Would it be out of line for me to encourage a friend to breastfeed? (grow up, health)
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I don't think the OP would do that. And that definitely would not be my intention.
It still comes down to what kind of friendships you have and how important the issue is.
Someone said "life or death" or "life threatening" or "abuse" and so on. To me, breastfeeding would be one of those issues. I would only bring it up to my friend over and over again if it was an important topic like this one.
To me, breast feeding was frustrating, painful, and not the best thing for my babies. I wasn't producing enough milk. It was also frustrating because so many people told me I should or should not breast feed. I had no support from my family when I tried. When I stopped trying because the kids were underweight and hungry, people I didn't even know told me that I should be breast feeding. Whether to breast feed or not is an intensely personal decision. I found it more difficult because so many people butted in. Let your friend make her own decision and support her fully.
I had a similar experience. A couple days on formula, and my baby started to gain weight, and his cheeks filled out noticeably. He went from the 5th to the 50th percentile after that.
Baloney. You used the word NAG in your posts. In other words, you repeatedly forced your opinion on them. I worked for three years for a international organization of 12,000 OB/GYNs and Ph.D.s, and the LLL wackos nearly drove us up the wall. Because while there was some decided benefits to breastfeeding, it in no way made a huge difference in the child's long-term health. The matter met with a collective shrug from these medical professionals who were more concerned with an infant's health than anybody on the planet. So, no, breastfeeding is nowhere close to spousal abuse or drug abuse as a matter of concern. Your overstatement of that fact tells us that you are far more interested in parroting shrill hyperbole than being a good friend.
Most medical professionals don't know jack about breastfeeding and it's benefits. The "decided benefits" that you are referring to are numerous. Why wouldn't every mother want their child to benefit from:
*higher IQ test scores
*lower risks of SIDS
*lower risks of illnesses such as pneumonia, diarrhea, ear infections, meningitis
*lower risks of Crohn's disease and IBS
*lower risks of Hodgkin's disease and some other cancers
*lower risks of diabetes
*lower risks for cavities and the need for braces
*lower risks for allergies and eczema
That's not even taking into account the benefits for the mother.
Nearly every woman can breastfeed and if she claims that she can't it is usually because she is told that by an uninformed "professional".
Breastmilk is designed for human babies. Formula is a poisonous product that the AAP claims costs the healthcare system between $331 and $475 more than a breastfed baby in its first year of life. The cost of treating respiratory viruses resulting from not breastfeeding is $225 million a year. If you can do something to prevent that for you child, and you are selfishly choosing not to, how is that not abuse?
Wow, not breastfeeding is abuse? My sister isn't breastfeeding--should I call CPS? Do laws vary by state? Maybe I should call my local police station and ask if not breastfeeding a baby is abuse.
It is impossible to prove that statement. The biggest factor that contributes to intelligence is genetics. There is no way to have proper control groups.
I'm curious, 2girlsand2boys, if not breastfeeding is abuse, at what age is it OK for mothers to stop breastfeeding? Some women breastfeed their kids until they are 3, 5 ... 7 .... maybe older. When is it legal to wean one's baby?
Most medical professionals don't know jack about breastfeeding and it's benefits. The "decided benefits" that you are referring to are numerous. Why wouldn't every mother want their child to benefit from:
*higher IQ test scores
*lower risks of SIDS
*lower risks of illnesses such as pneumonia, diarrhea, ear infections, meningitis
*lower risks of Crohn's disease and IBS
*lower risks of Hodgkin's disease and some other cancers
*lower risks of diabetes
*lower risks for cavities and the need for braces
*lower risks for allergies and eczema
That's not even taking into account the benefits for the mother.
Nearly every woman can breastfeed and if she claims that she can't it is usually because she is told that by an uninformed "professional".
Breastmilk is designed for human babies. Formula is a poisonous product that the AAP claims costs the healthcare system between $331 and $475 more than a breastfed baby in its first year of life. The cost of treating respiratory viruses resulting from not breastfeeding is $225 million a year. If you can do something to prevent that for you child, and you are selfishly choosing not to, how is that not abuse?
Would it be abuse to have not supplemented with formula when my doctor said to, and to have had my baby continue to not gain weight, and eventually been "failure to thrive"? Would that have been a better choice?
Most medical professionals don't know jack about breastfeeding and it's benefits. The "decided benefits" that you are referring to are numerous. Why wouldn't every mother want their child to benefit from:
*higher IQ test scores
*lower risks of SIDS
*lower risks of illnesses such as pneumonia, diarrhea, ear infections, meningitis
*lower risks of Crohn's disease and IBS
*lower risks of Hodgkin's disease and some other cancers
*lower risks of diabetes
*lower risks for cavities and the need for braces
*lower risks for allergies and eczema
That's not even taking into account the benefits for the mother.
Nearly every woman can breastfeed and if she claims that she can't it is usually because she is told that by an uninformed "professional".
Breastmilk is designed for human babies. Formula is a poisonous product that the AAP claims costs the healthcare system between $331 and $475 more than a breastfed baby in its first year of life. The cost of treating respiratory viruses resulting from not breastfeeding is $225 million a year. If you can do something to prevent that for you child, and you are selfishly choosing not to, how is that not abuse?
Oh...now if somebody isn't breastfeeding, they're actually undermining the economic health of the country. Keep reaching.
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