Breast Is Not Always Best, And We Need To Stop Telling Women That It Is!
Breast is best. Almost from the moment you see those beautiful double lines, you start hearing that mantra. And you’ve seen research. Listened to friends. Had plenty of doctors tell you the same. Offices have lactation rooms.
Breastfeeding is legal in literally every single public space in America.
So why would so many people go through so much effort to educate you on the benefits of breastfeeding if it truly wasn’t the best option? And what about formula? Is it even safe to give babies formula? Why would any good mom give her child chemicals when breast is best?
Think baby formula is poison? Think again! The truth is chemically it isn’t much different than breastmilk, and when it comes to feeding babies, fed is truly what’s best.
Breast Is Not Always Best, And We Need To Stop Telling Women That It Is!
For most of mankind breastfeeding was the only option available for newborns. There was no debate on whether it was best, because it was all that was available. And while some advocates will tell you that what’s worked for thousands of years is still the best option today, that’s not actually the case.
For those thousands of years, there were still babies who couldn’t breastfeed. Those who didn’t die from starvation usually grew up malnourished or sickly. Their lives sucked because they couldn’t eat.
And I’m not saying breastfeeding is bad. Not at all. What I’m saying is that fed is best.
Sometimes women don’t produce enough milk, or the act of breastfeeding is so excruciating that it raises stress hormones in mom (which are also bad for the baby). Or in cases of foster children or adoption, breastfeeding isn’t an option. There are some babies who can’t tolerate breastmilk (I was one of them) and alternatives have to be found.
Because when we don’t look at alternatives, the unfathomable will happen.
We’ve indoctrinated our society into believing breast is the only option to the point that sometimes new mothers can’t even tell when their own baby is suffering.
Jillian Johnson is a mom who experienced that first hand. When her new baby Landon was born, she wanted to do everything right for him. And that meant breastfeeding. At the hospital the lactation consultant assured her his latch was great. She fed constantly, did everything she was told to do. But Landon cried. All the time.
Within 24 hours of being discharged from the hospital, Landon went into cardiac arrest. He was severely dehydrated and as a new mom, Jillian had no way of knowing that her son truly was not receiving Any milk during all the times he fed. Landon died at 19 days old from starvation…one bottle…one single formula-filled bottle would have meant the difference between life and death for a little boy who would be five years old today.
But formula is poison, right? Truly, it is not.
The chemicals that make up baby formula are as closely paired to the chemicals found in breastmilk as possible. And while there are some benefits to breastfeeding, those benefits do not outweigh the need to make sure a child is fed and growing. Ultimately shouldn’t that be the big goal?
Over the past couple of decades breastfeeding has become big business, and corporations have cashed in by not only promoting products and supplements to make breastfeeding easier, but also by regurgitating hand-picked pieces of data to support their stance, rather than educating women on the full picture.
So women have done everything they could to fall into rank. There have been women who fed around the clock, women whose exhaustion caused them to fall asleep on top of their babies.
There have been women who spiraled into post-partum depression due to not being able to give their children their basic birthright.
And women like Jillian whose children suffered unnecessarily because they believed breastfeeding was the only option.
Again, I’m not saying not to breastfeed. I’m not in anyway advocating for formula-only feeding. What I’m saying is that fed is best. Babies need to grow. For some women breast is best. For some formula is best. We need to take a step back and remind women that we will support them no matter which road they take. Their babies lives depend on it.
Formula is not the same chemically as breastmilk. That’s not a fact. Breastmilk is a living food full of benefits to a growing baby. Breast milk is made for humans. Saying that feeding a baby is better than starving a baby isn’t really enough to base an article on. Breastfeeding mothers need more support, and as your article shows, everyone needs more education and information about breastfeeding.
This is a truly ridiculous article and the article itself explains why people go through so much effort to try and educate others about breastfeeding. As someone who formula fed her first born (due to LACK of education/support with breastfeeding), I do think formula has it’s place, because if a first time mother can’t get the hang of breastfeeding or there are medical reasons as to why they can’t breastfeed, their baby would starve. From my own experience and the experience of other women in my life, there is so much stick towards breastfeeding. You are made to feel disgusting and ashamed for making the decision to feed your child the BIOLOGICALLY NORMAL way. Companies make way more money from selling formula, hence why it’s so easily available and advertised so much when it was originally designed to be a MEDICAL nutritional tool for babies who were unable to breastfeed. Of course, it will always be a matter of “your child, your choice” and no one should judge how somebody feeds their child. But YOU and this article are a massive part of the problem. Why bother degrading and demeaning breastfeeding mothers? It is not wrong, it IS “best” biologically and do people really not realise how many chemicals are in formula and how dangerous it can be? If you look up the statistics, you’ll realise how many infants die a year from the use of formula compared to the infants who breastfeed. No I have not made that up, research it!
Complete mis information that should not have been allowed to be published, spouting absolute tosh. The author should be ashamed.
You should be ashamed.
Fed is the bare minimum required to keep your baby alive. We have to educate on breastfeeding now as the knowledge passed down from grandmas and mums has been lost due to the medicalisation and pushing of formula. In some cases it is necessary to help a mum with formula. A baby dying of dehydration at 19 days is a massive failure of the health care system not the mum breastfeeding. Shaming is wrong in whatever form. Education on all aspects is vital including expertise in breastfeeding as it is an art when you are new to it.
Saying formula is almost the same makeup as breastmilk is completely uneducated and false. If you look up the comparison chart of what is in both you will see there is much more in breastmilk.
I don’t agree with forcing a woman to breastfeed but yes people need to be EDUCATED when writing articles making silly claims like you have.
Formula is a great alternative for those who can’t or choose not to breastfeed.
Woman should be legally allowed breastfeed everywhere and be given more encouragement to do so, as you don’t tell a woman where to bottle feed her child. People like you are the reason for low breastfeeding rates.
No, you’re wrong. Fed is good, but breast is clearly best.
I get that some mums can’t feed but the percentage is actually minuscule. And you spruiking off like this with vague and ill-informed statements only perpetuates the myth in our society that lots of mums ‘can’t breastfeed’. For example, breastfeeding is utterly & fully possible in cases of fostering or adoption.
Please don’t perpetuate the problem.
Scientifically, breast IS best. While there are women who have different issues not allowing them to breastfeed or a lack of want to breastfeed and choose formula to feed their baby, it doesn’t take away from the scientific evidence proving breast milk IS best for babies because it is tailored to their needs. Feed your baby how you wish/need and understand that NO ONE is downgrading you as a parent for formula feeding (if they are they are rude and need to be kicked) but don’t be upset by proven evidence or by a mother proud of her breastfeeding journey! BREAST?IS?BEST? but feed your baby how you can/need/wish!
Ok I fully agree fed is best. I think mothers need to do what they are comfortable with and what they feel is right for their family. With that being said tho to say that chemically formula isn’t much different than breastmilk shows a huge lack in education! No breastmilk is the same even from one mother her body changes her milk to suite her child from one feeding to the next. It bothers me when mothers make choices because that’s what she was told to do. Educate yourself make an informed decisions for yourself and your baby!!
I agree! I wish I could be educated about bottle feeding when I had my first newborn baby! I have not much breast tissue, although I made enough milk for my bub, she had to feed all the freaking time to get enough for Over a year and still going at 15MO. I asked my midwife for help on bottle feeding but she said hospital policy was against it. Although my grandma was born in the war and her mum had no milk so they chewed up their ration bread, tied it into muslin cloth and let the baby suck on that and that’s how she survived, she is 76 years old now, so can formula really be that bad for babies, it seems to me that they can tolerate and thrive in ways we are told are wrong for no good reason. Bottle feed, breast feed, keep your kids fed and loved, that’s best.
Nestle, is that you?!
Cute. No.
This is a bit inaccurate. All babies can tolerate breast milk, there is no allergy to breast milk first and foremost, point blank period…… There are situations where Mom is on medication that is excreted in bm or some super rare genetic Condition going on, but that’s it. I breast is best breast is best breast is best. Choose whatever, but don’t deny that.
Actually babies can be either intolerant of or, rarely, allergic to lactose, which is a large portion of breastmilk. I cant believe this is unknown to you. It’s not by any means common but it definitely does happen. Even the ABA website explores primary and secondary lactose intolerance and what can be done to help, but acknowledges the rare cases where nothing the mother does will help.
Yep as anon says ^^ lactose intolerance is a thing with breast milk. My husband was intolerant to the lactose in breast milk as a baby and had to go on soy formula when they finally figured out what was going on with him when he fed. Also with our baby he got a rash on his hand from my breast milk when testing the temperature on his skin.
I personally am a register medical professional and will say that breast milk has lots of wonderful things about it, but it’s not the best option for everyone, sometimes it’s a terrible option.
There is also a rare genetic condition where the gut cannot absorb glucose and galactose. My friend who produced copious quantities of breast milk couldn’t feed any of it to her daughter because of this condition. She initially required nutrition via central line until her condition was diagnosed, then a carbohydrates free formula with fructose (the only carb she could absorb) added back. If she had continued to breastfeed, it would have killed her baby. This article is necessary because women are still very much shamed for not breastfeeding, as my friend was.
My children are 18 and 13 and I still live with the guilt that I could not breastfeed. My daughter ended up in hospital at 6 weeks due to weight loss. She hadn’t slept properly for two weeks (neither had I). She would latch on and we’d both fall asleep due to exhaustion. She just about ate the bottle as well when she had her first bottle feed. The guilt I felt giving up on breastfeeding consumed me. Didn’t feel like a proper mother My milk had completely dried up. And even after I’d made the decision to switch to bottle and my breasts were empty they still wanted me to keep trying. When my son was born five years later and was only 24hrs old he was latching on and falling asleep. When I’d put him down he’d cry. After two hours of me crying I made the decision to bottle feed. This article makes me so happy and confirms I did the right thing. I was made to feel I wasn’t giving my children the best I could but now I know ‘fed is best’ thank you so much x
Informed is best. Fed is the minimum. Get your facts and evidence straight please before you slate one form of feeding over another.
“Breast is best” is a slogan that was actually invented by formula companies.
Breastmilk is the biological norm and optimal nutrition for babies, that is a fact.
Formula feeding is fine, but to decide to formula feed women should be fully informed of the risks that this poses to their health and their baby’s.
Breastfeeding is a viable option for adoptive mothers as lactation can be induced without having experienced pregnancy or birth.
Screened donor breastmilk is also an option, and is nutritionally preferable to formula.
Formula is NO WHERE near similar to breastmilk, even on the most basic level of it’s macronutrient content it is wildly different. Breastmilk is a living substance with more and more components of it being identified all the time (even specific cancer killing cells and huge amounts of stem cells). Breastmilk changes composition day to day, feed to feed and even throughout a feed to meet the particular needs of the child that is latched to the breast. It’s basic composition is different for males and females to meet their different growth needs. Formula is exactly the same, every feed, every baby – inferior.
The woman you mention who unfortunately lost her baby was failed by her healthcare providers, pure and simple. They did not identify issues that were present and did not educate her on the many ways that you can ensure that a baby is getting ample milk from the breast and how to identify signs of dehydration. This devastating case is shocking but it is a reflection of poor care and information, not a reflection of breastfeeding.
Being unable to tolerate breastmilk is incredibly incredibly rare for an infant. However, some babies can react to allergens consumed by the mother, as certain proteins in particular (such as cows milk, soya, egg etc) pass into the mother’s bloodstream and breastmilk is made from the nutrients carried in the mother’s blood. However, this isn’t grounds for needing to stop breastfeeding as identification and elimination of what the baby is allergic to, from the mother’s diet, can ensure that the milk is then safe and perfect for that baby.
Women deserve to have the information they need to make the choice that is right for them about how they feed (Breast or formula) and they deserve to have complete support to safely and effectively do whichever they choose. Unfortunately, education on infant feeding is vastly lacking and support for pregnant women and new mothers is disgustingly poor. Articles like this, riddled with inaccuracies, are a huge part of the problem. Lying to women and sensationalising slogans such as “breast is best” and “fed is best” does nothing to help women or babies.
Here here! ?
???? Please do your homework and read the actual studies, not just an article you or blog or FB post you read trying to convince you that “Breast is Best”. Do what’s best for your family.
Every single study has shown that there is no significant difference between Bottle Fed babies and Formula Fed babies…so why are you beating yourself over it? Just read the actual studies and decide for yourself.
Happy Mommy, Happy Baby! Moms, stop trying to shame other moms because you went thru hell to finally be able to breastfeed or maybe it just came natural to you. Everyone is different and every family dynamics are different. Enjoy that special time with you newborn(s) and make it a memorable one!
Great reply to this article!!!
By the time you figure out what the mom is consuming causing an allergic reaction the baby could have and probably would have starved.
Happy mummy happy baby – but if mums want to breastfeed they should be given every possible support – there is no substitute for breast milk – it’s tailored to the needs of your baby and the evidence is undisputable. That said the pressure on new mums in enormous and any feeding choice should be taken in the context of multiple factors and supported unconditionally . It’s never mums that should feel
Guilty – the marketing practices of the formula manufacturers however is worth considering too
When my son stopped breast feeding at almost 3 months I was devastated what did I do wrong I had tried everything lactation cookies, water, fenugreek nothing helped. I felt like a failure and I was embarrassed. My fiancé kept telling me it was no big deal as long as he was eating. Through tears I tried to explain I only had one job and I wasn’t doing it! We switched to formula and after a little adjusting everything was great to this day those memories still hurt some weird deep seeded breast is best mommy guilt. I’m pregnant again and I will try to breast feed again but what I’ve learned is just what’s said what’s best is only that baby is fed and I won’t put myself and my child through all that stress again if it doesn’t work well then it just doesn’t and that’s ok.
I would suggest if you feel you are not giving baby enough to use nappy output and weight gain as an indicator and get qualified support for your next baby.
Nothing you eat or drink affects your supply, just response feeding baby and keeping baby close.
You are a good mom. 🙂
I am an adoptive mom who chose to breastfeed. I induced using the Newman Goldfarb protocol and had a full supply (and donated thousands of ounces to others also!) for 26 months. The information here stating it is not possible is false.
Do what you wish, fed is best. But please don’t spread information that is false.
I’m a mother of five and I have breastfed and I have formula fed. The doctors will tell you that breast is the best but how are you so sure that this is false information? I’m just curious I’m not trying to judge or put you down or even disagree with you.
Written by a FF mum trying to justify her bullshit choice lmao
So quick to judge. So wrong about the author. I bet you’re fun at parties.
I be you’re one of those freaks that Breast fed your kid until they were 10 years old. It’s people like you who judge everyone else thinking you’re opinion is the only one that matters. So ignorant. Love to see how your breast fed baby turns out with a mother like you. No amount of breast feeding can save your child
Oh boo the fuck wwhooooo. Y’all lazy bitches crying about how you “couldnt” breastfeed ? nah y’all just didnt try. BREASTISBEST. 100% ALL THE WAY. Have fun feeding your newborns corn syrup. Shiiiiiidy moms lol
Not all countries have corn syrup in their formulas you numpty fucking potato.
Being lazy?. Hardly. I did EVERYTHING to try and exclusively breastfeed my first born. Nothing worked and he self weaned at 5.5 months.
So shove your pretentiousness up your arsehole love.
I considered deleting your comment calling other moms “shiiiiidy” but then I decided to leave it, just so people could see the kind of stupidity people like you bring to discussions like these.
How ignorant are you? You ma’am and others like you are the problem. From my experience, mothers who are medically unable to produce milk or have other biological problems that interfere with feeding try much harder than those of you who are “not lazy” as you so ellequently put it. We love our children as much as any other mother and want what is best. And studies have proven that children who are bottle fed are not any worse off than those who are breastfed. My child is happy, healthy, loved and actually much better off developmentally than most breastfed children his age. Not because he was bottle fed, but it obviously hasn’t hurt him one bit.
Yeap.. this article is complete ignorance or somebody who iis against breastfeeding wrote it.. and they chose their words carefully not to be spotted.. stupid article.
No, we aren’t against it. We just want moms to not feel guilty for the things they can’t change.
Formula is made from cows milk, calf’s drink cows milk. This is why so many babies have allergies!!! Our babies should be drinking our own milk, plus you can’t over feed a baby on breast like you can with a bottle
It should be noted that adoptive moms may be able to breastfeed if they so desire.
It is a little bit simplistic to insinuate that those who might advocate for breastfeeding would not be rational about the idea that if for some reason breastfeeding isn’t working, then the baby should starve. I can believe that breastfeeding is the best path for babies and also understand that when challenges arise formula, or donor milk, would be life saving.
What? Lol.
Uhm no! Who funded your article? This is just misinformation at best. Very disturbing. Breast is best and yes if breast can’t be accessed there are organic alternatives that are not formula. Do your research moms if there are difficulties.
You’re what’s wrong with society.
I love this article, When I had my second child, I had to have a C section, due to a condition my son had. As a natural birth would have meant, major surgery for him the day he was born, where as the C section meant a much less intrusive operation was possible for him. So after my surgery, I developed a very serious post op infection, in fact it developed into a resistant staff infection, and I was on very strong IV antibiotics for some weeks, while in ICU. breast feeding was not an option, there was no way could feed those drugs to a newborn. So it was the bottle for him. When I had my daughter 15 months later, much too soon, I swore I would feed her myself, but my body had not recovered enough, and my milk was weak, leaving her hungry all the time, so she had to be bottle fed too. I was heart broken, but my children have both grown into beautiful healthy young adults, So now I believe you are right, FED id Best.
There are plenty antibiotic safe during bf. Wendy Jones is leading pharmacist and bf supporter. There is not such thing as weak milk who told you tis. Nappies are the best indicator of how much milk baby gets not if baby crying. Fussing is normal behaviour for young babies in early days wks
In what world are the writers in? Humans eat human milk. In what case would it not be best?
I cases where there is no breast milk, insufficient breast milk, the baby is unable to tolerate breast milk, etc. This is explained in the article.
I have a question, I’m in a Facebook group where they parent based on scientic evidence thru the AAP, they believe that breast is best and condemn and parent shame any mom who says otherwise. What would u say in response to that?
I’d say to stop shaming other women.