Watch Your Language - Breast Isn't Best!

SmilingBluEyes · Jul 21, 2005

Thank you! What about the moms who live in high-crime cities? What about those who live in cities with smog? Those are just two situations which have been proven to negatively impact the health of children. If moms cannot prove that they have done everything to remove themselves and their children from that situation, will we start making them feel "bad"?

Good thoughts.

SmilingBluEyes · Jul 21, 2005

Sorry, I bottlefed both of mine and I don't feel even a little bad. I didn't even try to breastfeed, how awful is that? They were both happy, healthy, friendly infants and are happy, healthy, friendly children.
I also think the comparisons of bottle-feeding to second-hand smoke is weak and silly. Tobacco is a carcinogenic. Formula is not.
It's funny because I have heard a lot from breast-feeding moms who complain that they are judged or treated badly because they choose to breastfeed their babies but reading some of the attitudes in this topic, it sure does go both ways doesn't it?

some more thoughts to consider. Thank you Sharon.

DeeSki · Jul 21, 2005

LOL I just made a LOOOOOONG post, then I thought better of it and hit delete! I guess I might be a secret or at least fairly quiet (unless I'm in the right company or put on the spot) breastfeeding "nazi" as it was put in an earlier post. Fortunately, an open mind allows me to listen to both sides and attempt to incorporate at least some of the other side into my thinking so that I may be able to become a compassionate (to all) nurse in the future. I do agree with a lot of the article. I also agree with the poster who suggested we look to animals in the wild. Human infants should drink human milk. That's the bottom line. If they can't for some significant reason, such as a medical condition rather than a mom's desire to "share" all the parenting chores, etc then I guess there has to be exceptions. Its true that education is the only way to ensure that new moms will at least learn the actual benefits of breastfeeding. I wish that more effort would be put into creating an environment in this country that makes breastfeeding the norm so that moms don't need so much "educating." I just did an evidenced based paper on breastfeeding and my research showed that even ONE day of breastfeeding is beneficial to the baby. I applaud any mother who at least tries. The research also went on to discuss the higher IQs for the breastfed children (citing an actual study in Sweden [i think] that followed a group of children from birth into their late teens.) I breastfed my three children and I know they were/are smarter than the average bear (add the Yogi accent there). But I also know that I have always been very intelligent and I wasn't breastfed...to be honest, my mother was a young teen probably using drugs. So maybe my childrens' IQ can be derived genetically, who's to say. I can say for sure that I did my very best to give them a positive, healthy and natural start in life. I also want to add that I never had a nurse after delivering that didn't try to give my infant formula or sugar water before we were discharged. I also left with a diaper bag full of formula and coupons with each birth. I sure would have preferred free diapers in the diaper bag since my baby's milk was free!

mac23 · Jul 21, 2005

Congratulations on your new baby boy!

I feel your daughter's pain!! I just gave birth to my 1st child on July 1st. He is a beautiful, healthy baby boy! I was blessed (or shall I say cursed) with very large breasts. I tried breastfeeding for 2 whole weeks all the while getting advice on here and also using a lac consultant. Nothing worked well enough for me to continue. I really wanted to breastfeed since I understand all the benefits and heard about the whole "bonding experience". Not for me! From day 1 my child WOULD NOT latch on! We tried it all!! After a few days I had to resort to formula to supplement, then when my milk finally came in on day 5...he would latch while I was wearing a breast shield. He eventually got soooo fussy that he no longer would take the breast even with the shield. So I pumped for a few days. I had a c-section that dehisced, so certain breastfeeding positions were not feasible.
Adding to the drama of trying to breastfeed, I was diagnosed with postpartum depression!! I believe that the guilt I was given over not breastfeeding contributed to it in some way. MY mental health is more important at this time vs. breastfeeding. I could not even see my son's face while he was feeding since my breasts are SOOO Large! I feel like we are bonding much better over a bottle where we can actually meet eye to eye!
He is still very healthy and gaining weight!! My pediatrician said it is fine that he is on formula. I refuse to let other women make me feel like less of a mother because I did not continue to breastfeed. At least I gave it an honest try.

TweetiePieRN · Jul 21, 2005

Congratulations on your new baby boy!

Thanks :) He is a very good baby!!

TracyB,RN, RN · Jul 21, 2005

Ohhh, the problems I had trying to BF...at least I tried & I was fortunate that nobody tried to make me feel guilty, excep myself.

Anyway, I am all for BF, but I think with the continuing advances in science, formula isn't always a bad thing. Better to feed formula than have a malnourished baby,IMHO.

My kids aren't any less intelligent than a BF child. My niece was BF until she was 5, yes FIVE (after she reached 3, it was for naps, & before bed...also, mom is Japanese & from what I understand, the culture to breastfeed for such a long time.) Kid isn't smarter or healthier than any other kid. She's 12 now, & man, does she have some wicked "separation from mom anxiety" issues. Just an observation.

**canoehead, BSN, RN** · Jul 21, 2005

I also think the comparisons of bottle-feeding to second-hand smoke is weak and silly. Tobacco is a carcinogenic. Formula is not.

I chose that comparison because smoke is so much more harmful. I think that when a mom is in tears with frustration it's time to go ahead and make life easier for herself, whether it's with carcinogenic smoke, or (relatively harmless) formula. Breastfeeding is a precious experience, but the first thing new parents need to learn- and be supported on- is picking their battles.

gauge14iv, MSN, APRN, NP · Jul 21, 2005

The issue I have with all of this is that breastfeeding is NOT just about the feeding the baby. Nor is it just about all the touchy feely stuff....

What if there was a vaccine available that would greatly reduce your childs chances of getting diabetes, obesity, leukemia, cancer, crohns disease....and a whole host of other lifelong chronic diseases? How much would you be willing to pay for that vaccine? Wouldn't most parents go to the ends of the earth to find it and be willing to pay almost anything for it?

And how about a vaccine that would greatly reduce otitis media, upper respiratory and gi tract infections during childhood?

The good news is there is one - it's free and readily available. It's called breastmilk.

The problem is that we aren't letting mothers know that breastfeeding can do these things. That's not an informed decision they are making - it's a decision influenced by marketing. Formula will NEVER be able to do these things...

The risks of formula feeding are real, and they involve all of the above.

This is evidence based practice, not fanatical insistence. Anyone who wants a list of HUNDREDS of studies that bear all this out... http://www.breastfeedingonline.com/30.html

I was told by a veterinarian a couple of years ago that if a baby foal does not get colostrum from the mother, they have to buy it from a vet pharm company and feed it to the foal - otherwise he will die a very young age and never really be healthy because his immune system will not develop. While thankfully that is not the case with humans, it does make you wonder what happens to the human immune sysytem when it is not provided with the stuff it was intended to have in the beginning. There is so much stuff in breastmilk, that we may never know what it all does.

Chronic diseases which are difficult to treat and expensive to manage are on the rise - given the choice and ALL of the information, mothers will choose what they want - but at least that decision is a fully informed one and nobody needs to feel guilty about that! Not giving people ALL of the information is paternalistic and restricts them from making fully informed choices. THAT ought to make the medical community feel guilty.

Also - do we worry about making smokers or alcoholics feel guilty when we explain to them what they are doing to their lungs or liver? Not in a condescending way of course - but an informative factual and educational way. EDUCATING parents is entirely different from berating them.

As for "Well I was fed formula and I turned out fine" I don't know about you ,but *I* could have used that extra couple points on the intelligence scale! :)

SharonH, RN · Jul 21, 2005

I chose that comparison because smoke is so much more harmful. I think that when a mom is in tears with frustration it's time to go ahead and make life easier for herself, whether it's with carcinogenic smoke, or (relatively harmless) formula. Breastfeeding is a precious experience, but the first thing new parents need to learn- and be supported on- is picking their battles.

I understand that. I wasn't referring to your post but to the comments in the article.

imenid37 · Jul 21, 2005

To educate, not intimidate or coerce that this is the bottom line. I totally agree w/ Steph's comments. That's our role. It's the parents baby not ours. Many, not all, but a signifigant number of lactation specialists/consultants, are like zealots. They don't have flat nipples and a 10.5 lb'er who wants to nurse every 15 min. Some of our moms do. Some moms, wrongly or rightly, are immature (teens) and cannot/ will not make the signifigant time committment to breastfeeding which it requres and other family members are sharing in the care and raising of the child. Some moms aren't confident re. their own body image (again you can like it or not), but it is reality and they don't like the way breastfeeding feels or they're embarrassed. We can educate, but we can't always successfully work against what's been put in their head for years. What really burns me up is the fact that while we can provide information, we don't live in breastfeeding police state, it is NEVER NEVER EVER our role to force things on pt's who don't want to them. We do not go home w/ that mom and baby and put up w/ crying, sore nipples, ppd depression, lack of support at home, etc. Guess what bottlefeeding is not abuse. In our society, it is a safe (in our society) albeit in many cases, less desireable alternative to breastfeeding. We are not the ones who get to choose what feeding method is best. We provide the info. and the parents choose. They decide what's desireable not us. That seems to be a hard concept for some nurse to grasp. It is and always will be the mom's decsion. She is the one who has to do it.

I breastfed all three of my girls for 9-12 months. It was very easy. They latched right on and I always had plenty of milk. They grew marvelously. I am not naive enough to think it's like that for everyone. If it was, more people would stick w/ it. My sister did not like it. She bottle fed her son who is a nice young man who was the #1 student in the sophomore class at an Ivy League university(I've heard bottle feeding makes you less intelligent) last year. I have also heard that it is linked to substance abuse because people crave that time at the breast they missed and are looking for another "fix". If only life were that simple. I think substance abuse and intelligence are multi-faceted issues. My daughter has an auto-immune disease (now in remission) and the opinionated and ill-informed have questioned me as to whether I ever gave formula. Yup! Do I feel guilty? Nope. You see my grandmother's sister who was born in the early 1900's had the same thing. Bet she never had formula. She died. They didn't have the "dangerous" meds, that my well-infomed in-laws didn't know if they'd give to their child to control it. I couldn't believe the nerve of the breast feeding zealots who approached me when my daughter, who was 8 y.o., at the time, to actually even bring this up.

Moms should follow their heart and enjoy what little time they have w/ these precious little babies while they are little babies. If they hate brestfeeding they shouldn't do it. I feel strongly that my role as an ob nurse is to help mom discover how wonderful her baby is and to enjoy him/her. I will also say, I have had moms who try breastfeeding and aren't sure it's for them. Then they have this great wow moment where they are like wow this so awesome. I have probably had an equal number of ambivalent mothers go either way. Some moms just don't like breastfeeding. I just support them. Moms have enough criticism from just about everyone else who has a mouth to open. If mom acts lovingly toward her baby, then that's all we can ask once we have educated her. If she's had a prior bad experience w/ breastfeeding or whatever, she has my support once she has made her choice. Sorry for the long post and officially off my soapbox.

Nurse Ratched, RN · Jul 21, 2005

As for "Well I was fed formula and I turned out fine" I don't know about you ,but *I* could have used that extra couple points on the intelligence scale! :)

I'd have a hard time being this cute and smart, too. Thank goodness I was bottle fed or I'd be insufferable :chuckle.

LilPeanut, MSN, RN, NP · Jul 21, 2005

I wanted to address a couple of points.

1. Milk/Formula is the only food a child receives for many months, so it is that much more important that it is as healthy as possible. Having McDonald's once a month isn't bad for you, but eating nothing but burgers and fries for a month is bad for you.

2. References made to admits for ineffective BF - What about the number of NICU babies getting NEC? NEC is almost exclusively found in formula fed infants, and it is just as, if not more life-threatening, because to fix it, you can't pump and finger feed, or use a supplemental nursing system, surgery is involved too often.