Is It Best?

[MomBoss]

After years of caring for many infants both formula fed and breast fed, im starting to see that “breast is best” isn’t necessarily true. Breastfed babies didn’t develop any better/faster, stayed any healthier (less illness) than the formula babies, and the parent-child relationship was no different. So why is there so much pressure on moms to nurse?

[sahm1225]

I’ve never noticed a difference between kids either. With my first, I had an oversupply and lots of issues with breastfeeding so I visited a breastfeeding consultant. I had had emergency surgery to remove my gallbladder when my son was 10 days old so my emotions were all over the place. I was in pain from birth and then surgery and breastfeeding was agony. The consultant was wonderful! She gave me this giant hug and asked me what would make ME happy. She gave me tips to help with the supply and ways to hold him so it would not hurt my incisions. Then she told me that at the end of the day, no one is going to come back and ask ‘how long did he breastfeeding and was it exclusive?’ She told me FED is best, pick what was going to make me feel better.

To me- I don’t see a difference but I support whatever parents want to do:

[Alwaysgreener]

Breast is best, keyword breast. Most breastfed babies you get are bottle fed. Bottlefeeding changes things.

The bonding that babies get, skin on skin, while being breast fed is lost once it is bottled.

Just like any food, the nutrition in breast milk deteriorates once it is pumped, froze, heated plus contamination that can occur.

Yes breast milk is best. It is natural and your body makes exactly what your child needs.

I would bottle fed breast milk before I would use formula, breastmilk is better/healthier for the baby than formula.

Plus no matter if it is bottled or not the diapers smell better.

[Alwaysgreener]

@sahm1225

Don't get me wrong it's not like roses but it is not as potent as formula diapers, however solids change the smell.

[MomBoss]

Infant in care is exclusively breast milk and their diapers are the worst ive ever smelled. It has a vomit smell to it, its crazy.

[Alwaysgreener]

That is so funny every EB that I ever had (plus my own) had a sweet odor to the diapers especially early on. But it can be affected by what the mother is eating.

[girlmomma]

I don’t really have an opinion. Like PP said, I can’t tell a difference from one child to the next.

[Annalee]

Well, I was going to stay out of this discussion but here goes.....I breastfed my own kids till they were 8 weeks old...but then went to formula as back then pumping was not as easy as it is now. My two great-nephew infants in my child care program are breast fed and have frozen milk for them and they take bottles well.

Fast forward to today's time.......to each their own on what a mom chooses to do; BUT I am so tired of watching kids that can crawl, walk, run go up and under the covering the mom wears 24/7 at church, grocery store, wherever and the kids run under and run out.....don't blast me, just my opinion, but that would have driven ME nuts. You feed them on demand but I think being a milk-cow is a whole different ballgame. There has to be a cut-off point and better way to meet that demand but getting a drink here and there and the kids old enough to say what they want and when is time to go to a cup of some kind. AGAIN, just my opinion

[girlmomma]

Up to a year is appropriate. Personally, after that, no way!

My own girls were BF for about two weeks… it became too much for me to handle mentally/I had supply issues.

[Annalee]

Totally understand! I have a friend that has to go to work with her daughter and grandbaby because the daughter refuses to pump or use a bottle; I think that is selfish!!! A mom like this should be a stay at home mom. The daughter is in the medical field so the grandma is hoarded up in a tiny room with this baby now 3 months old awaiting the every-two-hour feeding..... Again, just my opinion, but I find this a little 'overkill'.

[Alwaysgreener]

Annalee

I don't disagree with that, that not even the best situation for the baby. She could either find away to work from home or take a leave of absence.

[MomBoss]

I just cant figure out why it is “better” if at the end of the day it really makes no difference in health and the relationship between parent and child. I agree that FED is best.

[Alwaysgreener]

My DD went for a little over 17 months, when she didn't care anymore. I had supply issues, my left side didn't produce only an oz or two at a time. She spent a week getting formula until my right side started making up the difference after a week she refused formula. (Formula was spoon fed)

My DS for 20 months until he got a stuffy nose but he wanted to continue once it cleared up unfortunately since he was down to twice a day as it was, I had dried up. I had a plugged duct on my right side when ds was born and when it popped it was an open wound, it was so very painful. I started using olive oil on it, which helped greatly. My left side produced more this time but not enough to feed him while my right side healed.

I was exclusive with both but pumped with DD to try and get the left side to produce more. I tried pumping with ds but hated it. I found milk cups that I wore to catch access when it dropped out.

I didn't have an easy time but it was worth it and I would do it again.

[FlyingJewels]

I can’t tell a difference. I don’t like a lot of the breastmilk studies either. They weren’t good studies. As much as I love healthy food and eating well and making sure my kids eat well, the environment kids are in and mental health of their parents places a much more critical role. Adults that get into therapy and have various problems, don’t take assessments on what they ate as a kid.