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Thank you for giving some context to your comments.
Thank you for making such a nice post prior to mine!
Quote:
Originally Posted by MAtoNC!
Knowing the risks of not breastfeeding I would feel selfish denying my children breastmilk. I wouldn't be willing to risk their health for "bonding" with a bottle of formula. Fathers and grandparents had no problem bonding before bottles, formula and breastpumps were invented. When someone saids to me they or their children were formula fed and they were fine I don't find that to be a compelling argument.Anecdotal evidence doesn't hold a candle to science based medicine. There is a time and a place for formula. But it is used way too casually and still doesn't come close to replicating all the ingredients in breastmilk.
I am also not the least bit concerned about other people's hangups when it comes to breastfeeding in public. I'm not going to lock myself up in my home for a year to breastfeed or use a pump when the baby can drink straight from the tap.
See...I don't see "not breastfeeding" as "risking my baby's health"..not at all. As a matter of fact I think that comment is nothing but pure hyperbole perpetuated by the militant breastfeeding community. Clearly, quite a few generations of children grew up perfectly fine without being breastfed. However, I'd be curious to see anything in print that may back up your claims as to infant mortality strictly due to bottle feeding.
On your last paragraph of your post, I'd love to address it, but apparently the post police are in full force and hitting the delete button fairly regularly...so I won't waste my time. Pity really...stifled a good conversation.
See...I don't see "not breastfeeding" as "risking my baby's health"..not at all. As a matter of fact I think that comment is nothing but pure hyperbole perpetuated by the militant breastfeeding community. Clearly, quite a few generations of children grew up perfectly fine without being breastfed. However, I'd be curious to see anything in print that may back up your claims as to infant mortality strictly due to bottle feeding.
On your last paragraph of your post, I'd love to address it, but apparently the post police are in full force and hitting the delete button fairly regularly...so I won't waste my time. Pity really...stifled a good conversation.
See...I don't see "not breastfeeding" as "risking my baby's health"..not at all.
Even as someone who very much believes in breastfeeding and did so myself, I agree with this statement. There are lots of valid reasons why a woman would choose to use formula, and bottle feeders should not be hassled for it anymore than breastfeeders should be hassled for their choice. Children do just fine on formula, and that's a really good thing, because some women simply cannot breastfeed. Thankfully, we have alternatives for them.
Breastfeeding is on the rise, according to all kinds of research. It's pretty indisputable, there is a larger percentage of mothers breastfeeding now than there were 20 years ago.
Allergies in children is also on the rise, according to some of the same sources that have stated the resurgence in breastfeeding. There is a larger percentage of children now, allergic to all kinds of things, from peanuts to wheat to lactose intolerance, than there were 20 years ago.
ADHD is also on the rise, as is Asperger's syndrome, as are children who grow up unprepared to live independently (I don't mean unemployed. I mean not knowing HOW to even get started in becoming independent).
Even as someone who very much believes in breastfeeding and did so myself, I agree with this statement. There are lots of valid reasons why a woman would choose to use formula, and bottle feeders should not be hassled for it anymore than breastfeeders should be hassled for their choice. Children do just fine on formula, and that's a really good thing, because some women simply cannot breastfeed. Thankfully, we have alternatives for them.
Like my SIL whose milk never came in and whose baby's cries would continue even after suckling at the breast. She didn't need anyone to come in and rescue her. She gave her baby formula and that was it.
Even as someone who very much believes in breastfeeding and did so myself, I agree with this statement. There are lots of valid reasons why a woman would choose to use formula, and bottle feeders should not be hassled for it anymore than breastfeeders should be hassled for their choice. Children do just fine on formula, and that's a really good thing, because some women simply cannot breastfeed. Thankfully, we have alternatives for them.
I mentioned that episode of the office once before but it makes another point. Pam can't get the baby to latch on and the nurse asks if she wants the baby to sleep in the nursery for the night. She is upset the baby won't latch and the nurse says she can give the baby a bottle. Pam says "I read in a book they can get nipple confusion" and the nurse says "Oh well I didn't realize that you read a book. You must know more than me. My bad".
The interesting thing about the study published in Pediatrics is that it did not exclude deaths resulting from traumatic injury (e.g., abuse). Oxytocin production rises with breastfeeding and is associated with reduced anxiety and anger. It's sometimes known as the "cuddle hormone." Along with breastfeeding, sexual arousal is also associated with increased oxytocin secretion.
Last edited by formercalifornian; 07-01-2010 at 10:04 AM..
See...I don't see "not breastfeeding" as "risking my baby's health"..not at all. As a matter of fact I think that comment is nothing but pure hyperbole perpetuated by the militant breastfeeding community.
I am glad that formula is available to those who need and want to use it but breastfeeding really is a public health issue. It has nothing to do with so called "militant" breastfeeders.
Data analyzed by scientists at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences suggest that breastfeeding can reduce the risk of death for infants in their first year of life. Looking at infants between 28 days and one year of age, researchers concluded that promoting breastfeeding can potentially prevent up to 720 postneonatal deaths in the U.S. each year.
Extensive research using improved epidemiologic methods and modern laboratory techniques documents diverse and compelling advantages for infants, mothers, families, and society from breastfeeding and use of human milk for infant feeding.1 These advantages include health, nutritional, immunologic, developmental, psychologic, social, economic, and environmental benefits.
In Latin America and the Caribbean, exclusive breastfeeding for the first 3 months of life and partial breastfeeding for the remainder of the first year, can prevent 55% of infant deaths related to diarrheal disease and acute respiratory infection. Among infants aged 0–3 months, 66% of the deaths from both diseases were prevented by exclusive breastfeeding, while 32% of deaths among those aged 4–11 months were prevented by partial breastfeeding. Overall, 13.9% of all-causes infant mortality in Latin
America and the Caribbean (approximately 52,000 deaths a year) could be prevented by exclusive breastfeeding for the first 3 months of life and partial breastfeeding for the remainder of infancy.
Benefits of Breastfeeding << Breastfeeding Home << womenshealth.gov (http://www.womenshealth.gov/breastfeeding/benefits/ - broken link)
Quote:
Breast milk has disease-fighting cells called antibodies that help protect infants from germs, illness, and even SIDS. Infant formula cannot match the exact chemical makeup of human milk, especially the cells, hormones, and antibodies that fight disease.
A minimum of $3.6 billion would be saved if breastfeeding were increased from current levels (64 percent in-hospital, 29 percent at 6 months) to those recommended by the U.S. Surgeon General (75 and 50 percent).
I mentioned that episode of the office once before but it makes another point. Pam can't get the baby to latch on and the nurse asks if she wants the baby to sleep in the nursery for the night. She is upset the baby won't latch and the nurse says she can give the baby a bottle. Pam says "I read in a book they can get nipple confusion" and the nurse says "Oh well I didn't realize that you read a book. You must know more than me. My bad".
I am guilty of this too. However, I called my lactation consultant, who thankfully was one of the best in my area and who also wasn't one of the breastfeeding mafias, and she said, don't worry, I can get your baby to latch on as long as your milk comes in and you give her opportunities to latch on. 6 days later of bottles she latched my baby on. Come to think of it, baby latched on a couple of hours before she arrived so it makes me wonder if she didn't latch on at the hospital because of the drugs (c-section).
Knowing the risks of not breastfeeding I would feel selfish denying my children breastmilk. I wouldn't be willing to risk their health for "bonding" with a bottle of formula. Fathers and grandparents had no problem bonding before bottles, formula and breastpumps were invented. When someone saids to me they or their children were formula fed and they were fine I don't find that to be a compelling argument. Anecdotal evidence doesn't hold a candle to science based medicine. There is a time and a place for formula. But it is used way too casually and still doesn't come close to replicating all the ingredients in breastmilk.
Anyway, I am in no way anti-breastfeeding so I hope I'm not coming across that way. I just get tired of my decisions being bashed and people assuming I have put no thought into my choices. I'm sure women who choose to breastfeed feel the same way when they get bashed. I just wish we could make our choices without all the judgement. Off my soapbox now.
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