breast is no longer best...new research

[Shri]

I just want to say that as an ARDENT believer in breastfeeding I really really still wish that we could all be more understanding that breastfeeding doesn't always work for some people.

The OP is clearly looking for some way of feeling better about the fact that she wasn't able to breastfeed and yet she really should not be feeling guilty at all.

I had a lot of difficulties with breastfeeding and for the first three months it was such agony that everyday I thought about giving up - I feel that I was just stubborn and I'm glad I kept going but during that time, I felt really really lousy and very sad when I saw all the 'breast is best' stuff because it felt like I was failing both my baby and myself in some way if I wasn't able to do it easily and naturally. This was me, total hippie who wanted nothing more than for the baby to be able to latch himself on and all the rest - I really wanted the breastfeeding ideal and was totally unprepared for the difficulties that we faced.

Now that I can breastfeed ok I feel very blessed to have been able to do so thus far and I know that if I had not been able to, I would look back and feel a lot of sadness and guilt about it - and that is not fair. Women really can judge others so harshly and make things harder and more complicated for each other.

I feel sad that the OP was feeling somewhat better as a result of some random article - the facts of the article are neither here nor there as far as I am concerned - what matters is that she, like many others should not have to feel guilty. Yes, there is a lot of dodgy stuff behind many of the formula companies, and the world should not be that way, but those of us that are blessed with the ability to breastfeed could do well to consider how our opinions on the matter make other mothers feel.

 

[helen1234]

if it wasnt for formula my son wouldnt be here, i struggled for 6 long weeks expressing and was told by west midlands top lactation consultant with 40 yrs under her belt, that rhys will never feed because of his tongue tie was so bad even having it cut, it still did nothing to help him.

so in my case formula was best.

i dont care how people feed as long as THEY feed.

 

[RJ01]

Interesting! These threads always are!

Breast is best in the sense that it's from the Mummy, it's the most natural (hope that came across right)
I BF for 5 months then changed to FF and i can see that both have benefits. Although I do wish some days that I didn't have bottles to wash LOL. Not sure i could have coped with that in the first weeks.... snuggled on sofa feeding my baby was way better! But its what suits everyone that matters!

Do wish tho that BF was normal and the first choice, maybe one day it will be again.

Wet nursing ... I would do it. If a baby needed feeding and I was able to offer it food I would.

Me too

 

[Serene123]

I just want to say that as an ARDENT believer in breastfeeding I really really still wish that we could all be more understanding that breastfeeding doesn't always work for some people.

The OP is clearly looking for some way of feeling better about the fact that she wasn't able to breastfeed and yet she really should not be feeling guilty at all.

I had a lot of difficulties with breastfeeding and for the first three months it was such agony that everyday I thought about giving up - I feel that I was just stubborn and I'm glad I kept going but during that time, I felt really really lousy and very sad when I saw all the 'breast is best' stuff because it felt like I was failing both my baby and myself in some way if I wasn't able to do it easily and naturally. This was me, total hippie who wanted nothing more than for the baby to be able to latch himself on and all the rest - I really wanted the breastfeeding ideal and was totally unprepared for the difficulties that we faced.

Now that I can breastfeed ok I feel very blessed to have been able to do so thus far and I know that if I had not been able to, I would look back and feel a lot of sadness and guilt about it - and that is not fair. Women really can judge others so harshly and make things harder and more complicated for each other.

I feel sad that the OP was feeling somewhat better as a result of some random article - the facts of the article are neither here nor there as far as I am concerned - what matters is that she, like many others should not have to feel guilty. Yes, there is a lot of dodgy stuff behind many of the formula companies, and the world should not be that way, but those of us that are blessed with the ability to breastfeed could do well to consider how our opinions on the matter make other mothers feel.

Well said! I for one am starting to realise how easy it is to upset someone.

 

[milkmachine]

Thought I would make a little test!

Which is nutritionally best?

Pure juice or from concentrate
Finest range or value range
real sausages or hotdog sausages
homemade food or jar food
whole chicken or chicken nuggets

If you answered as the first answer then isn't it the same for breast and formula?

there we go with the chicken nuggets again haha

 

[Hevz]

I don't see anything wrong with wet nursing. You drink milk from a cows udder, so why not a human breast?

Do you really...I'd like to see a picture

We don't drink it directly from the udder do we

There's a difference between breastfeeding someone elses baby and donating EBM.....some people don't mind but unless it was a starving baby in Africa or something I can't say I would ever breastfeed someone elses child directly nor let them breastfeed mine

 

[polo_princess]

Thought I would make a little test!

Which is nutritionally best?

Pure juice or from concentrate
Finest range or value range
real sausages or hotdog sausages
homemade food or jar food
whole chicken or chicken nuggets

If you answered as the first answer then isn't it the same for breast and formula?

Nothing to add thats contructive to this thread that hasnt already been said, aside from the above bolded

I wouldnt actually be so sure if i were you ... when was the last time you compared labels on the two? A lot of value food is actually nutrtionally better because they add less crap to it to keep the costs down

Random ... but had to point that out

 

[RJ01]

No problem with people ff I do it now just can't understand why people don't try, my cousin was so jealous I bf but won't even try just keptsaying it wasn't her thing.

 

[helent1983]

I just want to say that as an ARDENT believer in breastfeeding I really really still wish that we could all be more understanding that breastfeeding doesn't always work for some people.

The OP is clearly looking for some way of feeling better about the fact that she wasn't able to breastfeed and yet she really should not be feeling guilty at all.

I had a lot of difficulties with breastfeeding and for the first three months it was such agony that everyday I thought about giving up - I feel that I was just stubborn and I'm glad I kept going but during that time, I felt really really lousy and very sad when I saw all the 'breast is best' stuff because it felt like I was failing both my baby and myself in some way if I wasn't able to do it easily and naturally. This was me, total hippie who wanted nothing more than for the baby to be able to latch himself on and all the rest - I really wanted the breastfeeding ideal and was totally unprepared for the difficulties that we faced.

Now that I can breastfeed ok I feel very blessed to have been able to do so thus far and I know that if I had not been able to, I would look back and feel a lot of sadness and guilt about it - and that is not fair. Women really can judge others so harshly and make things harder and more complicated for each other.

I feel sad that the OP was feeling somewhat better as a result of some random article - the facts of the article are neither here nor there as far as I am concerned - what matters is that she, like many others should not have to feel guilty. Yes, there is a lot of dodgy stuff behind many of the formula companies, and the world should not be that way, but those of us that are blessed with the ability to breastfeed could do well to consider how our opinions on the matter make other mothers feel.

As I said before I think the saying should be changed from "breast is best" to "breast is natural / normal"

xx

 

[special_kala]

Thought I would make a little test!

Which is nutritionally best?

Pure juice or from concentrate
Finest range or value range
real sausages or hotdog sausages
homemade food or jar food
whole chicken or chicken nuggets

If you answered as the first answer then isn't it the same for breast and formula?

its comments like that that p me off if im honest.

it makes FF mothers feel like were being judged for feeding out baby substandard food. Yea its not breast milk but its the best substitute we have.

 

[Lisa1302]

I just want to say that as an ARDENT believer in breastfeeding I really really still wish that we could all be more understanding that breastfeeding doesn't always work for some people.

The OP is clearly looking for some way of feeling better about the fact that she wasn't able to breastfeed and yet she really should not be feeling guilty at all.

I had a lot of difficulties with breastfeeding and for the first three months it was such agony that everyday I thought about giving up - I feel that I was just stubborn and I'm glad I kept going but during that time, I felt really really lousy and very sad when I saw all the 'breast is best' stuff because it felt like I was failing both my baby and myself in some way if I wasn't able to do it easily and naturally. This was me, total hippie who wanted nothing more than for the baby to be able to latch himself on and all the rest - I really wanted the breastfeeding ideal and was totally unprepared for the difficulties that we faced.

Now that I can breastfeed ok I feel very blessed to have been able to do so thus far and I know that if I had not been able to, I would look back and feel a lot of sadness and guilt about it - and that is not fair. Women really can judge others so harshly and make things harder and more complicated for each other.

I feel sad that the OP was feeling somewhat better as a result of some random article - the facts of the article are neither here nor there as far as I am concerned - what matters is that she, like many others should not have to feel guilty. Yes, there is a lot of dodgy stuff behind many of the formula companies, and the world should not be that way, but those of us that are blessed with the ability to breastfeed could do well to consider how our opinions on the matter make other mothers feel.

I agree with this, I was on occasion made to feel like a failure for not continuing to BF - even if people didn't even ask why - it was assumed I couldn't be bothered.
I have a friend on here with a baby Izzy's age, she is still BF, and I am very proud of her for doing it for so long and I have absolutely no bad feelings towards her for being able to do it - as I hope she doesnt for me for not being able to.

However I do feel slight bad feelings towards some BF mothers who looked at me when I fed Izzy a bottle as if I was pouring poison down her throat, then whispered to their friend etc ( I don't get it so much now as she eats food when we are out) - I never felt bad about what I was doing as I knew my reasons - but I did think 'OMG who do you think you are looking down at me when you have no idea'
I would never look at a BF mum like that, so why do some feel they can at someone with a bottle?

ETA - I know some BF face these same looks and comments from non believers in BF - which to me is exactly them same and just not acceptable.

 

[special_kala]

so FF isnt normal??

 

[milkmachine]

Thought I would make a little test!

Which is nutritionally best?

Pure juice or from concentrate
Finest range or value range
real sausages or hotdog sausages
homemade food or jar food
whole chicken or chicken nuggets

If you answered as the first answer then isn't it the same for breast and formula?

Nothing to add thats contructive to this thread that hasnt already been said, aside from the above bolded

I wouldnt actually be so sure if i were you ... when was the last time you compared labels on the two? A lot of value food is actually nutrtionally better because they add less crap to it to keep the costs down

Random ... but had to point that out

youll find that value food contains alot of wheat to bulk it out x

 

[milkmachine]

so FF isnt normal??

its normal in modern times but its not normal from a how we are made to work point of view.....we were made with breasts to breastfeed.

 

[polo_princess]

That wasnt the point

The point was that is not necessarily "better"

 

[Kit]

I have just returned to this thread as I am back at work and judges tend to get a little upset when I refuse to address a point of law until I have finished browsing BnB - so unreasonable!
At first I was a bit surprised that it turned into such a massive FF v BF debate but I suppose with hindsight it was always likely to happen - it might be mainly my fault as the thread was a couple of days old when I came across it. I posted as the timing of this study made it seem very likely that it related to the study we are in. Having looked at it a bit more closely I don't think it is. As I mentioned, our study, which is funded by a major formula company has provisionally decided that "breast is best" for the first few weeks, but that the benefits are perhaps not quite as great as first thought. I almost hope that these results are confirmed and published - it might just about make everyone happy - perhaps! On a personal level it would make me feel good about those first difficult days and weeks, and less bad about being unable to exclusively BF or sustain mixed feeding for very long.

 

[Lisa1302]

Thought I would make a little test!

Which is nutritionally best?

Pure juice or from concentrate
Finest range or value range
real sausages or hotdog sausages
homemade food or jar food
whole chicken or chicken nuggets

If you answered as the first answer then isn't it the same for breast and formula?

Nothing to add thats contructive to this thread that hasnt already been said, aside from the above bolded

I wouldnt actually be so sure if i were you ... when was the last time you compared labels on the two? A lot of value food is actually nutrtionally better because they add less crap to it to keep the costs down

Random ... but had to point that out

I have to agree too - I admit I used to be a food snob.
Until I found out for example Sainsburys Trout - the value/basics range, which is loads less, is the same fish from the same place, except they might not be the right colour or the fillet wasn't quite cut straight!
Same with veggies - just a bit wonky or the wrong size.

I also once visited a clients factory , a cake factory, he produced some of the cakes for M&S and Asda - same cakes different wrapper lol

There are some things when the finest range is nicer, but not always!

 

[helent1983]

Kala you have misunderstood me. I am not saying there is anything wrong with FF if that is best for you and your baby. The point is that breast milk contains all the nutrients for a baby which are 100% compatible. Formula is a substitute. I am not saying it is wrong or bad for your baby.

xx

 

[ryder]

so FF isnt normal??

its normal in modern times but its not normal from a how we are made to work point of view.....we were made with breasts to breastfeed.

I HATE reading that. Just because we have breasts does not mean its natural to everyone. Nature is flawed, just like every human being and sometimes physically or emotionally breastfeeding just isn't "natural" to some people.

I dont like reading people say they cant understand why people dont try and bf.... like its none of your damn business! Some people just arn't comfortable with it and there is no need to make them feel guilty.

 

[special_kala]

Kala you have misunderstood me. I am not saying there is anything wrong with FF if that is best for you and your baby. The point is that breast milk contains all the nutrients for a baby which are 100% compatible. Formula is a substitute. I am not saying it is wrong or bad for your baby.

xx

It only contains all the nutrients if the mother is eating them herself. Some said (i think) that its mostly young lower class mums who dont even think about BF but alot probably couldnt afford the best most nutritious food so there baby wouldt get much from BF