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During Breastfeeding Week (August 1-7), my students and I presented a series of blog posts on breastfeeding vs. formula. The information we provided is often shocking for those not previously exposed to it because the (mistaken) baseline assumed by many is 'formula feeding is fine' Read More
Sheesh
For a researcher, you show a remarkable inability to learn from your mistakes.
My husband is a rocket scientist, literally, and he NEVER got a drop of breastmilk.
The REAL bottomline is that you do NOT know any other woman's situation well enough to judge her feeding choice, EVER. And until you have nursed a baby yourself - until you have been at that baby's beck and call for 6 solid months without a break, until you have felt the pain of cracked bleeding nipples, until you have nursed through tears because you had mastitis, until you have had a migraine headache depression strep throat or any other of the myriad illnesses that a woman of childbearing age can have and you've had to choose to suck it up and NOT TREAT YOURSELF because it might adversely affect your baby, until you have sobbed as your partner unsuccessfully tries to give your hungry baby a bottle and you feel like a failure but you don't know what else to do because you've tried everything, until you've been shamed by a stranger or a relative for feeding your baby - regardless of whether it was breastmilk or formula, until you've had to choose between going back to work at a nursing-unfriendly job so you can feed your other kids and breastfeeding your baby, until you've been bitten on your nipple by brand new sharp teeth, until you've stayed up long into the morning exhausted and nursing a sick gassy growing teething or otherwise uncomfortable baby who won't take any other comfort, until you've BEEN THERE, which I strongly suspect you haven't, you do NOT get to judge. Because once you've been there, you'll know better than to question another mother, who is doing HER best. It may not be YOUR best, but if you aren't personally willing to whip out your boob and feed her infant, kindly SHUT UP.
As many, many mothers told you last time, you are not helping with this "helpful" series of posts. Your imaginary ancestors are as offensive as your imaginary Africans from your previous post. Babies simply died when their mothers couldn't feed them. That is unacceptable to most modern parents. Milk banks will never be more available than they are now, because pumping hurts and is an enormous personal sacrifice and pain in the ass, and why would I give your baby what my baby needs? Are you going to have your students induce lactation (Reglan will do it, but will depress the hell out of them) so that they can pump and donate their milk for extra credit? Would you do it? If not, please find something else to write about, because with every word you're just pissing everyone off more.
you're pissed at the wrong target
I am really sorry to hear about all these difficulties that plague some mothers. It is horrible. But this is not common around the world. The WHO studies show that in societies where breastfeeding is expected to be the norm there are no physical difficulties. Are you saying that we should be satisfied with the status quo because your husband is smart? Are you saying that the scientific evidence is baloney, that thousands of ingredients including immune system builders are dispensable? Or are you saying that we should not talk about these things and let our standards drop to the lowest possible because we are like a third world nation whose children will starve without formula? If the USA is like a third world nation, then we really are in trouble. I don't understand why we can't talk about changing society for the betterment of children and families without inducing a "don't criticize formula" reaction. You really believe that formula is the standard we should have for our children? Then you are not paying attention. Hence the posts to get the information out there about its deficiencies. Everyone should know and everyone should do something to make a change in our societal practices. Moms should not feel guilty that their support system was so lousy that they were left with formula as the only option. It is not their fault. They should feel angry at the system for letting them down.
I'm starting to worry about you, Darcia et al
You obviously have a lot of passion for this issue, but I think you are truly doing more harm than good at this point, and potentially damaging your professional cred.
To cite the WHO study as evidence for why 99% of women can breastfeed shows a lack of understanding of the larger scope of these issues. First of all, you cannot compare nations where breastfeeding is 'the norm' to those which it is not. There are inherent differences in the cultural landscapes of these countries. The best you can do is compare a place like Norway, where they have successfully made nursing the norm, to the US. But even in Norway, women have problems breastfeeding exclusively. In fact, more than half of Norwegian moms are supplementing with something other than breastmilk by 4 months, according to this study:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20576199
And although the rates are impressive in Scandinavian countries, women who cannot or do not want to breastfeed there are made to feel like abject failures:
http://mylittlenorway.com/2009/07/having-a-baby-in-norway-the-breastfeed...
When you look at tribal cultures, yes, the breastfeeding rates are near perfect. But you also need to consider that the babies who had physical issues which made breastfeeding hard may have not survived, since BF problems here in the West are associated with traumatic births, prematurity, and other developmental delays. Also, it is comparing apples and oranges, from a sociological/anthropological perspective.
This post rings of hysteria, and I really have to wonder if it's healthy for you to continue obsessing over the health of formula fed babies. Perhaps your compatriots at PT could assist you in dealing with what appears to be transference? (Been awhile since my college psychology days, so I apologize if that is the wrong term...)
BRAVO!!
THIS IS AWESOME.
To cite the WHO study as evidence for why 99% of women can breastfeed shows a lack of understanding of the larger scope of these issues. First of all, you cannot compare nations where breastfeeding is 'the norm' to those which it is not. There are inherent differences in the cultural landscapes of these countries. The best you can do is compare a place like Norway, where they have successfully made nursing the norm, to the US. But even in Norway, women have problems breastfeeding exclusively. In fact, more than half of Norwegian moms are supplementing with something other than breastmilk by 4 months, according to this study:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20576199
And although the rates are impressive in Scandinavian countries, women who cannot or do not want to breastfeed there are made to feel like abject failures:
http://mylittlenorway.com/2009/07/having-a-baby-in-norway-the-breastfeed...
When you look at tribal cultures, yes, the breastfeeding rates are near perfect. But you also need to consider that the babies who had physical issues which made breastfeeding hard may have not survived, since BF problems here in the West are associated with traumatic births, prematurity, and other developmental delays. Also, it is comparing apples and oranges, from a sociological/anthropological perspective.
This post rings of hysteria, and I really have to wonder if it's healthy for you to continue obsessing over the health of formula fed babies. Perhaps your compatriots at PT could assist you in dealing with what appears to be transference? (Been awhile since my college psychology days, so I apologize if that is the wrong term...)
Science fail. IQ is not all
Science fail. IQ is not all about breastfeeding and breastfeeding isn't all about IQ. Maybe your husband didn't need a few extra IQ points, but some children do. What I'm more concerned with is the other health problems connected with formula from IBS to type 2 diabetes.
And what shrill people like you don't understand is that by making formula rather than breastfeeding the default, you give employers and government agencies the perfect excuse to make breastfeeding difficult and not provide any support. Countries that truly care about health have LAWS that protect women's breastfeeding rights.
And the idea that tons of babies died in the past because they couldn't breastfeed is nonsense considering natural selection and the actual data we have from traditional societies.
We still need research on formula for the very rare exceptions (particularly preemies) who need it, but it's clear that breastfeeding should always be considered the default way to feed an infant.
Natural Selection? Are you
Natural Selection? Are you saying that babies who fail to thrive on breastmilk should just be allowed to die? OMG!
Yep, pretty much
That is, indeed, the logical conclusion of those like "Dr." Narvaez. I see this on militant lactivist boards from time to time. They're the ones who conveniently ignore the infant morality rate in countries where there are no other options other than breastfeeding. The ones who make breastfeeding into a moral issue, ignoring the moral issues that arise from being a militant with no compassion, empathy, common sense, or proper skepticism when evaluating flawed research.
If all the researchers who publish about the benefits of breastfeeding are like "Dr." Narvaez, then all the breastfeeding activists who purport their statements to be "evidence-based" need to examine the credibility of their sources.
You don't have to be a martyr to breastfeed
Most medications are compatible with breastfeeding. If a mother feels like she has to "suck it up" when suffering from migraine headaches, depression, or strep throat, she needs better education and/or a better doctor. All of those can be treated while a mother breastfeeds, and breast milk is still preferable to formula if she has those medications in her system.
And I *have* been there.
Have you studied pharmacology
Have you studied pharmacology or ate getting your information from Dr. Hale and Kellymom? We dont know the affects of most medications on infants and children because they have not been tested on them!! It would be unethical to do so. The decision about whether or not to BF and take meds should be made by a woman and her physician on an individual basis! My OB and my sons ped told me not to even attempt it! 300mg of Effexor daily wasnt going into my sons system.
This attitide is why nothing gets changed
I have been there - I have experienced those issues more than once with the three children i nursed. I got help though - it got me through it...and then i became a breastfeeding supporter to help women who wish to breastfeed their children. The article is NOT offensive- to me at least - its just an expression of the truth that some women find difficult to hear.
We are very lucky that we live in a country where feeding formula milk will not kill our children but that being said does not mean that it is a healthy long term alternative to mothers milk. From what i have read - the the author is suggesting that human milk is a better alternative (as a live biological substance) than an artificial one. I understand that for many people that is difficult to hear. But why? With my first two children i struggled and they ended up on formula milk because i didnt have the right information or support available to me. I dont now feel angry when i read that formula milk is not a healthy long term alternative to breastmilk...just a bit sad that it takes a whole movement of people to get the information out there because our country is too scared of upsetting a multi billion £ empire that is formula milk production. We ALL as community need to wake up and smell the coffee...NO ONE is judging ANYONE - stop taking it so personally and absorb the information available.
And for the record...there are many people out there who are willing to donate human milk to milk banks...IF ONLY there were the resources available to hold it.
well said
I appreciate your comments. Those who have an easy time lactating and pumping could start their own milk-sharing businesses!
Milk Sharing businesses
I wish I could have given away all the milk my body produced. I had for a very long while anywhere from 10-16+ oz per milking. I worked and went to school so I had to pump and always make sure I had enough. Which I did with a surplus.
I want to respond to so many facets of these comments...
I wish there weren't so much anger across these conversations. Women used to be on the same side- this breaks my heart. I feel like so many of us (it is still "Us", right?) KNOW of breastfeeding benefits, and have the best of intentions, but every mom is different when it comes to weighing these against the myriad of challenges possible. And to each her own.
I am a new mom and have just returned to work. I faced challenges which included delayed production due to Cesarean and prematurity, a 32-weeker who hadn't developed the instinct to suck, swallow, and breathe at the same time, the use of pacifiers and bottles to "teach" him these things, extreme reflux, dairy and soy allergies, "loss" of milk... I could go on. None of those things have pushed me so close to understanding the values of formula as much as the feat that is pumping in the workplace. I surely don't intend to judge; rather, I am constantly in fear of being judged. Breastfeeding simply isn't "normal" anymore (yet?) in our society. However, it is my personal choice (wish me luck and continued strength).
I'd like to offer that before formula (and for that matter, in third-world countries), babies didn't have to perish when breastfeeding was a physiological impossibility. It has been only a relatively short amount of time since the whole village literally raised a child. And with a village comes a wet nurse.
For the sake of this post, I Googled "milk sharing" to discover that there actually is a milkshare.com. I find this to be an ironic byproduct of our times. More formal milk banks have become the modern Wet Nurse.
I personally look forward to donating to the Denver milk bank (http://www.milkbankcolorado.org/) , thanks to which my son received human milk via gavage feedings before my milk even came in. After being hospitalized myself, and the insane roller coaster that is being a NICU parent, I found this to be a small but mighty gift in the midst of a storm. I later found out that if there is a milk bank associated with your hospital, ANY baby can receive donated human milk- the only prerequisite for all health insurance is being born. While this is one of only 10 banks in the country, they have collection depots as far away as Portland, Oregon (Yay for dry ice!).
Somehow, despite being a resident of the hospital that houses this milk bank for five weeks before I delivered, I didn't know it existed. As a matter of fact, I never knew such a thing existed until after we were benefiting from it. Why is milk so taboo? How could we possibly normalize it?
I lament that I don't know anyone who "does this". My well-meaning husband, offering the advice that he hears me looking for rather than the validation that I am telepathically telling him that I need, says that so long as I cover myself in public while feeding my baby I should be fine. I blanch and he replies that Puritans founded this country and I need to suck it up (<3).
But I think this exacerbates the problem (again, to each her own). But if I had seen a baby eating at breast in public every day of my life, would I not KNOW more about it, or at least feel less shame for my decision? I am one of those women who long since stopped seeing my breasts as being sexual objects (a hospital pregnancy will make anyone... get over it) and care not who sees them, but simultaneously remain conscientious about offending others. (Funny though- in one home that I visit I leave the room to nurse "for the kids"- and the kids always end up coming to hang out with us.) I feel so GUILTY asking where I should go to feed or pump, as if I shouldn't have to even suggest that my baby isn't bottle fed. as if I may embarrass THEM.
Again, I am not helping to normalize nursing. I hereby swear to change this so that perhaps even one other mother may feel a little more comfortable talking about her decision to breastfeed matter-of-factly, yet without causing a fight. I will announce that I need to go pump in my male-dominant work place simply to communicate my whereabouts and the duration of my absence. I will casually mention let-down just s I would say, "I have to go to the loo". I will breastfeed in public as if it were a non-issue, and therefore draw little attention to it. I will ask other working moms if they are pumping too without lowering my voice.
And, finally, I will ask bottling moms about their experiences with genuine curiosity and compassion, remembering always to engender peace while talking to other moms. This, quite simply, is not a competition, much less the Salem With Trials.
I want to respond to so many facets of these comments...
I wish there weren't so much anger across these conversations. Women used to be on the same side- this breaks my heart. I feel like so many of us (it is still "Us", right?) KNOW of breastfeeding benefits, and have the best of intentions, but every mom is different when it comes to weighing these against the myriad of challenges possible. And to each her own.
I am a new mom and have just returned to work. I faced challenges which included delayed production due to Cesarean and prematurity, a 32-weeker who hadn't developed the instinct to suck, swallow, and breathe at the same time, the use of pacifiers and bottles to "teach" him these things, extreme reflux, dairy and soy allergies, "loss" of milk... I could go on. None of those things have pushed me so close to understanding the values of formula as much as the feat that is pumping in the workplace. I surely don't intend to judge; rather, I am constantly in fear of being judged. Breastfeeding simply isn't "normal" anymore (yet?) in our society. However, it is my personal choice (wish me luck and continued strength).
I'd like to offer that before formula (and for that matter, in third-world countries), babies didn't have to perish when breastfeeding was a physiological impossibility. It has been only a relatively short amount of time since the whole village literally raised a child. And with a village comes a wet nurse.
For the sake of this post, I Googled "milk sharing" to discover that there actually is a milkshare.com. I find this to be an ironic byproduct of our times. More formal milk banks have become the modern Wet Nurse.
I personally look forward to donating to the Denver milk bank (http://www.milkbankcolorado.org/) , thanks to which my son received human milk via gavage feedings before my milk even came in. After being hospitalized myself, and the insane roller coaster that is being a NICU parent, I found this to be a small but mighty gift in the midst of a storm. I later found out that if there is a milk bank associated with your hospital, ANY baby can receive donated human milk- the only prerequisite for all health insurance is being born. While this is one of only 10 banks in the country, they have collection depots as far away as Portland, Oregon (Yay for dry ice!).
Somehow, despite being a resident of the hospital that houses this milk bank for five weeks before I delivered, I didn't know it existed. As a matter of fact, I never knew such a thing existed until after we were benefiting from it. Why is milk so taboo? How could we possibly normalize it?
I lament that I don't know anyone who "does this". My well-meaning husband, offering the advice that he hears me looking for rather than the validation that I am telepathically telling him that I need, says that so long as I cover myself in public while feeding my baby I should be fine. I blanch and he replies that Puritans founded this country and I need to suck it up (<3).
But I think this exacerbates the problem (again, to each her own). But if I had seen a baby eating at breast in public every day of my life, would I not KNOW more about it, or at least feel less shame for my decision? I am one of those women who long since stopped seeing my breasts as being sexual objects (a hospital pregnancy will make anyone... get over it) and care not who sees them, but simultaneously remain conscientious about offending others. (Funny though- in one home that I visit I leave the room to nurse "for the kids"- and the kids always end up coming to hang out with us.) I feel so GUILTY asking where I should go to feed or pump, as if I shouldn't have to even suggest that my baby isn't bottle fed. as if I may embarrass THEM.
Again, I am not helping to normalize nursing. I hereby swear to change this so that perhaps even one other mother may feel a little more comfortable talking about her decision to breastfeed matter-of-factly, yet without causing a fight. I will announce that I need to go pump in my male-dominant work place simply to communicate my whereabouts and the duration of my absence. I will casually mention let-down just s I would say, "I have to go to the loo". I will breastfeed in public as if it were a non-issue, and therefore draw little attention to it. I will ask other working moms if they are pumping too without lowering my voice.
And, finally, I will ask bottling moms about their experiences with genuine curiosity and compassion, remembering always to engender peace while talking to other moms. This, quite simply, is not a competition, much less the Salem Witch Trials.
Indeed
"I wish there weren't so much anger across these conversations. Women used to be on the same side- this breaks my heart. I feel like so many of us (it is still "Us", right?) KNOW of breastfeeding benefits, and have the best of intentions, but every mom is different when it comes to weighing these against the myriad of challenges possible. And to each her own."
I couldn't agree more. The world is pushing as all to become more disconnected and isolated, individualistic - it's not neccessaryily a bad thing but sometimes you have to realize you're not alone. Thank you for sharing your story.
You should be mad at the poor information that you had!
You poor woman. What anger issues you seem to have. Maybe your husband is a rocket scientist but clearly you are not. If you were you would understand the importance of this piece and all of the articles explaining the normalcy of breastfeeding and the failure of formula to provide what is needed for our children. I'm so sorry your case slipped through the cracks and someone didn't help you. Did you ask MANY different lactation consultants for help on how to fix the problems? Because if you merely talked with your other healthcare providers that clearly explains the beliefs that you have about medicines and putting up with pain and the child's gassiness and teething (on you, I take it?). I breastfed 3 children and had little problems along the way but found help.
It is not the writer’s fault that you did not get good help. Because you clearly needed a very good lactation consultant (IBCLC) with lots of experience, to help you through what was happening to you. If you were sick, depressed, headache, sore nipples, etc; for goodness sake you should have been taking something medicinal or herbal that would help you. Sorry, but breastfeeding is not an excuse to not take your medicine, there are many compatible medicines that won't get into your milk or will only do so in minute amounts, the same medicine you take for strep your baby might also be given if ill. If your nipples were that sore why didn't you get help for that? When something hurts, that indicates a problem. Maybe your baby has a tongue-tie that you should have had released for proper sucking and oral development. Maybe you were simply nipple feeding instead of BREASTfeeding, I see that alot. Moms think that baby just needs to latch onto the nipple instead of getting behind the nipple.
Good God, did you use a cheap pump? Pumps are pretty painless, you just need to adjust the suction. Sorry but they do not hurt if you have the right one and the right fit in the size of the breast flange. It is not inconvenient at all. Many mothers LOVE pumping or wet-nursing to help out another dyad (baby and mother are one, you know, that's the way it is supposed to be). Sounds like you resented having to do things for your child. You certainly shouldn't be taking Reglan if you have issues such as yours. There are many herbs and also Domperidone that can be taken but some women ONLY need the nursing or pumping to bring in a supply. There are so many milk sharing sites now that one does not even need to worry about paying at a milk bank. I have seen many mothers induce lactation for the baby they have adopted, also. So, many, many women UNDERSTAND the importance of breastfeeding. It is more than food. If you can't supply everything your baby needs then you just supplement with donor milk or formula.
You see, when women are informed they can make better choices and when hearing someone's horror story they will just shake their heads and feel sorry for that woman who did the best she could with the information she had at the time, who, unfortunately didn't know that there was a whole support group out there that would have helped her. That's why these articles need to be written. Women have a right to correct information. And our babies have a right to breastfeed or at least have breastmilk, in whatever amount mother can provide.
Domperidone isnt approved by
Domperidone isnt approved by the FDA in the US and not approved in any country in the world to induce lactation, in fact it has strongly been advised against. For those who rant about how impure formula is, I find it hypocritical that one would be willing to use drugs off label, illegal at that and then say that most meds are safe for breastfeeding because Dr hales book says so... makes me wonder whos being duped and misinformed.
Domperidone
Now I think you are just looking for excuses. Who cares what the FDA says. They are just a government body being paid off by the pharmaceutical companies and the government for their own agenda. Look at the drugs they do approve. They knowingly cause death or horrible side affects but they are still approved. Domperidone is perfectly safe and countries around the world use it widely. In many countries it is sold over the counter and those that prescribe, do so freely, the doctors love it. Domperidone warnings only came out when the U.S. Breastfeeding campaign started and had a wonderful piece on 20/20. They had to try to stop the women who had low supplies from ordering it, these women are informed and know it is safe and works. They used old studies done on the sick in nursing homes who had other problems and were given high doses intravenously, there have never been any studies showing ill effects in babies or mothers using the oral form in the low doses prescribed. In fact there have been studies to the contrary. And studies showing how well it works.
Do you know the pharmacology of how drugs might enter breastmilk? They have to have certain criteria to even get into milk in any quantity. Lipid solubility, molecular weight, the half-life of the drug in infant and mother, ion trapping, oral bioavailability, protein binding in maternal circulation, the blood level. Your healthcare provider should know these things not just pick up the Physician's Desk Reference which is hardly more than a book of drug inserts saying, "no, don't take that drug", or "ask your doctor or healthcare provider before taking this drug." Those are only cover your rear answers because too many people want to sue for anything that they can.
Did you have cytotec to soften your cervix during birth. The ob-gyn's were using it off label for so long and it caused so many uteruses/uteri (either is acceptable) to rupture that they stopped letting women have v-bacs's.Finally, ob's are supposed to allow trial of labor but too many insurance agencies have become involved.
I can't believe that you don't believe Dr. Hale who does studies and researches drugs but you'll listen to your doctors who have no background in medications and breastfeeding. He could run circles around them. You truly are looking for validation.
So full of it
Excuses? Oh Cheri you are so full of it.. no I didnt have cytotec to sofeten my cervix. Nor would have I allowed it to be used like that, its too damn dangerous. Oh I must be so dumb for following the advice of my doctor who knows me and my personal medical history over Dr. Hales advice. Does Dr. Hale know my personal medical history, does he know me ? He doesnt bloody know me from Eve! Dr Hales book can certainly be used as a reference along with the PDR by doctors and by looking at that and the patients medical history to make an informed choice on what to prescribe a BF mom. You are advocating a one size fits all approach to medicine and that is dangerous. Medical care isnt black and white, one size fits all. A doctor may determine the benefit of taking a medication whilst BF will outweigh the risks in one patient, but the same medication wouldnt be advisable to another BF woman.
In all fairness, I chose to
In all fairness, I chose to breastfeed my two children, and have thoroughly enjoyed your blog series. I believe in what you are doing and greatly appreciate you trying to educate others. A moms decision to nurse, I have noticed, has a lot to do with whether their mothers had successfully breastfeed or not.
It makes me chuckle, every time a woman complains about the nursing process hurting. It only occurs when there is a lack in education and proper technique. If done properly, it never ever hurts and is the most nurturing, nutritional and convenient way to feed a infant.
Not true!
It makes me chuckle, every time a woman complains about the nursing process hurting. It only occurs when there is a lack in education and proper technique. If done properly, it never ever hurts and is the most nurturing, nutritional and convenient way to feed a infant.
Not true. Well, at least not the part about "it only occurs when there is a lack of education and proper technique". And IMO, saying that only serves to discourage the women who have very real, very serious challenges.
I breastfed my first daughter for two years. I had some pain at the beginning, but it got better quickly with a little practice, and we had no problems after that. I was educated (had read every book on the subject, attended LLL meetings, took a breastfeeding class, etc) and determined, my husband and mom were supportive (but Mom lived 16 hours away, so little good that did me), but I didn't get much support from anyone else. I was basically lucky that it was fairly easy and stubborn enough to tell my mother-in-law and a bunch of meddling strangers where to shove their opinions about my feeding choices, LOL.
Six years later, my second daughter was born. I was still educated and even more determined (because I knew how good it could be!), and by that point my MIL had figured out that I was stubborn, so I didn't really get any resistance from her like I did the first time. I figured it was pretty cut and dried -- I nursed the first time, and I would nurse the second time. But we had nothing but problems. Bad latch, weak suck, poor muscle tone in her mouth/cheeks. I saw SEVEN lactation consultants and attended a multitude of La Leche League meetings. I took her to a chiropractor, a cranial sacral therapist, and a SLP. I used an SNS to deliver first formula, then donated breastmilk (thank you to the woman who donated to us!) and later my own breastmilk (thanks to domperidone, More Milk Plus, and a good breast pump, I finally started producing after the initial supply tank before we figured out why she wasn't getting enough milk). Fortunately, after 6 weeks of literally feeding her 24/7, doing mouth/tongue exercises, and having various alternative therapies, her latch and suck improved, and she went on to nurse until she was just over 2.
Three years later, same song, second verse. Daughter #3 seemed to do okay at first, but about a week after she was born, something seemed terribly wrong. Eventually, she was diagnosed with a submucosal posterior tongue tie (most doctors and LCs don't recognize this kind -- I'm very thankful my LC had experience with them), which we had fixed by a pediatric dentist with a water laser procedure. It made a difference, but it wasn't a magic bullet. We still struggled with frequent loss of suction, painful sores on my nipples, mastitis, thrush, and later severe reflux that made her reluctant to eat at all. She gained wight, but EXTREMELY slowly, and our problems continued for the entire first year. There were times when she would plateau in her weight gain, or even lose a couple of ounces, and I would have to increase the domperidone/herbs and start pumping in earnest to get my supply up and then do whatever I could to encourage her to nurse as often as possible, and I was always able to turn it around (I also pumped over 450 oz of milk in the first 6 months, and since she wouldn't touch a bottle, I ended up donating all of it to other babies who needed milk). Again, I was determined, and she's still nursing at almost 13 months old now (I'm still on the herbs for my milk supply), and I plan to go to at least 2 years like I did with the others.
While nursing my second and third daughters, I got nothing but flack from pretty much everyone but my husband. Why was I trying so hard, when I could just go to the store and buy formula? Even my mom, who was very supportive the first time when everything was going well, encouraged me to throw in the towel at the first sign of trouble with #2. In fact, she went to the first LC visit with me and asked the LC, "Wouldn't it be easier for her to just give the baby a bottle?"
If I hadn't had my first nursing experience, I don't know if I would have gotten through the second. If I didn't know how sweet it was to watch a baby fall asleep at my breast with that "milk drunk" expression, I might not have had the strong emotional desire to make it work. If I didn't know how great it was to leave the house without worrying whether I had enough bottles, I might not have had the motivation to muscle through all the problems. If I had had a smaller age gap between my first two children, I probably wouldn't have been able to sit and nurse for hours on end until things improved. If I had had to go back to work at 6 weeks (I'm a stay-at-home mom), I would have missed the "sweet spot" when my second finally figured things out and started nursing efficiently, and there would have been no way to continue nursing my third, who required frequent breast feedings long past the point of starting solids.
I absolutely think that most mothers can breastfeed. But I'm 2 for 3 on serious problems that were 100% physiological and had absolutely NOTHING to do with education or support, and to say that pain "only occurs when there is a lack of education and proper technique" is a slap in the face of a lot of women who have gone through hell to try to nurse their babies.
With all that said, I definitely agree with most of the points of this article, though I do question the statistics about tribal cultures and breastfeeding success (surely there must be tongue ties, cleft palates, and other physical issues that can cause problems with breastfeeding in third world countries, and I'd wager they make up more than 1% of mothers/babies). I do think that formula is a poor substitute for breast milk, and I hope in the future that hospitals can provide human milk for babies who need it. I was very blessed to be able to donate my milk to two women who needed it for their babies. One had had her baby through a surrogate and attempted to induce lactation but couldn't get enough to feed him 100%, and the other was a friend of a friend who was having nursing problems but was working with a LC to fix them. Since I was on herbs and two medications (Domperidone and Metformin, both of which are very safe to take while nursing), I wouldn't have qualified to donate to a milk bank, which is a shame, really, because I had 450 oz of perfectly good milk just sitting in my deep freeze waiting to go bad. For those women who do qualify, I think donating to a milk bank regularly is a wonderful, selfless thing to do, but I also think that the need for human milk greatly exceeds what milk banks will ever be able to provide, and for that reason I'm glad that milk share groups/forums/e-mails can be used to get milk for the babies who need it.
I also agree that education is key. Because as long as we have hospitals sending us home with formula, pediatricians recommending supplementing for the smallest little things, and grandparents/friends/spouses encouraging us to "just let X give the baby a bottle so you can get some rest/so he can bond with the baby/until your milk comes in!", formula will continue to be seen as "almost as good as" breastfeeding, or even superior to it, and the number of women who believe they "can't" breastfeed because "my milk never came in/the baby preferred the bottle/he wasn't getting enough and would drink a whole bottle after he nursed" will remain high.
Few commentaries of my own
Minor correction:
I wouldn't say that formula lowers IQ, rather I'd say that the lack of breastfeeding does - or that breastfeeding increases it (due to better brain development). More research should be done on the matter to further reveal the differences between breastfeed and otherwise feed babies - also the difference made by the amount of time a baby was brestfeed.
TO MOTHERS:
You rage out on Darcia Narvaez, while I am far more outraged at the advertisment agencies. Some ads downright call you a BAD MOTHER if you do not buy this and that for your child, they simply say that good mothers or best mothers buy their children this and that. I would raise hell at their doors rather then these posts on breastfeeding.
Secondly, if you cannot provide breastmilk for your child (if you did your best to try and provide it) then you should not feel attacked, ashamed or any other negative emotion because you did what you could - none ask you to do more than you can. The posts are for mothers who put their children on formula for no reason other then they would be inconvinienced if they'd breastfeed.
To Darcia Narvaez:
It's a simple rule of nature - a bear will not kill a human without a good reason, however, a mother bear with hur cubs will take down anything in her way to protect her cubs. What you have here is a stampeede of mother bears - blunt language will make you the greatest threat they ever saw, so a helpful tip would be to make sure you do not appear as a threat at all. Try to put yourself in the shoes of the more troubled mothers and speak from their standing-point this will send a good message that YOU are on THEIR side and should eliminate any destructive critisism. The two approaches would thus' be:
- empathic approach where you level your view point to that of many mothers (you could even ask some on their thoughts about your writting to insure it's not too offensive - you even have some mother-bloggers here on PT)
- cold, emotionless, scientific facts only approach (making it pure and simple by explaining facts and obliterating any personal commentary on the matter)
I agree and approve of your posts. Hope my thoughts help you on your future campaigns.
Best Regards
Great suggestions--thanks!
I appreciate your taking the time to write and make such insightful suggestions and encouraging remarks!
"The posts are for mothers
"The posts are for mothers who put their children on formula for no reason other then they would be inconvinienced if they'd breastfeed"
While these mothers probably exist, I think they are few and far between and statements like this are counter to everything else you say and part of what get people's backs up.
In my view, the biggest barriers to extended breastfeeding are limited maternity leave (6 weeks is ridiculous) and partial and misinformation. I was repeatedly told 'it shouldn't hurt if you are doing it right' which was a lot of unneccesary pressure when a more encouraging statement might have been 'once you and your baby get the hang of this, it shouldn't hurt at all' (backed up with ongoing support). Also, I see a lot of mothers with milk supply issues who aren't nursing their babies on demand (simply, because I don't think they are recognizing what demand looks like) - but none of my prenatal classes or midwives or even my doula really discussed cluster feeding with me beforehand and had it not been for the internet, I would have completely felt like I was doing something wrong (and in fact, I was criticized by some for nursing too much; not introducing the bottle or soother right away and not leaving the baby for extended periods of for others to watch). Add big money formula campains and behind-the-scenes 'sabotaging' (breastfeeding 'hotlines'; Night Nurse Nation, gift bags given to you in hospital and mailed to your home) and you have some pretty compelling reasons why formula is King. So, while I guess there may be some moms out there who treasure straightforward convenience over their children, I think they are of the absolute smallest minority. That said, I do wish some of the anger that is present in comments like the first one on this page would be directed towards all of this other stuff I mentioned instead of towards breastfeeding advocates.
Actually...
Sadly, I know more mothers from my generation (I'm 23) who do not breastfeed because they didn't want to "damage their breasts" (their words - not mine!) than those who simply couldn't due to problems producing milk or whatnot. Formula is becoming the standard for my generation. Breastfeeding is seen as weird and archaic ("Who does that anymore?" <- I've heard this MANY times!), while formula is perfectly normal. There's a huge problem with this mentality.
I don't think anyone is trying to blame mothers who have tried to breastfeed and simply cannot. It happens! However, there are many of us who are trying to promote making milk sharing opportunities more prevalent so that can be first alternative before formula. Now, I do know of ONE case where a friend's baby absolutely HAS to have formula because they have a serious intolerance of some kind, but again - it happens and no one should get blamed for something they have no control over! It is the mentality that I discussed in the above paragraph that is the problem that has to be overcomed.
"I wouldn't say that formula
"I wouldn't say that formula lowers IQ, rather I'd say that the lack of breastfeeding does - or that breastfeeding increases it (due to better brain development)."
No. Breastmilk is the standard, the baseline, upon which infant and child development should be tested. It will not raise an IQ; it will help a child achieve their natural IQ/abilities. Therefore, not giving a child breastmilk can have negative effects on their mental development.
This is not a slam on mothers who choose not to breastfeed, this is a fact.
Can you verify that fact with a study, please?
Can you verify that? Because all I've ever been able to come up with is a mixed bag of results. Best evidence for the breastfeeding-IQ link was from a sibling study done by Evenhouse/Reilly a few years back, where no benefits to breastfeeding over formula held up between siblings EXCEPT IQ. So this was pretty solid evidence. But other than that, even the "gold standard" of BF research, Michael Kramer's PROBIT study, found no solid evidence for this claim.
So I'm curious...
I'm pretty certain this
I'm pretty certain this person's response came directly from "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding," or whatever that condescending book by LLL is called. I remember reading that while I was pregnant (back when I, too, looked down upon women who chose to formula feed.....boy was I in for a wake up call when the realities of breastfeeding hit). I am now a happy and proud formula feeder who will not breastfeed any future children by choice. I am living proof that exclusively formula fed babies can be successful, happy, healthy, and smart, so I have no guilt over making this choice for my baby (who is also happy, healthy, and thriving).
Also, I have to strongly disagree with the statements I constantly see on sites like this proclaiming that hospitals badger women to formula feed. My experience was the exact opposite. I felt like I was being stalked by the lactation consultants at my hospital, and I had originally opted to breastfeed...it's not like I needed convincing! They were constantly in my face, but they never succeeded in doing anything but making my baby cry and making me frustrated.
Perhaps we should stop demonizing women who make a perfectly reasonable choice for their child and themselves. Breastmilk may be best in some ways, but you have to consider the toll it takes on some mothers and the subsequent toll on their babies. I am pretty sure a depressed mom who hates breastfeeding but is forcing herself to do it because of what the "studies" and her "friends" say isn't giving her baby better care than a happy formula feeding mom is giving hers.
FFF - love your blog! Thank you for being the voice for proud formula feeding moms!
IQ study
Here are several that control for confounding variables:
http://www.ajcn.org/content/70/4/525.abstract
http://adc.bmj.com/content/85/3/183.abstract
http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/287/18/2365.abstract
http://archpsyc.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/65/5/578
Here is another with low birth weight babies only:
http://fn.bmjjournals.com/content/84/1/F23.abstract
Greater effects on boys:
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/127/1/e137.abstract
Here is one comparing 3 and 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding. One thing it shows is a significant difference in head size at 12 months--which is linked to IQ in another study (see my blog on How to Grow a Smart Baby):
http://www.ajcn.org/content/78/2/291.abstract
I actually think that IQ is not the quotient measure to use. It should be EQ, emotional intelligence, which is decreasing in USA college students over the last decades (Konrath et al., 2011).
Some are better than others...
Thanks for sharing. This is a much more helpful and honest way to carry on a discussion about risk.
As for the studies, I was only able to access the full text of a few. The first one, a meta-study, was very impressive. I would need time to read through all of the studies in question to fully assess the quality of the studies included (also, I would like to know about studies that were not included in this analysis, ones that found null results, for example). Still, there definitely seems to be a strong connection between breastfeeding and IQ.
The thing that does strike me, however, is that nearly all of these studies are using cohorts that are rather - well, elderly. Formula has changed over time. I realize there is much controversy over the DHA/ARA additives, but I always come back to the study done by University of California on autism which did show an equally protective (at least by statistical standards) effect of formula with added DHA/ARA and breastmilk. More studies need to be done on this, I think, but there might be something there. But I digress - the point is, more recent studies, like PROBIT, did not find the same evidence. However, the sibling study I referred to previously did in fact show a strong correlation between higher IQ and breastfeeding, so it is one of the benefits that I would categorize as more well established than others. I'd be interested in finding out the REASON for this, however - is it the breastmilk itself, or the breastfeeding? This would have serious implications for working mothers, and others who pump rather than breastfeed. Or, if it is the actual act of breastfeeding, could this be recreated in some way for parents who are unable to breastfeed?
These are the types of questions I believe we should focus on asking, rather than insisting that every woman stay home for a year and nurse her baby, whether is able to or not, or even wants to or not. Modern medical research can do so much; I can't believe that we couldn't figure some of this stuff out if we tried.
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