The Case Against Breastfeeding

BabyLady, BSN, RN · Mar 18, 2009

Has anyone ever said, point blank, "If you don't breastfeed, you're a bad mom" ???
You're right. We shouldn't be subjected to Breast is Best. It should be, Breast is Normal. It's the way human infants were designed to be fed. There is no judgement in that statement. It is what it is.

I don't believe in bombarding new mothers in the OB unit with the Lactation police...however...

I equally don't like it when nurses go in and then the say, "Are you going to do breast or bottle...now, if you don't want to breast feed, don't make anyone here make you feel guilty for not doing it."

To me that is wrong, that is inaccurate...both options should be presented....with the pros and cons of both.

Where I work as a PCT in L&D (they let me do more b/c they know I'm in school), when I'm sent in to ask Mom and she says she doesn't know, I give the scientific answer, "Well, why don't you at least try it for a couple of weeks, that way, you can see how it goes, and your baby gets your colostrum as research shows it can boost your baby's initial immunity until he/she develops their own...if it doesn't work for you, you can always go to the bottle..but you can't really do it the other way around."

The amazing part is, I have NEVER had a Mother to say no.

To me, it's all in how you present it. I have also asked mothers (if they say not), virtually all of the time (especially if it's a first-time mother), they say they feel "funny" about having an infant "feed" from their body.

I also let them know that it's a common response, it's normal, but it can be a wonderful bonding experience...most of them at least give it a try.

FireStarterRN, BSN, RN · Mar 18, 2009

I think breast feeding has so many health advantages, that the responsible, caring choice is to breast feed, even if it's inconvenient or distasteful. Why would people who would never drive in a car without a corificeat, and would probably disdainfully judge a mother who did so, want to put her child at increased health risk by feeding totally inferior Enfamil or Simulac?

I personally find seatbelts annoying, but I use them anyways because they make driving safer. I do try not to judge people who choose not to use seatbelts, just as I try to avoid judging bottle feeders. But I personally think it's a selfish choice to bottle feed, unless you have no choice.

And, on reading the article provided, if there's social pressure on women to breast feed, then find other friends. I personally think social pressure to make healthy choices in life is fine. Whom we socialize is our own choice. Social pressure has helped make smoking unpopular, has made racism a taboo, has done a lot of positive things. Social pressure is also what made so many women turn to bottle feeding in the first place, or make them feel obligated to wean early.

I personally agree with choice, but all our choices have consequences. The choice to bottle feed will negatively affect the health of the child, and also may make a woman less acceptable in some social circles. That's life.

tntrn, ASN, RN · Mar 18, 2009

The choice to bottle feed WILL negatively affect the health of the child? That's too broad a statement and no way can that be proven. Actually, there's no way to PROVE that breast feeding is best for any given baby, because you can't test the same baby with breast milk, and then with formula, all other factors being the same. Can't be done.
So we can say that breast is best, but you can't know that for your own kid, or any others, unless you can do tests where the subjects are studied both ways. And even if a baby is breast fed, but the mom is stressed out over the pressure or whatever else, there's no way to PROVE that baby is going to be healthier just because it got breast milk.
I do ask my moms if they plan to breast or bottle feed, or sometimes I switch it, bottle or breast feed. I don't want to try to persuade them either way. If they are unsure, then I do the teaching thing, but I am very careful to provide the pros and cons of both (and there are some for both) without telling them my own personal feelings or what I did. That's not important. The important thing is that they make their own decision, without malice or grief or guilt.

FireStarterRN, BSN, RN · Mar 18, 2009

The child will survive bottle feeding because of antibiotic treatments for the inevitable increase in illnesses resulting from feeding non-human milk to human babies. Yes, these children will survive and grow.

Antibiotics are overused and lead to other problems including increase in allergies and autoimmune disorders when used in the first 6 months of life. Better to avoid their use through healthy living, which starts at the breast.

Breastfeeding is the best way to get the immune system off to the right start. Sure, the kids will survive, but they have been cheated. Sorry if you disagree. I think it's great that there's now social pressure on women to make healthy choices for their kids. I think the woman in the article is a pitiful whiner and should find new friends.

Jolie, BSN · Mar 18, 2009

The child will survive bottle feeding because of antibiotic treatments for the inevitable increase in illnesses resulting from feeding non-human milk to human babies.

Source for this, please?

FireStarterRN, BSN, RN · Mar 18, 2009

Go look it up yourself. I don't feel like arguing all day. I've read many studies, there's plenty of evidence for you to look into, in addition to common sense. Don't look to me to help you or anyone else in justifying the feeding of chemical laden, non-human milk to vulnerable babies. I think it's every bit as irresponsible as driving without a seatbelt. We all make choices and take risks, but you won't convince me that bottle feeding a healthy choice, end of discussion for me.

PICNICRN, BSN, RN · Mar 18, 2009

The child will survive bottle feeding because of antibiotic treatments for the inevitable increase in illnesses resulting from feeding non-human milk to human babies. Yes, these children will survive and grow.
Antibiotics are overused and lead to other problems including increase in allergies and autoimmune disorders when used in the first 6 months of life. Better to avoid their use through healthy living, which starts at the breast.
Breastfeeding is the best way to get the immune system off to the right start. Sure, the kids will survive, but they have been cheated. Sorry if you disagree. I think it's great that there's now social pressure on women to make healthy choices for their kids. I think the woman in the article is a pitiful whiner and should find new friends.

Wow.... Thank God my children will "survive"! Maybe I shouldn't have even had kids if I was going to send them into an eternal damnation with Similac!

FireStarterRN, BSN, RN · Mar 18, 2009

Bottle feeding mom guilt oozing in all these defensive posts. If you don't like my opinion, well, it's my opinion. It shouldn't affect you or your life, unless you have some secret misgivings or doubts.

Jolie, BSN · Mar 18, 2009

I'm not looking for you to justify anything other than your mistaken notion that the feeding of non-human milk to humans of any age inevitably leads to infectious disease.

I accept that our Creator, Mother Nature or whomever, intended for human infants to feed on mother's milk. But since the usual order of things is for children to outlive their mothers, I also accept that, at some point in growth and development, our Superior Being also intended for human beings to be nourished by something other than human milk. Depending upon culture, that "something" may be animal milk, plant life, meat, seafood, or a combination of the above, and the change-over may occur at virtually any age.

Which leads me to question how you conclude that the consumption of these alternate sources of nutrition inevitably leads to infectious disease requiring antibiotics. Certainly some studies reveal greater rates of ear infections and diarrhea in bottle fed babies. Does that apply to every bottle fed baby? Of course not. Does it apply to the milk itself? Maybe, maybe not. The increased incidence of infections in bottle fed infants may well be due to their greater presence in day care, unsanitary living and/or formula-preparation conditions, lower vaccination rates, greater exposure to cigarette smoke, etc.

Certainly, some bottle fed infants experience infectious disease. But it is far from inevitable, and far from absent in the breastfed population.

SmilingBluEyes · Mar 18, 2009

Actually I don't get all this. Why make a case *against* breastfeeding at all? Why NOT make a case FOR patient education and advocacy? Why are we even debating here, is what I have to wonder.

Jolie, BSN · Mar 18, 2009

Actually I don't get all this. Why make a case *against* breastfeeding at all? Why NOT make a case FOR patient education and advocacy?

Certainly not trying to make a case against breastfeeding, only misinformation used against bottle feeding moms. Without accurate information, there can not be patient advocacy.

SmilingBluEyes · Mar 18, 2009

Another case of the old " crabs in a barrel" illustration. Rather than building each other up as fellow women and moms, we tend to take sides and get dangerously close to attacking one another for the choices we make. I find this sad. Breastfeeding is best, we know that. But there is so, so much more to parenting. And guilt is a big part of it anyhow. I do not like that we would harbor in our minds thoughts that people are selfish that quickly; it's so judgemental and can show in our attitudes in our delivery of care to patients. Again, better still, to educate and support. They have a lot to cope with raising kids today, as it is. Choosing not to breastfeed does not mean a mom will shove mashed chicken mc nuggets in her baby's mouth, either. Extremes are well, extreme.

That's my stance anyhow.