Breastfeed or else

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Specializes in Adolescent Psych, PICU.

...But it does beg the question: since so many harmful substances such as pesticides,meds and other drugs pass through into breast milk, might we need to certify on a regular basis that each Mom 's milk is safe?

Something to think about!

Good point.

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We're talking about breastfeeding. If a mother cannot breastfeed, because of latch issues or what not, the next best thing is to pump. If she is unable to pump due to various reasons, the next best thing is to get milk from a milk bank and feed that to her baby in a bottle. If she cannot nurse, cannot pump, cannot get milk from a milk bank, then the next best thing is to give cow's milk based formula.

No one said anything about kool-aid or chocolate milk. I'd rate those much lower down the scale of infant nutrition. ;)

So you are saying that in lieu of breast milk ( and the above posted ways to get it) that the next best thing to feed an infant is a cow's milk based formula? Why?

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So you are saying that in lieu of breast milk ( and the above posted ways to get it) that the next best thing to feed an infant is a cow's milk based formula? Why?

I don't get this one.......formula is based on cow's milk, unless it's soy.

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Specializes in NICU/Neonatal transport.
So you are saying that in lieu of breast milk ( and the above posted ways to get it) that the next best thing to feed an infant is a cow's milk based formula? Why?

Because the research has born that out.

As for other environmental "hazards" in breastmilk, the way they are finding their way into the mom is via air and water typically, things that the child is going to be exposed to if FF. If the mom is on crack, that's one thing. If you're worried about other environmental concerns, the research has shown that FF have the same amounts, if not more of these contaminents (in the case in which some people overboil water to make formula, thereby concentrating the pollutants.)

Again, it's an attempt to bring down nursing so formula feeding doesn't seem so bad.

I'm all for making everywhere BF friendly and increasing awareness. But part of that is any time nursing is brought up, non-nursers get defensive and say nursers are trying to make them feel bad. And, the formula companies have a lot more money to throw into making formula the norm.

As for the child free people, I do have to say, it takes a village to raise a child. You don't want to have children, that's your choice and I respect you for recognizing your desires, but no one in society is benefitted from poorly educated, poorly socialized, poorly treated children. Those children grow up and become your doctors, nurses and aids when you're in a nursing home. It is in your own best interest to make sure that kids grow up as best as possible, whether you like them, care about them or are related to them.

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Specializes in NICU/Neonatal transport.

I'm assuming she's referring to soy and/or homemade concoctions made with goats milk. I have seen some compelling research on goat's milk, but cow's milk is the standard and the standardization is part of the safety. Homemade concoctions have irregularities, not in a good way. And soy, well, our brains run on lactose. Human milk is primarily comprised of lactose and true lactose intolerance in an infant is exceptionally rare. Temporary lactose intolerance after GI difficulty is more common, but resolves and then lactose based feedings can resume. Also, the levels of phytoestrogens being given to our infants is also being increasily scrutinized, because of the unknown effect. There's also some breaking research about I believe manganese deficiency in soy.

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Specializes in ICU, ER, Hemodialysis.

o.k., so i read the article and it seems to state...breast feeding CAN, MAY, SEEMS to decrease various diseases.....even Dr. Kramer stated "It can't do all of the things that are being claimed for it," Dr. Kramer said, injecting a note of caution into the debate. "But it probably does some of them."

...PROBABLY does SOME of them!!!

first of all, i do believe that breast milk is BEST (and if i recall correctly, formula ads have been stating this, YES, they have), but formula is NOT unhealthy...it just doesn't provide ALL the protective (Iga,etc.) agents that breast milk has.

SO, LilPeanut....you admit feeding your kids inferior food, but you have a problem with parents using formula? i think you know that there are better foods for your children, but you made a choice to give your kids something inferior. there is nothing wrong with that. i DO believe that most women know that breast milk is BEST, but formula IS a acceptable alternative. IT IS NOT POISON! formula IS healthy and safe, but it is compared to smoking while pregnant or bullriding?

come on. some people will bring up studies on the ill effects of Vaccines! i bet most people that insist on breast milk also get the vacs for their children and they probably dismiss those that speak of the ill effects of the vaccine! right? studies are NOT the be all end all!!! (and yes there ARE studies on vacs) i believe that vacs are a great thing, but my point is just because you have these "studies" does not mean that breast milk IS the best. again, i BELIEVE that it is, but even the studies state "may, perhaps, could,...etc".

as a man, i very much enjoyed bottle feeding my children! my wife chose to not breast feed (and she is from germany by the way where the breast are not so sexualized!) and I respect that and SO SHOULD HER NURSES/DOCTORS! A nurse is not there to judge, but rather to inform ....i learned that in first semester of nursing school!!!!! so go ahead and tell your pt.'s that studies SEEM to point to the fact that breast milk is better, but if the pt DECIDES to bottle feed, DON'T treat them as if they are HARMING their kids...because they are NOT! formula IS still NUTRITIOUS!

this is NOT an attack on anyone. i just wanted to give my input, the way i see it.

sincerely,

jay

(i love this board and contributing to it!)

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Ok, I just wanted to see what the response to that would be to that statement.

I have a true cow's milk allergy and I am allergic to soy. No one has mentioned the mere possibility that infants may in fact have allergies, and what the mother eats certainly affects the infant being breast fed.

This was over 40 years ago and it was the norm back then for women to breast feed.

I didn't breast feed my children and I don't feel the least bit ashamed or do I feel that I am less of a mother for it. I don't care what anyone thinks of it because whether or not I breast fed doesn't define me as a GOOD MOTHER.

My kids are not less intelligent, nor do they have illnesses due to not being BF.

I feel that the stance some of the posters take here on this debate is an all or nothing attitude, my way or the highway so to speak. That type of attidtude detracts from the purpose of the whole debate-to breast feed or not. It certainly doesn't add to it.

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Specializes in Pain Management.
It's one thing to comment. It's another to comment like one knows all about it.

If that was the conclusion that you came to about my comments, then that is your mistake in perception and feel no guilt over it. I mentioned the possible errors in my line of thinking to see if anyone had some solutions that I was unable to see. But instead of providing input, some decide to get defensive and react emotionally with irrational points that do little to further the discussion [three cheers for emotivism].

Ironically, this post is probably not going to futher the discussion either [three cheers for egoism].

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o.k., so i read the article and it seems to state...breast feeding CAN, MAY, SEEMS to decrease various diseases.....even Dr. Kramer stated "It can't do all of the things that are being claimed for it," Dr. Kramer said, injecting a note of caution into the debate. "But it probably does some of them."

...PROBABLY does SOME of them!!!

first of all, i do believe that breast milk is BEST (and if i recall correctly, formula ads have been stating this, YES, they have), but formula is NOT unhealthy...it just doesn't provide ALL the protective (Iga,etc.) agents that breast milk has.

SO, LilPeanut....you admit feeding your kids inferior food, but you have a problem with parents using formula? i think you know that there are better foods for your children, but you made a choice to give your kids something inferior. there is nothing wrong with that. i DO believe that most women know that breast milk is BEST, but formula IS a acceptable alternative. IT IS NOT POISON! formula IS healthy and safe, but it is compared to smoking while pregnant or bullriding?

come on. some people will bring up studies on the ill effects of Vaccines! i bet most people that insist on breast milk also get the vacs for their children and they probably dismiss those that speak of the ill effects of the vaccine! right? studies are NOT the be all end all!!! (and yes there ARE studies on vacs) i believe that vacs are a great thing, but my point is just because you have these "studies" does not mean that breast milk IS the best. again, i BELIEVE that it is, but even the studies state "may, perhaps, could,...etc".

as a man, i very much enjoyed bottle feeding my children! my wife chose to not breast feed (and she is from germany by the way where the breast are not so sexualized!) and I respect that and SO SHOULD HER NURSES/DOCTORS! A nurse is not there to judge, but rather to inform ....i learned that in first semester of nursing school!!!!! so go ahead and tell your pt.'s that studies SEEM to point to the fact that breast milk is better, but if the pt DECIDES to bottle feed, DON'T treat them as if they are HARMING their kids...because they are NOT! formula IS still NUTRITIOUS!

this is NOT an attack on anyone. i just wanted to give my input, the way i see it.

sincerely,

jay

(i love this board and contributing to it!)

:yeahthat:

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Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.

I had to stop reading somewhere around page 18 and walk away for a while ... I couldn't take it anymore.

Those of you who so strongly expound not only that breastfeeding is good, but formula feeding is inferior, I would like to ask you what you advise real moms RIGHT NOW in the REAL WORLD, not in the future, not in some idealized vision of how things should be ...

How is the average working mom *today* who does not work for the relatively few work places which are particularly sensitive to the needs of breastfeeding moms supposed to handle this, realistically? No place to pump while at work for 8 or more hours during the day.

All this idealism in this thread ... all this expressed guilt. Do you really carry this around with you every day? I'm just having a hard time with adult, professional women who have been parents for more than 10 minutes still clinging to the notion that everything done for their children must be *ideal* or have the requisite amount of guilt or rationalization attached to it. Do we not live in the real, imperfect world, where choices are made every minute of every day, and more times than not, the choice is not between the ideal right choice and the clearly inferior wrong choice, but between multiple options *each* of which have pros and cons.

I do not mean to offend anyone - I'm just astounded. I feel like I live on a different planet.

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Specializes in ICU, ER, Hemodialysis.

MLOS,

i agree with you. it must be terribly difficult as a woman to be expected to be super mom AND super worker. add to that, people making women feel BAD about using formula. LOVE is not just giving your baby breast milk, it is also what you do the rest of his/her life... caring for, supporting, disciplining, being a role model, etc..etc..etc. mothers are truly wonderful! and yes i was a very active father (diapers, bottles, etc.).

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I know that you do live in the real world MLOS. That is why I hate the guilt. I try to give information and support. The decision is yours. Breast milk is fabulous nutrition. When it is feasible. It is the best option. YOU (the MOM) need to make the decison re. what is feasible. It is not my call as the nurse or anyone else's but moms. This is why I feel that we need to see why women don't breastfeed and why thay start but stop after only a little while. We need more research on this subject. I suspect, and this is only my opinion, that some moms would still choose to bottlefeed, even if we eliminated all obstacles to breastfeeding. We are here to give information, never to coerce or intimidate. Maybe this is not my hotbutton issue. I suppose as an OB nurse I am not pro-breastfeeding enough for some. I do try to be very pro-patient (for both mom and baby). I have more trouble w/ the emerging issue of elective C/S, than I do w/ bottlefeeding. This still comes down to patient choice. I don't understand why patients choose many of the things they do, but bottom line is always that it is their choice and I am there to give the patient the best possible care, not pass judgement.

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