 - no argument (although again 'very' similar to earlier arguments for bf)

42 - I wish!!!

43, 44 - no argument

45 - as it explains only in the 'right' circumstances

46 - not really - found both pretty easy going

47 - true

48 - so is using disposable nappies, paying for children care if you're a working mum or buying premade baby food

49 - not really relevant to UK

50, 51 - no arguments

52 - REALLY? had the stroppiest toddler around!

53 - never did for me - I've fallen asleep with bottle and babe in hand though

54 - Try telling DS2 that

55 - no argument - but repetitioin

56 - yes I suppose that's true in 3rd world countries

57 - ok - if they say so - not in our case

58 - not relevant in the UK

59 - so do ready meals, disposable nappies etcetc

60 - don't actually notice a difference - still got to have a bag with changing things in

61 - ?????? with an increasing adult population there's going to be more cows anyhow!!!

62 - and...........

63 - "develop only as much brain power as a cow needs" !!!!

64 - don't think anyone is denying that - and besides who gives their baby COWS milk at birth?????

65 - no argument

66 - DS1 would dramtically decreased his feeds when he had his recurrent chest infections

67 - LMAO - they ARE joking????

68 - again they've got to be kidding!

69 - so that's a good reason then???

70 - don't take up much space and don't take long to clean (quicker than the breast pump IME)

71 - what if people 'like' gadgets???

72, 73 - no argument

74 - never let it stress me out with DS2 - just picked the first one off the shelf and he liked it - if he didn't like it I would have tried another one

75 - erm - so why are we told to boil the water before making up the bottles then

76 - again back to the cows issue - growing population needs more cows!

77, 78, 79 - I was BF got cr*p teeth..........

80 - "mouth breathing, lip biting, gum disease, and a generally unattractive appearance" !!!! Never noticed a difference - DS1 was a very late talker too

81 - no argument, but not 'fool proof' (and thought we'd already had a similar one)

82 - so does DS2 - bottlefed

83 - DS1 was awful for spitting up - I guess mainly because he was such a pig

84 - Got lots of handmedowns from my cousins's TWO bottlefed babies - all in wondeful condition and no stains

85, 86 - Not relevenat in the UK or 'different'

87 - rather 'hazy' evidence

88 - no argument

89 - someone should have told DS1 (the bF one that!)

90 - DS1 was HOPELESS at social skills until he was about 2 1/2yrs

91 - no argument

92 - doesn't seem to have affected DS2 being bottlefed

93 - I had anemia while BF DS1

94 - periods started 8 months before I stopped bF

95 - hmmm - I'm perfectly happy with both my chubby boys

96 , 97 - no arguments

98 - As stated earlier - I don't worry about these things

99 - oh yes of course DS1's BF nappies all up his back and 'spread' everywhere we much nicer (NOT!) than his younger brothers more 'confined' ones!! I HATED changing DS1's nappy it was alwasy so awful

100 - both boys smell the same when they come out of the bath,.........

101 - no-one's denying that

Yaaaaaaawn.

gobble - you said you weren't going to post

Gwenick

I'm going to read themself now - but first I have to wash this colour off my hair

Arrghghghgghgh, I KNOW!!!!

Gwenick, I was rather impressed by your effort to reply to each and every point though! Blimey!

101st You can judge all the MOMS who don't

I thought it was very interesting. Thanks Mears.

Thanks for taking the time to post it Mears, interesting to read all the reasons together like that

great link, thanks for that I shall look at it properly after dinner

Oh Mears, thank you; I remember asking on MN when dd2 was about four months old for 'reasons to keep going' and things like this really help.

Gobble - took me ages - and I was disturbed in the middle by my mum calling

It was interesting how some of the reason IMO were simply 'rewording' of other reasons

I thought it was very interesting. Thanks Mears.

Thanks Mears - great link.

Can't argue with some of that list but lots of it just had me PMSL! Don't agree with bonding issue, obesity issues, IQ issue, mother losing weight, getting more sleep.....

And what's this one 'easier to clean up spit stains' - ROFL!!!!!

I think it refers to the fact that regurgitated breast milk doesn't stain like formula does, GDG. I certainly found with ds, who was mixed-fed, that my washing powder didn't shift the Hipp stains without soaking and Vanishing first. Possetted breast milk washed out completely first time.

Thanks Mears.

I fed ds for just over a year, which I was really proud of as ds was a rluctant feeder initially - and then we just relasied he was doing in his own thing, which included following his own growth chart.

He does have a propensity for ear infections - but my thinking is, "What would he have been like if he hadn't been b/f?!".

GdiG: when you say 'don't agree with' do you mean, 'this doesn't match with my own personal experience and that of some people I know'.....because you can't 'disagree' with research. You can of course do your own research, or find some other research that contradicts the original findings, but I don't think that's what you meant.

I am not sure what's so funny about spit stains - formula does stain more and smells more when it dries having been spit up. For some mothers that might be a daily inconvenience.

Not as important as increasing the risk of breast cancer, though...

I've never found any issues with cleaning up formula - no different to breastmilk.

And 'research' can show what ever it wants to show - while a lot of those 'resarched' things ARE fact - I'm sure some of the things can be 'disputed' with other bits of research.

I think the fact the MANY of us (just here on MN - not including people with know in RL) have found the opposite to be true for many of the 'reasons' mentioned shows that research isn't always 100% correct