The Case Against Breastfeeding

Just a Dose · Jan 10, 2010

In the debate of breast vrs bottle I think it's an important decision personally for each mother and child, but not worth the fighting and nastiness that I see online from either side.
I liken it to choosing to make homemade meals for your family vrs storebought preprepared food. Both ways of nourishing them will satisfy hunger, and your kids will grow. People need to make choices all the time. A loving parent will still make sure their child gets all the vitamins and fibre needed, even if every meal is take out. Mom at home with a hot meal ready every night gets bragging rights. Doing that doesn't make her superior, or her kids smarter, and better adjusted. There are a thousand factors at play, and you can't assume meals from scratch, or breast milk, is the ultimate solution.
We all know families that would've gotten a lot more bang for their buck if they'd, say, dealt with the alcoholic in the family, instead of making sure they did everything by Dr Spock's rulebook.

Canoehead, I love analogies - and I think this is one is great. You mention bragging rights... maybe this is where it all starts. Women who continue their careers also have bragging rights, and I'm sure SAHMs feel looked down upon. I most definitely agree that neither makes you superior.

Stay at home Moms and breast feeders do deserve more credit. It's a great accomplishment, it's wonderful for the baby, and it's not easy. I do applaud SAHM and those that work and pump. :yeah: Not that you need to hear it from me.

I would much rather have friends, love and laugh - than compare, judge, put people down, and feel superior to others. I hope I haven't made anyone feel like their decisions or life aren't good enough.

allnurses Guide · Jan 10, 2010

Sorry, Just a Dose-- my joke sensor doesn't work too good sometimes. .

BabyCatchr, ADN, ASN, RN · Jan 10, 2010

Breastfeeding is about making a choice for a life other than your own. Even if a bottlefed child is healthy, what are the health ramifications when he is an adult? Will he be more prone to cancer? Alzheimer's? Formula companies are constantly changing their product. Why would someone need to improve a product? To make it better because it is not good enough. Why would I want to feed my child something that is not sufficient and needs improvement? Why wouldn't I want to give my child important immunities and substances to help brain growth? If something were "not quite right," I wouldn't want to second guess whether I had given my child my best. To me, it is not about what is right for me, but what is right for my child, as deemed by nature. I feel if all mothers fully understood all the health ramifications of not breastfeeing, and that breast milk contains over 400 chemical compouds which scientists cannot duplicate and hundreds more which have not even been identified, *almost* all would at least try.

I breastfed both of mine well past 1 year (with no sagging), and although I didn't find it a thrilling experience, I continued despite the difficulties because I read books and had encouragement. And when my son had food allergies and had to go to the ER, the doctors encouraged me to tontinue to bf and to eliminate certain foods from my diet such as peanuts and cow's milk, rather than telling me to quit.

Note I did not put anybody down in this post, so please do not take any of this the wrong way. I feel we should encourage moms who want to bf, and even give some encouragement to those who think they do not. Some will continue and be successful if provided accurate info.

areawoman · Jan 10, 2010

My first impression: the author of the article sure does seem to have a chip on her shoulder!

I have two children, both of whom I breastfed for at least 18 months. In fact, I am still breastfeeding my daughter, who is 20 months, although I have started weaning her because she told me a couple of weeks ago, "Boppy please. BRA OFF!" I figured if the kid can tell me to take my bra off, she's old enough to eat big people food exclusively. At least I taught her to call it the boppy, as opposed to my son, who termed it, "the BOOB!"

To be honest, the biggest reason I breastfed my kids is because I'm LAZY. I don't like getting up in the middle of the night to mix a bottle when all I really need to do is grab the baby and drift back off to sleep as she's cuddled up next to me. I never felt sleep deprived and and the babies were always content!

The biggest problem I have with the article is the statement that it's some sort of burden to working women and that it would never work out and that the "it's cheaper" argument is bunk. I was going to school or working full time while feeding both of my kids, and it was never a problem. She obviously stopped pumping before the kids were that old, because once they get the hang of it (and you get the hang of the pump) you can be done with the feeding/pumping in five or ten minutes, hardly the colossal waste of a woman's time she makes it out to be. Also, after a while, your boobs figure out not to leak and stop hurting. I can go for 12 hours without feeding/pumping and don't leak or get sore.

Anyway, my take on breastfeeding:

Breastfeeding is better, but it's a choice not a birthright. If a woman doesn't feel like she can do it for whatever reason, or wants to stop after 3 months, it doesn't give other women the right to call her less of a woman/mother. Most kids are going to turn out fine with loving care, no matter how they're fed. I do agree with whoever mentioned micro-preemies early on in the thread, though -- I would make every effort to help a mother of a preemie get breastmilk into that baby!

meluhn · Jan 10, 2010

Yes, but there is a HUGE difference between the amount of milk that first comes in... and what will come in later. And breast expanding and shrinking 5-12 times a day for 15 months has an extreme impact, rather than just having to dry up a relatively small amount once.
Breast are not rubber bands. They maybe able to handle the expansion for a while, but breast feeding is really working those boobies - and they'll never be the same. And I swear that as the patho changes in your breast to produce ducts, and more ducts, it swallows up breast tissue, then it disappears when your done! Lol - can you tell I was devastated?
Thank God I didn't get stretch marks from pregnancy too! Probably won't be so lucky 10-12 years later.

Yes, and dont forget the pulling and squeezing and desensitization of the nipples. It definitely does a job on your boobs. I think we should give moms the info and let them decide. There is nothing worse than being harrassed by a self righteous breast feeding nazi.

areawoman · Jan 10, 2010

Yes, and dont forget the pulling and squeezing and desensitization of the nipples. It definitely does a job on your boobs. I think we should give moms the info and let them decide. There is nothing worse than being harrassed by a self righteous breast feeding nazi.

As long as we don't give them the wrong info. I've breastfed two children and my boobs are pretty much in the same shape as they were before hand. Maybe a little bigger/floppier, but I attribute that to weight gain and not the breastfeeding/pregnancy. My nipples CERTAINLY aren't less sensitized!!

CrunchyMama, ASN, RN · Jan 11, 2010

As a male nurse with a wife who wants children, I am against breastfeeding because it wrecks the merchandise that I have come to know and love over the years. My case is 100% selfish, yet I still make it to her everytime it comes up.

Wow....what an idiot.

CrunchyMama, ASN, RN · Jan 11, 2010

What a sad article. I find it so sad that humans are so ignorant when it comes to the basic need of life....feeding our young. There are numerous studies proving that breastmilk is MUCH healthier then formula. If someone would look into the ingredients between the 2, and look into what some of them do (looking into all of them would take too long) it makes sense why breastfed babies are healthier. Not only that but breastfeeding is healthier for mom too. And hello...it is Gods plan to nurse. All mammals do it, we have breasts for a reason and produce milk for a reason. Ugh....I can't stand the breastfeeding ignorance in this country. :/

tumoriscancerous · Jan 11, 2010

the body does everything on its own, breast milk is developed for a reason, not to just waste it all.

Mas Catoer · Jan 11, 2010

I might suggest that we stop debating. Some already say do not judge or tell other to BF or not to. It's individual, as long as one comes into decision with sufficient knowledge, support, and totally based on its critical situation, then she is right.

Human is unique. Remember this Henderson's quote:

"The unique function of the nurse is to assist the individual, sick or well, in the performance of those activities contributing to health or its recovery (or to peaceful death) that he would perform unaided if he had the necessary strength, will or knowledge"

So as nurses, are we in the position to judge? But to help I guess. Hope someone agree with that ^_^

allnurses Guide · Jan 11, 2010

QUOTE=areawoman;To be honest, the biggest reason I breastfed my kids is because I'm LAZY. I don't like getting up in the middle of the night to mix a bottle when all I really need to do is grab the baby and drift back off to sleep as she's cuddled up next to me. I never felt sleep deprived and and the babies were always content!

Me too. I also found I was remarkably lazy about buying baby cereal and little expensive jars of baby food. My son got the Gerber's, but with my daughter I tempted fate and went from breast milk to fruit, soft finger foods and Cheerios, etc. I am happy to report she is still alive and a thriving almost 20 yr. old college junior. :) I was also informed that falling asleep with my baby would either smother her or prevent her ever functioning as an independent adult able to face difficulties in life because she didn't learn how to "self-soothe" when she was 6 weeks old! :lol2: Apologies to Dr. Ferber fans- his theories just didn't pan out in our family.

lamazeteacher · Jan 11, 2010

Nurse156:

Thanks for validating what I taught for 35 years. None of my 1,000s of students' babies suffered ill effects from sleeping in their parents' beds.

I've stayed in touch with many if them, and I'm sure a lawyer's letter would have reached me if any of them rolled over onto the baby. The only problem I heard about, was getting dad to change the poopy diapers in the middle of the night.....