reasons I've heard for not breastfeeding

LeAnn writes:

: ... but it doesn't appear to
: matter in the long run.

Absolute unmitigated bull****. There has been absolute rafts of medical
studies on any number of health factors and breastfeeding has come out
significantly better than feeding of artificial milk (formula)

: My bottle fed child is a whole lot healthier
: than my best friend's children who were all breastfed.

An anecdote is not data. This sample of one is anything but
scientific. You do not know what other factors have affected either
your kids health or your friends. When children are matched for other
factors so that *equal populations* are compared then breastfeeding
always shows up to the the healthier choice.

: I think it's
: just a matter of opinion.

No dear, it's a matter of FACT. A number of health conditions which
formula feeding is shown to exacerbate follows:

Ear infections
allergies
asthma
diabetes
obesity
heart disease
childhood leukemia
slower cognative development

And for the mother:
breast cancer

Below are a number studies with results in this area. You might benefit
from reading some of them.

Larry


Joshua,

Here is my first set of cites for articles which show either a higher
rate of diseases for babies who are fed formula or a lower risk for
babies who are exclusively bf, or where the benefit increases over a
longer duration. Some of the studies, such as the diabetes studies
actually implicate cow's milk protein as a causative agent, others,
such as the atopic diseases studies show only a strong statistical
link. All studies show poorer results for entirely formula fed babies
and most show increasing benefits (lower risk) when the amount
(percentage) of breastmilk is increased relative to formula with the
best results obtained from exclusive breastfed.

Happy reading,
Larry

***************

Atopic diseases: (asthma, eczema, food allergies)
--------------------------------------------------

Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 1998 Dec;81(6):523-33; quiz 533-4, 537 (ISSN:
1081-1206)

Hanson LA [Find other articles with this Author] Department of Clinical
Immunology, Goteborg University, Sweden. .

Breastfeeding as prophylaxis against atopic disease: prospective
follow-up study until 17 years old [see comments]

Lancet 1995 Oct 21;346(8982):1065-9 (ISSN: 0140-6736)

Saarinen UM; Kajosaari M [Find other articles with these Authors]
Children's Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.

Lucas A, Brooke OG, Morley R, et al. "Early diet of preterm infants and
development of allergic ar atopic disease: randomized prospective
study". Br Med J. 1990:300:837-840

Halken S, Host A, Hansen LG, et al. "Effect of an allergy prevention
programme on incidence of atopic symptoms in infancy". Ann Allergy.
1992;47:545-553

Saarinen UM, Kajossari M. "Breastfeeding as prophylaxis against atopic
disease: prospective follow-up study until 17 years old."

Lancet. 1995;346:1065-1069

Lucas A, Brooke OG, Morley R, et al. "Early diet of preterm infants and
development of allergic ar atopic disease: randomized prospective
study". Br Med J. 1990:300:837-840

Halken S, Host A, Hansen LG, et al. "Effect of an allergy prevention
programme on incidence of atopic symptoms in infancy". Ann Allergy.
1992;47:545-553

Saarinen UM, Kajossari M. "Breastfeeding as prophylaxis against atopic
disease: prospective follow-up study until 17 years old."

Lancet. 1995;346:1065-1069

Obesity:
--------

BMJ. 1999;319(7203):147-150.

von Kries R, Koletzko B, Sauerwald T, von Mutius E, Barnert D, Grunert
V, von Voss H

This study in Bavaria showed that breastfed infants are less likely to
become obese as children than those fed formula, with the best results
among children who were were exclusively breastfed, and with the benefits
increasing for longer duration of breastfeeding (they did not go beyond
12 months).

Childhood leukemia:
-------------------

J Natl Cancer Inst 1999 Oct 20;91(20):1765-72 (ISSN: 0027-8874)

Shu XO; Linet MS; Steinbuch M; Wen WQ; Buckley JD; Neglia JP; Potter JD;
Reaman GH; Robison LL [Find other articles with these Authors] Division
of Pediatric Epidemiology and Clinical Research, University of
Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA

This study shows that any breastfeeding reduced the risk of childhood
leukemia significantly, and that longer duration, exclusive feeding,
has the best results.

Cognative development:
----------------------

"Breastfeeding and Later Cognitive and Academic
Outcomes", Jan 1998 Pediatrics Vol. 101, No. 1

Morrow-Tlucak M, Haude RH, Ernhart CB. Breastfeeding and cognitive
development in the first 2 years of life. Soc Sci Med. 1988:26;635-639

Lucas A., "Breast Milk and Subsequent Intelligence Quotient in Children
Born Preterm". Lancet 1992;339:261-62

All of these studies indicate that the longer and more breastmilk an
infant is fed, the higher the level of cognative development.
There are additional studies, but I've spent almost an hour collecting
this info already. :-)

Diabetes:
---------

Here is a whole raft of studies on Diabetes. The main conclusion is
that exposure to cow's milk proteins (most formula contains cow's milk))
is a major contributor to the development of Type 1 Diabetes.

"Diet, Cow's milk protein
antibodies and the risk of IDDM in Finnish children." Childhood
Diabetes in Finland Study Group. Diabetologia, Apr 1994, 37(4):381-7

Mayer, EJ, Hamman RF, Gay EC, et al. "Reduced risk of IDDM among
breast-fed children". Diabetes, 1988;37:1625-1632

Virtanen SM, Rasanen L, Aro A, et al. "Infant feeding in Finnish
children 7 yr of age with newly diagnosed IDDM".

Diabetes Care, 1991;14:415-417

Gerstein HC. "Cow's milk exposure and type 1 diabetes mellitus".
Diabetes Care. 1994;17:13-19

Borch-Johnson, K., et al., "Relation between breastfeeding and incidence
of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus". Lancet 2:1083-86 (1984)

Otitis Media (ear infections)
------------

Aniansson G, Alm B, Andersson B, et al. "A prospective cohort study on
breast-feeding and otitis media in Swedish infants". Pediatr Infect Dis
J. 1994; 13:183-188

Kovar MG, Serdula MK, Marks JS, et al. "Review of the epidemiologic
evidence for an association between infant feeding and infant health."
Pediatrics. 1984:74:S615-S638

Saarinen UM. "Prolonged Breast Feeding as prophylaxis for recurrent
otitis media." Acta Paediatr Scand. 1982;71:567-571

A longitudinal analysis of infant morbidity and the extent of
breastfeeding in the United States.

Pediatrics 1997 Jun;99(6):E5 (ISSN: 1098-4275)

Scariati PD; Grummer-Strawn LM; Fein SB [Find other articles with these
Authors] Epidemic Intelligence Service, Epidemiology Program Office and
Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity, National Center for Chronic
Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341-3724, USA.

Taken together these studies show that the incidence of ear infections is
3 to 4 times higher in formula fed infants, and that the risk of infection
is directly related to the percentage of formula in the diet, with
exclusively breastfed infants having the lowest infection rate.

"Donna" wrote in message ...
"Nan" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 29 Feb 2004 20:01:08 -0800, DeliciousTruffles
wrote:

1) I didn't have enough milk

Amazingly, this is a very common one, too. And it's perpetuated by
doctors, unfortunately.

I was really lucky - the hospital where I gave birth has free 24 hour
lactation counselors on staff, and you can speak/meet with them at any time
you are nursing - even years after you are discharged from the hospital.
And my pediatrician is a wonderful woman about my age, who had her third
child shortly after I had my first. She was a wonderful font of
encouragement for nursing. As was my OB (also another woman).

I wonder if female practicioners are more prone to encouraging nursing than
are their male counterparts?

Donna


IME, yes.

Brandy

LeAnn wrote:

I would not support putting a baby to sleep on it's stomach because it
endangers it's life, formula feeding your child does not endanger it's
life. Like I said, I would never say one is better than the other,
I'm just saying that you have to respect the fact that women have a
choice in the matter. I'm not discounting the studies that have been
done, and in fact I'd probably agree with them because I know that God
provided the best 'formula' possible when creating breastmilk. But it
is not my preference to breastfeed. My son was bottlefed and is a
grade ahead in reading and is already better at math than I am (he is
only 8), he is healthy and strong and very rarely gets sick. Sure it
doesn't prove anything, at least to the world, but it's enough for me.
It is my opinion, I'm not trying to force it upon anyone, I'm only
asking for respect in my choice.


You may be conflating separate issues. People can respect
your right to choose without respecting your choice. People can
respect your choice without agreeing with it. People do not have
to agree that formula and breastmilk are nutritionally equivalent
in order to respect either your choice or your right to choose.
I think it helps the discussion along considerably to keep
separate issues in their own places.

Best wishes,
Ericka

"Nan" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 02 Mar 2004 11:10:34 -0500, Marie wrote:

On Tue, 02 Mar 2004 11:26:33 -0500, Nan wrote:

On Tue, 02 Mar 2004 10:56:28 -0500, Marie wrote:
Because the majority of the time, it wasn't thought out...

And you know this because.......

Because I am told? Because when a mother tells me "I just didn't want
to" or "I never even thought about it" it shows she didn't think about
it?

But that tells me they did, and chose not to. You don't need to
understand, or like it, just accept it, and move on. Or don't. It's
up to you, obviously.

I think there's a vast difference between "Accepting others' choices" and
"Approving others' choices."

Those of us who accept, but do not approve, are labeled "judgmental".

This is inaccurate.

--angela

On Tue, 02 Mar 2004 16:58:56 GMT, "Jill" wrote:

That's another thing that irks me. Some breastfeeders will not
give it a rest until you say that breastfed babies are healthier
than pitiful deprived formula fed babies. Breastmilk is healthier,
but you have no right to say that formula fed babies are NOT
ok/healthy.

Most people aren't nearly rude enough to be that blatant to your face,
even if they really think that.

The available facts are that breastmilk is the healthiest choice across
populations, and that there are very few medical reasons that would make
formula feeding a better choice. As long as people recognize that the
statistical baby and my personal baby aren't necessarily the same baby
(so an individual formula-fed baby can certainly be healthier than an
individual breastmilk-fed baby), there isn't a problem.

The facts aren't a judgment, they're just the facts. None of those
facts equate to me having been a bad mother for the periods of time when
the boys had formula, it simply means that, whatver the reasoning, they
were not receiving optimal nutrition at those times. Sometimes people
hear facts and feel a judgment is implied when it's not the case.

Some people just won't give it a rest. My feeling isn't even
questioning that breast milk is best, but people do really annoy
me the way they are holier-than-thou and judgemental because
truly, I myself have never been that nosey into someone else's
business.

I understand this, and also find holier-than-thou posts annoying.
However, I do sympathize with those who are just trying to make sure
that accurate information is out there, because unfortunately, there's a
lot of inaccurate information shared with new moms by doctors, nurses,
family, friends, etc.

"Marie" wrote in message
...
On 2 Mar 2004 12:39:14 -0800, (LeAnn) wrote:
You could also say that working mothers should stay at home with their
children because it's what's best for them.

Most of the working mothers I know would stay home if they could
afford it. Many regret that they have to work.

You are comparing formula to junk food???????

Um, you're the one who brought up the comparison and now you're
shocked?!
And yes a comparison can be made between the two. Formula/junk food is
less healthy than breastmilk/healthy food.

Now, now, now.

Hold on.

Breastmilk is the biological norm for human infants. Commercially-produced
formula is however nourishing, and (for most children) a well-tolerated
source of body-building nutrition. Some children - in fact many of our
parents and even more of our grandparents, survived just fine on homemade
formulas from tinned milk, sugar or corn syrup, and water. I think this
says more about the resiliency of humans than it does about the suitability
of the alternative types of food, but that's my opinion.

Formula is not junk food, and almost nobody(*) would feed their child a diet
of nothing but junk food. Neither is it ideal food - though it *is*
nutritionally adequate. (Junk food, too, may be considered 'nutritionally
acceptable' in small quantities. Goodness knows, my own children seem to get
plenty of it, and they're healthy.) However, a child under the age of (at
least) 4 months, and (better) 6 months, and (predominantly) until the age of
one year, may consume nothing other than formula. *If* it is lacking in
something (or has too much of something, as sometimes happens), it will be
lacking or excessive in that same something for the entire time the baby
consumes it. When someone makes the comparison to a diet of pure junk food,
*this* and only this is, IMO, the justified parallel.

*I did know a family who apparently fed their child nothing but junk food.
The mother and father both were extremely obese, to the point that nobody
knew the mother was pregnant (much to her disappointment when she proudly
showed people her baby). By the time the child was three, it too (I say
'it' because I can't remember how whether boy or girl) was extremely obese,
and could and did routinely eat a Big Mac, a large fry, and a milkshake at a
single sitting. They ate at the McDonald's where I worked several times a
week. And naturally, any suggestion to the parents that they were doing
their child a disservice by feeding it that way, would have been met with
outrage. Indeed, they were *proud* of how round their child was, and how
much it could eat. Very sad.

(And one of my children had breastmilk fortified with formula due to a
medical condition, so I too am someone who has benefitted from the existence
of modern formulas. And glad of it.)

--angela

"Nan" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 03 Mar 2004 03:39:21 GMT, "Chotii"
wrote:


"Nan" wrote in message
.. .
On Tue, 02 Mar 2004 11:10:34 -0500, Marie wrote:

On Tue, 02 Mar 2004 11:26:33 -0500, Nan wrote:

On Tue, 02 Mar 2004 10:56:28 -0500, Marie wrote:
Because the majority of the time, it wasn't thought out...

And you know this because.......

Because I am told? Because when a mother tells me "I just didn't want
to" or "I never even thought about it" it shows she didn't think about
it?

But that tells me they did, and chose not to. You don't need to
understand, or like it, just accept it, and move on. Or don't. It's
up to you, obviously.

I think there's a vast difference between "Accepting others' choices" and
"Approving others' choices."

Those of us who accept, but do not approve, are labeled "judgmental".

This is inaccurate.

Not at all. Those that tell someone they're selfish, or that they
shouldn't have children at all, if they're not going to do everything
the way you would do it, are labelled as such.
I don't necessarily agree with people not vaccinating. Or c*rc*ing.
Or, even FF'ing. However, I'd never tell someone the above
statements.

I didn't say I would TELL someone. Merely that I would THINK it. However,
such thoughts are also "judgmental".....no?

I may THINK someone is selfish for her choices. I may or may not think that
selfishness is justified. As I have noted elsewhere in this thread, I
believe in a certain degree of selfishness. I also believe that sometimes,
selfishness is indulged at the expense of the baby. Let me use an example:

A woman I know weaned her firstborn to formula cold-turkey at 2 weeks, when
he hit his first growth spurt and naturally wanted to nurse round the clock.
It was exceedingly painful for her, physically, because of the engorgement
she suffered. She had a lot of reasons why she did this, but mostly she
cited 'need to sleep' and 'letting other people take care of the baby'.
Certainly it was not due to lack of milk (she had plenty), latch problems,
or reported nipple pain. I happen to know she was also under a lot of
pressure from her side of the family to feed formula. I have no idea
whether it helped with the sleep, but it certainly did make it possible for
other people to care for the baby. The baby grew just fine on formula and is
a bright, articulate and healthy child.

When her second was born, she said she couldn't be bothered to breastfeed
because of what happened with his sibling, and besides she had to go back to
work in 8 weeks, and so she would just feed him Similac since the sibling
did so well on it. But baby #2 didn't tolerate Similac, and wound up on
Nutramigen. She bewailed the cost of Nutramigen. He also wound up
hospitalised with an unexplained fever at about a week old, which was
terrifying. As a side note, she also complained a great deal about the cost
of disposable diapers and pull-ups. I knew she could have made other
choices, which might very well have given her a very different (and less
expensive) experience, but she made the choices she wanted to make, and she
lived with them. The second child outgrew his intolerance to Similac (and
of course eventually he potty trained) and grew into a bright, articulate,
and healthy child.

I did not say anything through any of these struggles on her part, except to
make the appropriate sympathetic noises when she complained. Sometimes I was
even actually sympathetic (like when the baby was in the hospital). I was
and am glad that her children are healthy, bright and articulate. However,
I *thought* a great many things about her choices and her reasons for making
them - including, that a large chunk of her motivation appeared to be
selfishness. So tell me.....was I judgemental? I didn't *agree*. But I
did *accept*.

Or is it true what a friend once told me: "It doesn't matter what people
think about me, the only thing that matters is how they act toward me"?

--angela

On Tue, 02 Mar 2004 15:13:21 -0500, Marie
wrote:

On 2 Mar 2004 12:39:14 -0800, (LeAnn) wrote:
You are comparing formula to junk food???????

Um, you're the one who brought up the comparison and now you're
shocked?!

She is shocked because *I* am the one who brought up junk food. She
has a right to be shocked.

--
Daye
Momma to Jayan and Leopold
See Jayan and Leo: http://www.aloofhosting.com/jayleo/
Updated 28 Feb 2004

On Tue, 2 Mar 2004 08:51:30 -0700, Michelle J. Haines
wrote:

Or even the balls to say, "I chose to formula feed because I was
given poor information and didn't want to listen to the right
reasons."

I have the balls to say: I chose to formula feed because I hated
breastfeeding. I began to resent my daughter. For us, it was the
best decision. She had breastmilk for 6 weeks, and I am glad of it.
However, the long and the short of it was breastfeeding was beginning
to affect the way I felt about my child.

--
Daye
Momma to Jayan and Leopold
See Jayan and Leo: http://www.aloofhosting.com/jayleo/
Updated 28 Feb 2004

On Tue, 2 Mar 2004 09:17:22 -0800, "Circe" wrote:

(though I confess, I have no *clue* how to mother a
baby/toddler without breastfeeding--how *do* formula-feeding mothers handle
sick babies, for example? Mine always just nursed off and on all day and
night when they were sick, but I can't imagine a sick baby taking a bottle
all day and night like that--not to mention I don't know how the mom sleeps
at all if she's giving a bottle! Really, this is a serious and non-judmental
question, because I just can't figure it out!).

Sick babies are easy. Lots of cuddles, and if they want to drink from
a bottle all day, you let them. Exactly what you are doing except the
food is coming from a bottle.

Sleeping... well, what we do is make up bottles of water and that and
the can of formula by the bed. One of us wakes up enough to put the
formula in the bottle, give it a shake, and then feed the baby. Yes,
I have to sit up with DS, but it is at the very most for an hour or.
I was up for 2 hours last night because he was restless, not because I
was feeding him.


--
Daye
Momma to Jayan and Leopold
See Jayan and Leo: http://www.aloofhosting.com/jayleo/
Updated 28 Feb 2004