Benefits of bf exadurated?

[socitycourty]

My grandma could not BF my dad or my uncle. She never had one drop of milk, at all. Of course in the 1950's they didn't try to figure it out. So they were on formula. My sister had a legitimate supply problem. My LO could not tolerate BM at all.

She latched fine, etc. but just couldn't keep it down and was in horrible pain. I hated seeing her like that and watching her vomit after every feed and then get back on the boob again. I could not have kept that up. She also lost weight too. So yeah I do think luck is a part of it.

Since I did do it for almost 9 weeks I know enough for next time that as long as baby doesn't have severe allergy I could have the extended BF that I wanted in the first place.

I gave birth in an extremely pro BF hospital but yet had no assistance until she was 2 days old. I latched her on in recovery by myself and really had no issue with it.

When the LC did come she didn't offer any help except to tell me to ignore my c section pain and I would feel better.

 

[socitycourty]

I'd love to BF baby #2 (if there is a number 2!) but I'd rather have an open mind, instead of assuming it would work out and going through a ton of heartbreak.

I don't enjoy or have "pride" in FF, it's just what we have to do and a fact of life. I cannot afford donor milk. I don't want a random person's milk for free. I just can't do that, it's not something I'm comfortable with.

My LO is happy and healthy for now, that's all I ask for. If she has allergies or something in the future I'll have to deal with it then. In the meantime, she has to get fed somehow!

It's really a shame too, I don't about Cali but here it was $3/ounce - anyone with a reflux baby knows that's throwing up a good $30/day plus whatever they actually fill up with!!!

I had a home birth and hired a doula to assist with breastfeeding, turns out I didn't even need her even after transferring to the hospital. Philippe latched right away without issue and does not have reflux.

While I know education and perseverance is a big part of it, I'm afraid that luck also has a lot to do with it too Circumstances do matter. My granny BF all her children except one, who was on some crappy goat milk/oatmeal sludge as that's all that was available. So at least we've moved beyond that, at least most of us, not every woman is as lucky still.

Yes, I could never have spent that money for LO to throw it up everywhere! according to the pediatrican it would have been anyone's BM that bothered her, not just mine. I ate nothing but rice for 2 weeks practically and no relief for her.

 

[MommaAlexis]

Yup, Lara was bf for 6 weeks, she screamed for 10 hours + a day because she was allergic to the lactose in my milk. After a day on formula, totally happy! I will try again for any other kids but if I see the same symptoms, straight to formula! I don't feel any guilt over it, she's happy, it works for us. Do what works for you and don't worry about some 0.0001% chance that they may not be AS smart. Really that's like one extra multiple choice question they'll get wrong in their whole life. Big deal.


Edit: at least I assume it's the lactose cause lactose free is what she's on and I'm too scared to change her seeing as she's happy on it.

 

[staralfur]

Kind of OT (maybe?) but I was severely allergic to my mom's milk too! I was hospitalized for some time, and very very scick. Apparently it's quite rare? I always thought it was very strange and a lot of times people don't believe me or my mom, I guess some people don't think it's possible.

 

[MommaAlexis]

Weird! Three in one thread! Rare allergies unite!!!

 

[overcomer79]

Since I have a little more time under my belt with my dd now I think I can compare my two children. My son starting at four months old starting having severe ear infections and had to have tubes at 18 months. He was breastfed exclusively for 3 weeks then combi for another 3 until he went straight on formula.

My daughter aced her four month appt with nothing wrong. In fact, she had a five day cold! My son's lasted two weeks as did mine and my dh developed bronchitis and is still having issues. My daughter is the healthiest (so far touch wood) of us all and she was switched to formula at 3 weeks old.

Now, I don't think the benefits are exaggerated. BUT, we also need to consider other things. For instance, I learned why my son was sickly. I didn't think about the vent position to his bed. I only learned this after lightning ran in on our AC unit and the unit had to be replaced. I was inspecting the vents and discovered my son was being blown in the head at night time. I switched his room around and he hasn't had no more strange sicknesses! I was fortunate in that they were about to send him to a children's hospital for an immune system check.

My daughter is no where near said vent. She has also slept on her tummy since she flipped herself over at five weeks old.

I think a lot more goes in to it then how a child was fed .

 

[bjl1981]

I BF my first for 2 weeks, and my 2nd for 3 months. I can't comment on the most recent one as he's only 4 1/2 months, but my 3 year old who was FF from being 2 weeks is absolutely healthy and never had any bonding issues, he's very bright and I don't think not being BF has made any difference. I don't think that the health benefits are exaggerated though, because they do get the antibodies which FF can't give them, but thats about it!

 

[HellBunny]

Completely agree bjl1981!

Of course formula will never be the same as BM, but that doesn't make it an inadequate choice, the regulations are pretty tight when it comes to infant formula, in most cases it is a safe healthy alternative, its not like it was 60odd years ago!

 

[Solena]

I don't believe that the benefits of breastfeeding are particularly exaggerated. Formula simply can not measure up to breastfeeding.

That doesn't make formula wrong, it still meets the nutritional needs of babies and toddlers. It just isn't tailor-made to your child the way that breastmilk is.

 

[Tasha]

I think that the way the results are worded in research can make it seem exaggerated. Also some peoples interpretations of the research means that it gets exaggerated. What I mean by that is, that in this thred alone I cant count how many times a 'low IQ' has been mentioned when infact I have never read any offical thing saying that FF means a low IQ or BF a high one, I have read that it can help IQ but that is only by 2-5 points depending on what research. Now 2-5 points is nothing at all really, and if someone had an IQ of 145 and someone else 143 then no one will notice.

What I meant by the wording is that if you say a child who has been FF is four times more likely to....over a BF child, well four times more likely when the chance of a BF getting it is 0.2% is only 0.8% chance, which is nothing in the grand scheme of things. Whereas if the chance of a BF child is 10% and therefore a 40% chance of a FF well then that is a huge difference.

This sort of wording is not just a feeding research thing though, it happens in most research

 

[HPmum2B]

Sorry to interrupt...

I have been reading this thread, and every time I look at the word 'exadurated' I'm like, 'that looks wrong, but I can't think why'.... it has been driving me insane. Spell check tells me it should be spelt 'Exaggerated', but even that looks crazy strange to me. I think maybe it is the first time I have ever seen it written down.

 

[babyfromgod]

Sorry to interrupt...

I have been reading this thread, and every time I look at the word 'exadurated' I'm like, 'that looks wrong, but I can't think why'.... it has been driving me insane. Spell check tells me it should be spelt 'Exaggerated', but even that looks crazy strange to me. I think maybe it is the first time I have ever seen it written down.

I think it is spelled exaggerated, does look weird though

 

[CMarie]

Completely agree Solena!

I personally don't think the benefits are exaggerated at all. There is so much more to breastmilk then just antibodies, bonding, etc. The breastmilk is constantly changing as your baby needs it and as they grow to meet their different needs. I think it's awesome that formula is available for those who can't or choose not to breastfeed, but I personally would never give my LO formula (if he was young enough for it) or any other baby I have...I'd rather give them donor breastmilk. I can understand that formula is an alternative to breastmilk, but the ingredients and the fact that it is all synthetic is enough to turn me off of it.

 

[rory83coyotes]

I gave my baby donor breast milk in the nicu but that is the only time that it is available. I combi feed as I don't make enough milk but I do think that the milk does provide antibodies and such. what I take with a grain of salt is the fact that it is used for everything under the son, it magically cures pink eye, ear infections, and i read yesterday if squirted up the nose will fix a sinus infection. I know it was inteded for food but I'm not sure that it is a cure for every modern aliment.

Now granted formula is processed and isn't all natural. But if while you were pregnant you didn't have a garden, some chickens, and a cow out back and eat only organic foods then you baby has already been exposed to all of the same processed foods anyway. Its really no difference. Does it have some better benefits than formula, absolutely. Does that make formula akin to feeding your child some horrible thing that is going to make your baby deathly ill no. Formula is a safe, healthy way to feed your baby and I am personally glade that it is here. It probably saved my childrens lives as I have never been able to produce enough to make any of them happy as children.

 

[MommaAlexis]

The nose thing is true. It also helps baby acne. Don't ask me how but that is 100% true.

 

[socitycourty]

Completely agree Solena!

I personally don't think the benefits are exaggerated at all. There is so much more to breastmilk then just antibodies, bonding, etc. The breastmilk is constantly changing as your baby needs it and as they grow to meet their different needs. I think it's awesome that formula is available for those who can't or choose not to breastfeed, but I personally would never give my LO formula (if he was young enough for it) or any other baby I have...I'd rather give them donor breastmilk. I can understand that formula is an alternative to breastmilk, but the ingredients and the fact that it is all synthetic is enough to turn me off of it.

the admin already posted that people who don't FF by choice should not be posting in this thread anymore ????

 

[OmarsMum]

Thread locked. It's going in circles now. I think after 24 pages OP already got enough replies.