Breastfeed or else

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Specializes in NICU/Neonatal transport.

And to all the anecdotal comments about children who were nursed and were sick etc.

If the sickly children you refer to had been given formula, they would have been even more sick. Breastfeeding possibly kept them out of hospitals and prevented who knows what.

In a way, it's like russian roulette. Many children will be fine and never have a problem, no matter what they are fed. But some, their lives would be drastically changed because of feeding method. And there's absolutely no way to know that until something bad happens. Breastfeeding might not have prevented it, but then again, it just might have.

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Specializes in NICU/Neonatal transport.

beautifulb: Actually, it wasn't your choice - if you are unable to breastfeed, it no longer is a choice. So why should you feel guilty about that?

And, I will admit, once you have nursed a child successfully, it is somewhat like finding religion. It is something you want every mother to have the joy of experiencing, and you know there are so many untruths, myths and misconceptions out there, so you want to help women who don't have the help or luck you may have had.

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Specializes in L & D; Postpartum.

If the sickly children you refer to had been given formula, they would have been even more sick. Breastfeeding possibly kept them out of hospitals and prevented who knows what.

And you can prove this how?

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Specializes in NICU/Neonatal transport.

Breastmilk has additional antibodies and supports the immune system, not to mention it's easier to digest. Many children who will eat nothing else, will nurse.

But, it is a proven fact that breastmilk contains WBCs, IgA and many other things that help infants fight infection and illness.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Geriatrics, Call Center RN.
No one but you ever held a bottle? You always fed your child, never anyone else?

Yes I have always fed/given the baby the bottle on my first and third child. With my second it was not always me when she was in the NICU, although there were very few I missed. I can bet you that her nurses were not propping or trying to teach her to hold her own bottle.

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Specializes in NICU.
Actually, everyone is disputing that breast is best, by constantly saying how formula is not that different, that it's not that big of a deal to not nurse your kids.

methods of infant feeding, in order of quality:

1. Nursing your own infant at the breast.

2. expressing your milk and giving it to your infant in a bottle

3. the milk of another human mother

4. artificial infant milks

Even just look at many of the moms here who have posted. Many have said they just didn't want to - I'm not saying they're horrible mothers at all, but it isn't a case of people of trying their all, then going to formula as it is intended to be, a failsafe backup. This is the sole source of nutrition for an infant for many months, some of which are the most important in their lives, developmentally speaking. There is no guilt involved if you are giving your child the best that you possibly can, even if that is the 4th choice. If 1, 2 and 3 aren't available, you are a wonderful mother because you are giving your child the first available thing and not letting them starve!

I don't think anyone here has said that formula is just as good as breastmilk. I think we've just been defending it because we don't believe it's as crappy as that article makes it out to be.

And you did not prove to me that formula is 4th rate. Options 1, 2, and 3 are ALL breastmilk. Different forms, yes, but how can you use that argument and say that forumla is 4th rate. It is SECOND rate next to breastmilk. I still think it's incredibly offensive to some when you insist that it's 4th rate. We're not feeding them chocolate milk or Kool-Aid! We're feeding them the approved alternative to breastmilk.

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Specializes in NICU/Neonatal transport.

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. ;)

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Actually, everyone is disputing that breast is best, by constantly saying how formula is not that different, that it's not that big of a deal to not nurse your kids.

methods of infant feeding, in order of quality:

1. Nursing your own infant at the breast.

2. expressing your milk and giving it to your infant in a bottle

3. the milk of another human mother

4. artificial infant milks

Even just look at many of the moms here who have posted. Many have said they just didn't want to - I'm not saying they're horrible mothers at all, but it isn't a case of people of trying their all, then going to formula as it is intended to be, a failsafe backup. This is the sole source of nutrition for an infant for many months, some of which are the most important in their lives, developmentally speaking. There is no guilt involved if you are giving your child the best that you possibly can, even if that is the 4th choice. If 1, 2 and 3 aren't available, you are a wonderful mother because you are giving your child the first available thing and not letting them starve!

I have read this whole thread and I seriously don't think you'll find one single post where anyone has said formula is "just as good". I could be mistaken.

And option #3 doesn't sound like a remotely feasible option to me. Yes, I know there are milk banks where one can obtain milk from another human mother. For me, however, allowing another persons bodily fluids to flow into my child when it isn't medically necessary like a blood transfusion, is completely unfathomable. Nope, not gonna happen.

I also take exception to your other post about once you've experienced the joys of successfully breastfeeding you want everyone to experience it too. For some people, it's incredibly painful and frustrating and not a joyful experience at all. With the child of mine that was bottlefed I suffered through mastitis three times - fevers over 102, bed-bound for 10 days each time, not to mention excruciating pain for me and horrible frustration for my child. I would put my precious child to my breast and sob the entire time because it hurt so badly. I'm glad it was a joyful experience for you, and I'm truly delighted that so many mothers find it to be such a beautiful, bonding time, but it's not always flowers and rainbows, and when it's not - wanting me to have experienced that joy is really kind of bizaare.

I did successfully breastfeed one of my children and I just don't have this image of it being this wonderful, intimate, bonding thing anymore than giving my other child a bottle was. Both children experienced the closeness of mother at feeding times, both were held and snuggled, both were satisfied and both are beautiful children who have good relationships with both parents.

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No one but you ever held a bottle? You always fed your child, never anyone else?

I will stick to the fact that it is rare. 98% of the time I've ever seen a child given a bottle once it was older than 6 months, they've held it themselves, no matter what was in the bottle. Three people on allnurses that have always held bottles does not a majority make. Again, don't do yourself a disservice by claiming these things never happen and that you aren't an exception. I'm not doubting that you are an exception, but I am doubting that you are the rule.

I'm sorry, I misunderstood you. I thought you were saying it was rare for babies to hold their bottles. And my daughter literally never held her bottle. She was weaned to a cup at a little over a year and she held that from the beginning, but she never held her own bottle. Not even at daycare. That was her cuddle time.

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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. ;)

Uh.....I looked into the milk bank option. If the baby is not in MEDICAL NEED of breast milk, insurance will not pay for it. Milk banks sell the milk at $3 PER OUNCE. That does not include the bank fee and S&H. This was not an option even for us, and we are not poor.

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Yes, many people did live to tell about it, but we also have skyrocketing rates of obesity, type II diabetes, and many other things that are associated with artificial feeding.

I think the women who are trying to denigrate and discount the benefits of breastfeeding are doing themselves no favor.

If you didn't want to nurse your child, then say it, own it. Know that it was better, but you had your reasons for not doing it, so you didn't. I know giving organic food always is better for my kids, but I don't. There. I've said it. You're not going to make me feel guilty about it, because I know why I don't and I'm ok with it, you do what you have to do.

But the problem is most women who fail at breastfeeding do so from lack of support, or lack of good support (because not all support is good). And the moment they have a problem, people swoop in and say "here, formula is just as good, you tried, now give up because you can't do it."

Think of it like learning to walk. When a baby falls down time and time again, even when they cry and are frustrated, we don't swoop in and put them in a wheelchair because we've made so many advances in wheelchairs and don't you know, all buildings are required to have ADA entrances, and you'll be able to park wherever you want because of it. I know plenty of people who were in wheelchairs and lived full and happy lives!

Of course, some children for whatever reason, may truly be physically incapable of walking and need a wheelchair. But, like the numbers of women who truly cannot breastfeed, they are not very common. But everyone knows how to walk. Everyone knows how to help the baby learn. It's just expected and natural, as nursing should be.

And btw, formula is associated with higher death rates, especially in preemies, where the rates of NEC are much higher with babies who have been fed artificial milk.

The more educated you are, the more money you have, the more likely you are to breastfeed. But it's the lower socioeconomic kids who need it the most and just buying more formula for them, instead of trying to influence the nursing rates is almost prejudicial.

See my previous post about socioeconomics and infection, Diabetes and Obesity... I will say it again... you can not blame all of these things on failure to breast feed!

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
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.

I think that it should be up to the mother (the individual mother) and the pediatrician and not any other people to dictate what would be best for her baby or what she should try next. Wow.

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