I expect this article will make some people very angry

[GinaFjord]

the case against breastfeeding

It's a real shame if people think this article shows there is not much difference between the health effects of bf and ff. This is quite wrong. The article focuses a lot on the 'greyer' areas like obesity and IQ, where the research will never be clear-cut, and almost ignores the solid, uncontroversial, established evidence for formula's negative effect on infection risk (not to mention the health impact on mothers - more formula feeding = more breast cancer, for a start).

I agree there may be a price to pay, by mothers, when they bf. But this is because society is not geared up to supporting them with good info, employment flexibilty, acceptance of bf anywhere, skilled help to resolve problems. This 'price' is not inherent to breastfeeding.

It's certain that mothers will get criticism and pressure, whatever feeding they do. There are people who look down on others whatever they do.

But the overwhelming evidence is that the pressure to formula feed is stronger - this may not solely be pressure in the sense of criticism, but pressure in the sense of it becoming difficult to bf. This is why 9 out of 10 mothers who stop bf before 6 weeks wish they could have continued.

Breastfeeding is not just an individual matter. It is an important public health issue, and there is a lot of good evidence that we - taxpayers - would save money if there was more breastfeeding. This is not just an individual woman's responsibility; it's a social responsibilty to make it possible, and easy, for as many women and babies to breastfeed for as long as they wish.

It may be comforting to think there is not much difference between ff and bf - but it's not scientific, and this article plays silly games with the science.

"IMO the health benefits probably not worth it if the whole thing is making you stressed and miserable"

But it's a bit difficult to say isn't it, because it's almost impossible to quantify how infant feeding impacts on the health of the individual child. It's also impossible to quantify how a mum being 'stressed and miserable' about breastfeeding impacts on a child - lots of women do struggle with difficult breastfeeding who want to continue. There's no evidence that the babies of these women suffer any ill effects from their mums being unhappy about breastfeeding.

"But for mums who desperately want to BF but for some reason cannot, it is nice to know that FF is such a close second that it barely makes a difference."

Sorry - but there is definitely not a consensus in the medical community that how a baby is fed 'barely makes a difference' to current or future health. A baby who is not breastfed has a palate which is visibly different from the palates of a breastfed child (higher and narrower, hence increase in dental crowding), puts on (on average) a full extra pound in the first year of life, is much more likely to be admitted to hospital in the first year, and has higher blood pressure in adolescence (and right through into adulthood). That's just for starters - there is a mass of research showing higher rates of a huge range of illnesses amongst children who were bottlefed as babies. This writer's take on the scientific literature is extremely selective and partial - it's in no way authoratitive or thorough.

I don't think that there are many people who would seriously argue with the statistics on infection rates etc, but there is no such thing as a perfect mum. We all do are best with what we have got, in a variety of circumstances, trading off one thing against another and by and large babies get well nourished by caring parents. I always felt proud to breastfeed my babies in public and I would like to see much more of this to 'normalise' it. I do think people should be told that breast is best, and encouraged to start it. They should also have access to support to continue. Ultimately, though, we should accept that for all kinds of reasons it doesn't work for some people and that doesn't mean that they are not caring and diligent mums.

There are other good reasons to bf apart from health reasons.

Money for one thing. Breastmilk is free, as are breasts as opposed to bottles and formula milk. My breasts don't need to be sterilised before use.

I can lie down and bf, and that was a huge incentive to me being rather lazy. And being able to eat chocolate without putting on too much weight. And the bfing hormones are lovely and relaxing.

'Being able to eat chocolate without putting on too much weight. And the bfing hormones are lovely and relaxing. '

I wish those things had been true of my b/f experience

That's true chequersmate, not everyone has the same experience bfing.

"Ultimately, though, we should accept that for all kinds of reasons it doesn't work for some people and that doesn't mean that they are not caring and diligent mums."

Comments like this imply that there's not widespread acceptance that mums who bottlefeed are caring, loving mothers, when actually the vast, vast majority of people are entirely accepting of bottlefeeding.

TBH I'm getting a bit sick of the constant mention of bottlefeeding mums being demonised and criticised . Someone needs to flag this issue up because it poisons and distorts the argument. No reasonable, knowledgable breastfeeding advocate who has a good understanding of all the barriers to normal, happy breastfeeding women in this country face wants to stigmatise women who choose not to do it.

That said - while there might be 'all sorts of reasons' why women don't breastfeed, as a society we should acknowledge and deal with the fact that the vast majority of breastfeeding mums are stopping breastfeeding long before they'd intended to, and that the lowest rates of breastfeeding are amongst the most disadvantaged groups.

standanddeliver, I hear ya

I too get tired of pious reminders that formula feeding mothers deserve support and we should all remember breastfeeding is not always possible for everyone, and ff mothers should not be criticised yadda yadda yadda - this is a straw man argument, that is, you set up a fallacious account of someone else's position and then argue against it. The straw man here is that breastfeeding supporters don't accept that breastfeeding is sometimes not possible, that breastfeeding supporters think that ff mothers are not caring, and that breastfeeding supporters need reminding not to stigmatise formula feeders.

It's all straw.

Anyone who knows anything at all about the breastfeeding experience of women today and who wants to support it, knows already that social, physical, psychological, cultural and medical issues can interfere with women's decisions about infant feeding. They resist any suggestion that ff mothers should be pressured or guilt-tripped, too.

So we don't need reminders, ta very much...these reminders not only piss me off, they also suggest to other readers that breastfeeding support equals judgemental formula bashing, and it really doesn't.

It also encourages the mad notion that breastfeeding and formula feeding are almost the same, and that it's all a big fuss over nothing very much.

"Anyone who knows anything at all about the breastfeeding experience of women today and who wants to support it, knows already that social, physical, psychological, cultural and medical issues can interfere with women's decisions about infant feeding."

That's part of the trouble though isn't it? That a lot of people who know bugger all about breastfeeding feel qualified to look down on women who don't do it.

Don't assume that it's the die-hard lactivists that put ffers under pressure. Often as not it isn't, it's people who know just enough to 'know' that if they see a mother with a bottle in her hand then she isn't doing the best thing for her baby.

E.g. my childless friend who knows not the first thing about infant feeding other than that it is 'wrong' for mothers to not do it (her words).

With the news, that breastmilk has stem cell parts in it....I would say yes very worth it!

Is lactivists actually a word?

If not, it should be

ilovemydog- slight hijack,
how's your friend's little boy?
IRRC you were asking about him last week or so.

Thanks for asking -- it's my DS that was so incredibly ill. We spent a week at Children's Hospital, and at least leukaemia and a few other scary things have been ruled out. He's been on a dairy free diet which seems to be helping, and we see the Paediatrician every week....

Beta Dad makes an interesting point: what is the mechanism that makes moms feel guilty? I think what matters is what friends and family are doing/reacting/expecting. I don't care about media opinion or what slebs are doing. For instance, my cousin b/f all 3 of hers for a year, so that was my goal as it seemed sensible

Gina, your friend has picked up enough info about infant feeding to know not breastfeeding a baby has some unspecified effect - but it isn't a good effect. She expresses this, simplistically, as it being 'wrong' not to breastfeed.

That actually seems rather less poisonous than the people who tell their friends that breastfeeding is disgusting, that it will make their breasts sag, make them feel like a cow and that it's selfish, exhibitionist and why on earth do they want to do something so weird?

It's all a matter of interpretation I guess tiktok.

Personally, I find branding formula feeding mothers as heartless and selfish no less bad than any of the things you mention above.

Perhaps you are (naturally) just more sensitive to the criticism b/feeders come under?

Well, I was called 'selfish' for breastfeeding (by a doctor) so it goes both ways. Apparently the reason it was selfish is that I was only breastfeeding for my purposes and not DS needs.

Of course it goes both ways. No one said it didn't.

Oh, apart from Starlight Mackenzie who claimed ffers are imagining it.

That's a personal attack, and think you should withdraw the comment about Starlight.

The bit in the article that irritates and frustrates me is the 'silly games with science' tiktok points out. Formula is not a close second to bf. And it does make a difference. But the benefit/risk argument is, IMO, not the main issue with bf in the UK- it's those 9 out of 10 women who would have liked to continue but didn't!

It's not an attack, not in any way, shape or form.

It's a repetition of something Starlight Mackenzie said. Actually, though, I haven't translated it correctly, what she said was:

"Nearly everyone ffs (if not exclusively), so how can a few 'hippies' make women feel like pariahs?

I don't think this is true at all, sorry. If you feel like a pariah it is something internal."

Actually, slighlty mistranslated, so I'll apologise on that front. But know way is it an attack to refer to something someone has contributed to a thread.

"think you should withdraw the comment about Starlight"

Seriously, how was it a comment about Starlight? It was a comment about what she said.

Thank you neenztwinz, for one of the most sensible posts ever written on this subject on MN. As A would-be BFer who couldn't, this sums up how I feel.

Of course babies do well on formula. BF babies do slightly better WRT immunity etc and BFing mums do slightly better WRT future health.

But for mums who desperately want to BF but for some reason cannot, it is nice to know that FF is such a close second that it barely makes a difference.

Eyeballs, you can 'feel' that 'Of course babies do well on formula. BF babies do slightly better WRT immunity etc and BFing mums do slightly better WRT future health'...but 'feeling' it does not make it more than what it is: a gross understatement.

It may be 'nice' to think that - but propagating the myth that it 'barely makes a difference' does not help future mothers who want to breastfeed and who are let down by the rubbish support and information they have to put up with. If it 'barely makes a difference' then why would anyone want to seek out support and information, and why would anyone want to bother to train to offer it, and why would midwives and other HCPs take time to update their skills in this?

The attitude 'there, there, dear, it doesn't matter, don't be upset, breastfeeding barely makes a difference, it's not worth feeling disappointed about' belittles the strong desire many women have to bf, and the sadness they feel when it doesn't work out. It's not helpful at all.