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.
Breast is the Best…This artcle is a rubbish
If more women breastfed thousands of deaths would be prevented. With proper medical care and monitoring it would be obvious the baby wasnt getting enough and it is impossible to be missed.
This is perhaps one of the best articles i read. My doctor is perhaps the only one who told me what u said in the article when everyone around me was not encouraging when i had to top up her feed with formula. My baby height for her age is on the higher percentile and her weight is just right for that height. My breast milk was usually never enough after 60 days. My doctor also told me as long as they are fed and tummy full no issues dont listen to everyone
1st off her lactation consultant failed her along with her son pediatrician because they are supposed to weigh the baby periodically before she leaves the hospital and then she is supposed to have a 24 hr appointment after leaving the hospital then a 2 week check up …so not saying this story isn’t tragic but there is more to this story because if the baby was dehydrated that means the bilirubin levels had to have been high before leaving the hospital. 2nd breast milk is damn near a living organism so it’s constantly changing so formula will never compare to breast milk so please stop saying that. You sound extremely uneducated.
Breast IS best, but that doesn’t mean it’s the ONLY option. Breast is best for both mom and baby and it’s not just about the food. However if breastfeeding isn’t working for various reasons then it is OKAY to try other options, formula, SNS, goat’s milk or whatever is the next best thing for that particular situation. I personally had to supplement with my first because I didn’t respond well to a pump and my baby was losing weight.
It’s like saying canned veggies and fruit are just as good as fresh veggies and fruit….. although they are similar the fresh veggies and fruit ARE better nutritionally.
Obviously has not researched this subject at all, anyone unsure look up some actual medical studies by actual DOCTORS and then make your decision.
What a load of rubbish. Look up facts before spouting off. Just look up the prober information that this uninformed woman who has no qualifications and hasn’t been studying the subject for years
You can tell a baby isn’t receiving milk by how many wet diapers it has. Everyone at the hospital tells you that, articles online tells you that, friends and family tells you that etc.
The heading is misleading. Why say breastfeeding isnt always the best option?? Try saying ‘breastfeeding isnt the ONLY option’ and we will all agree. What’s the point of a hardcore reader generating heading and then mellowing down the message? Plus definitely some unnecessary facts of babies dying from malnutrition??? Really?? It was a poor article.
Congratulations to everyone who saw the point of this article to be how its written or the misinformation…. ? I think every single woman on this planet would agree that babies are meant to drink breast milk but as stated many times its not always an option. The point is that it needs to stop being rammed down people’s throats from the moment they get pregnant so that if you CAN’T breastfeed you don’t have the added feeling of guilt on top of everything else.
I formula fed my baby, and I always intended to, but other mums made me so down about that, without knowing why. My baby is now 8 months old, she’s not obese, she crawled at 7 months, she’s not often Ill and we have the most amazing bond.
I think this article is absolute garbage. There is complete misinformation and you have not backed up any of your opinions or claims with evidence based facts or research. It makes you look very uneducated and is detrimental to new mothers, or mothers to be, who are already vulnerable to misinformation. You should be ashamed of writing such nonsense.
Thanka for the post. Actually i can’t breastfed my babu coz i does not have enough breastmilk and problem with my nipples. I feel relly sad but now i realize that not only me can’t breastfed my baby.
I am absolutely blown away by the response of some women about this article. Ok, set aside it’s poorly written and not 100% fact, how about we totally ingonre that and support all women, stand sided by side and support a women’s choice to feed her child however she want.
Due to health of themselves, the baby or just personal choice.
Do you understand the mental health problems women are causing other women by their constant judgement and unwanted opinions! Having a baby is one of the most hormonal times of our lives and putting unwanted and unjustified pressure onto any women is bloody wrong.
We don’t stand for our children getting bullied at school, ourselves being bullied in the work place, we want to be treated at equals yet set about destroying each other at one of our most vulnerable times.
We need to stop being sucked into these stupid articles only written to stir and cause debate.
Breast or bottle let’s get behind women and support them full stop.
Finally a comment that isn’t ignorant! Support each other in every way possible! The child needs to be fed – period! It does not matter how and what may work for some may not work for others. I didn’t produce enough, neither of my children would latch on, I pumped until I dried up a few weeks later. The pressure to breast feed was friggin ridiculous. My children had no illnesses as infants from being bottle fed, no ear infections either. They were fed – period. They are happy, strong, smart and lively young ladies at 13 and 11 today.
I don’t understand the point of this article!!
These comments illustrate the problem. Kudos to y’all for the visual aid.
Fed is REQUIRED. This is a terrible article/blog filled with misinformation. I find this type of neglectful writing passed off as journalism disgusting. Do better. Please don’t embarrass yourself by trying to pass off your opinions as facts you sound ignorant.
I get and understand the tragic of the situations. I breastfed my eldest for 3 years and and my youngest for 2 years. The best time of my life i miss that one on one with them because they grow up so fast. I had the best support system. My mom and the breastfeeding clinic. I could message her or go into the clinic . In the beginning. You dont have a lot of milk. So i bought a small tin of formula to top up. After every breasting i gave a little formula Only until my milk came in. I expressed milk too so my milk could be a lot. You can feel the milk come in. If your baby cried after every fed its surely alarming. My first child drank right through the night and all day long the first month. But when you are registered at a breastfeeding clinic they weigh your child regularly to see if baby is picking up weight after the first month the lady said it’s diet time for baby Liam then you know he is picking up weight. I feel people are going into motherhood without any education regarding breastfeeding. Some lady cant come into your room and explaine something so important to you in 5 min. It’s is stressful already to breastfed and she rumbles on all the info. I think people should get educated. To use nipple creams while you are pregnant rather than only using after birth. Small important things are left out. But i will still root for breastmilk because God made woman to do so. It take a lot of time and struggles but it gets easier i know for a fact. I’m sorry for the lost of anyone’s baby i cant be easy. Breastfeeding should be watched closely. If you breastfeed get a good clean relaxing spot and chair to feed you want your baby to know he or she is save and be relaxed. I waa tires and sometimes grumpy because i was tired. If baby sleeps in the bed get a carry cot so no roll overs happen stack baby higher than you and never on the edge side. Put the cot next to you at night so you can put baby in after every feeding. Good luck to all and God bless.
This is utter bullshit and u need to be fired for misinforming ppl. Baby milk is poisoned do the research. How many times has baby milk been recalled. How many babies get sick on formula? Yes fed is best but don’t ever compare breast milk to formula. They are nothing alike. Breast will always be the better way to feed your child
That’s not true. Sometimes breast milk can be harmful. My breast milk was all water content when tested. I didn’t have colostrum before. And zero fat content when it came in… My son needed formula. I’m not saying formula is best. But for my son it was. He’s healthy now where as before he was sick and starving.
What you just stated is not medically possible. “Your breast milk was all water content when tested”? And had “zero fat content when it came in?”
That’s complete nonsense, and whoever told you that was wrong.
Human milk is species specific, and there is very little variation in nutritional quality from mother to mother, even among women who are nutritionally deficient.
Fat and water content varies during the feeding (milk at the beginning of the feeding is more watery, fat content increases as breast is emptied).
But there is no instance where human consists of all water/zero fat.
There is so much misinformation in this article that it’s impossible to know where to begin in refuting it.
Scientists and researchers and worldwide experts in the fields of medicine/nutrition/pediatrics/lactation have all the evidence needed to prove beyond a doubt that breastmilk is the best source of nutrition for human babies. They have known this for decades. Aware of the indisputable fact that “breast is best”, science has made many improvements to artificial human milk substitutes (formula) over the years in an effort to make it more like breastmilk.
However, formula is not now and never will be as good for babies as mother’s milk. Breastmilk is a living substance that adapts to meet baby’s needs and provides live cells and antibodies that are not available in a substitute produced in a lab.
Formula can be a life saving option for babies who do not have access to human milk for whatever reason, and there is no shame in using it when needed.
Health care professionals who work with mothers and babies ALWAYS make feeding the baby the first priority.
Formula is not the first choice, but if the babies mother’s milk isn’t available, and donor milk isn’t an option, then of course formula is useful. Nobody is going to argue that point.
Biased articles like this which are poorly written and poorly researched, written by people who are clueless about the facts, are not helpful to anyone – other than angry women who had negative breastfeeding experiences and feel the need to lash out and blame someone.
Bashing breastfeeding and those who promote and support it does nothing but muddy the water and fan the flames of the divisive mommy wars.
I think your argument about Moms accidentally starving their children is irrelevant. It does not really have to do anything with breast is best. If these moms knew they were starving their children, I’m sure, not one, would hesitate to give formula. I just think that aspect takes away from what you are trying to get across. Implying mothers would starve their children, on purpose, is how this comes off. However, I am a mother who felt the pressure to breastfeed and your article helped me and I do appreciate this perspective!!
Without a doubt, breast is best. However, I imagine that many mothers like myself do not produce enough milk to satisfy their baby’s needs. I tried at every feeding to breast feed my baby and I pumped several times a day to encourage my milk supply. Although I received so much support, advice and encouragement on breastfeeding, even speaking to a lactation consultant, meeting with a pediatrician, attempting to get baby to latch at every feeding in the hospital with our midwife and watching countless videos and reading pamphlets, I couldn’t get my baby to latch on for the first six weeks. This was probably because I have flat nipples and my milk supply came in late. Even when it did, I never produced more than one ounce from both of my breasts combined.
I wanted so badly to breast feed my baby or at least offer her a respectable amount of pumped breast milk. I always imagined that breastfeeding would be so natural, so empowering and such a bonding experience. Before my baby was born, I purchased hundreds of breast milk storage bags and a milk warmer but I was never able to use them. It never occurred to me that breastfeeding could be such a struggle. I felt like I was failing as a mother. Each time I attempted to breastfeed my baby, she would scream continuously throughout the 10-15 minute ordeal.
I tried putting formula on my nipples, I tried not offering her formula for an extended period, I tried herbal tea and lactation boosting tablets which upset my stomach. It reached the point where I could no longer speak about breastfeeding without crying and I was ready to give up for the sake of my sleep deprived, mental well being. Finally, someone told me to try plastic nipple shields, it was painful but it worked! I was eventually able to wean my baby off of the nipple shield and on to my breast. Although, I never produced enough to meet her needs, it was an honor and a tremendous source of pride to be able to offer her what little I could provide.
Therefore, I applaud this author for raising some awareness to the fact that there are some mothers out there who unfortunately are not blessed with such natural ability and having no clear alternative but to give your baby formula, does not make you a failure.
All of you moms bashing this woman are part of the problem. All I heard when I was pregnant with all 3 of my children is how “breast is best” which can’t be farther than the truth. You are trash if you bash mothers trying to feed their babies. I tried everything I could to breastfeed, I bought a pump,breast pads and looked up recipes to help with lactation,you name it. I COULDN’T BREASTFEED. My milk never came in, my daughter actually dropped a pound in the two days at the hospital because she wasn’t getting anything out of me. I cried and cried and felt like a failure as a mom. I shouldn’t have felt that way and you asshats are the reason women like me feel that way.
Renee, bless you and thank you for speaking up. I’m in the same group as you. I was medically unable to produce milk due to an autoimmune disease. Not that I didn’t try anyway and very much so at that. I was ridiculed by family members and even called a bad mom by my now ex husband. It was so bad that at one of my son’s check ups, I prepared a bottle and was feeding him in the waiting room. A group of 4 or 5 moms came up to me and began taunting me and calling me names. The nurse thankfully came to my rescue and the dr came out and “educated” the naive women. Articles like this are written to remind women like us that we are just as good of mothers as those whose breastfeed. They are no better than us and vise versa. And to all the people that told me that he would be developmentally disadvantaged, my so is now 13 years old. Perfectly healthy and starting college (yes I said college) next fall. Thank you to all the people who support ALL parents no matter what parenting style they choose if it suits them and their children’s needs.
Adoptive and foster mothers can breastfeed. Lactation can be induced. Babies can be weaned off formula and onto human milk which is far superior to formula milk
Pancreas stop producing insulin and we provde type 1 diabetes care. Kidneys stop and we provide dialysis. Breast dont work right and we starve a baby. my baby for 7 days. I had almost every warning sign for IGT. No one told me the very hormonal issues which caused my infertility causes over 30% of women with it to not develop breast tissue correctly. No on went over the warning signs.
I didnt now there is a way to determine primary failure (problem is with moms body) or secondary (problem is with baby). Until my baby was so sick. We educate new moms on all sorts of things, why not spend 5 min checking for warning signs of primary failure and 5 minutes on secondary failure?
What a ridiculous article the problem is lack of breastfeeding support for woman. Fed is minimum more important is how good is. How chemically changed Cows milk can be good for Human babies. All health problems later in life are caused mostly by formula. More support is a key for healthy babies and society
I wonder who sponsored this article? What a load of unsupported rubbish. Feed your babies however your choose, and make your choices around the situation in front of you at the time. Don’t waste your time reading nonsense like this and wondering how things might have been different.
We all just do our best when we’re in the thick of it. That is all.