Here's a paragraph touting some of the benefits of breastfeeding:
Ample scientific evidence supports the contention that breast-fed babies are less vulnerable to acute infectious diseases, including respiratory and gastrointestinal infections, experts say. Some studies also suggest that breast-fed babies are at lower risk for sudden infant death syndrome and serious chronic diseases later in life, including asthma, diabetes, leukemia and some forms of lymphoma, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Research on premature babies has even found that those given breast milk scored higher on I.Q. tests than those who were bottle-fed.
The article also mentions health benefits to mothers who breastfeed:
According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, extended breast-feeding reduces the risk of ovarian cancer and breast cancer. New studies have also found that women who breast-feed face a lower risk of adult-onset or Type 2 diabetes, and they seem to be at lower risk for osteoporosis later in life.
Immediately after childbirth, nursing accelerates healing by reducing the amount of bleeding and causing the uterus to contract more rapidly back to its normal size. Making milk burns up to 500 extra calories a day, so nursing mothers get help shedding extra pounds from pregnancy, experts say, especially if they nurse for an extended period.
Experts say lactation also seems to have a calming effect on the mother, which may be an adaptive mechanism to ease the transition to life with a new baby. Every time a mother nurses, she gets a spike in oxytocin, which may have an antianxiety effect and help promote bonding with the new baby, said Kathryn G. Dewey, a professor of nutrition at the University of California, Davis, and an expert on breast-feeding.
Should there be warning labels on formula, as the article suggests? The proposed text for these labels is something like
The Department of Health and Human services has determined that "breast-feeding is the ideal method of feeding and nurturing infants."or
The Department of Health and Human services has determined that"breast milk is more beneficial to infants than infant formula."What do you think? The evidence is overwhelmingly in favor of breastfeeding, but I'm not sure warning labels on formula are the way to encourage breastfeeding. A public education campaign certainly needs to accompany it, and ob-gyns need to continue emphasizing the health benefits of breastfeeding (and the risks of not doing so).
13 comments:
Great topic. Breast is best... that's what they were intended for. I do know that it was helpful to have some formula at the beginning while the milk is coming in and my nipples had to heal from the bleeding and cracking as Kalea and I tried to figure out a way to work together.
The thing that bothers me with formula is how the companies send you all this free formula during the first 2 weeks you're breastfeeding. Those are the hardest... you're trying to figure out the latching, dealing with hormones, sleep deprivation and a new baby. I think they shouldn't be allowed to do that - it preys on our emotional nature during that stage.
I tell all my friends that if they just stick it out beyond that 3 weeks... they'll make it.
At the same time I do know there are exceptions - I have a friend with a daughter that pretty much gnawed her nipples to the point of scar tissue... so for her - she pumped...but not sure if she can function for the next baby.
Warning labels are an interesting idea... but I find them - "dumbing". I think in all our hearts we know breast is best. Some just decide they don't want to do it - I know some like that...and it's sad.
There are definitely exceptions, I agree with you there. And the first month is pretty awful. With my 1st, I had a horrible time and ended up using plastic nipple shields (which I termed "super nipples") for 6 months. With my 2nd, he managed to latch on, but I bled for 2 weeks. It was agonizing. But my pregnancy weight all came off, so it was worth it to me.
it seems like there are two types of non-breastfeeders: those who don't really want to (because its inconvenient) and those who really cannot. (I've heard arguments that many of the latter group actually can with the right help, but they may not have the right help available.)
I wonder how much good warning labels do. For example, I think most people knew cigarettes were bad for them without the Surgeon General's warning. I'd be interested to see some research on whether warning labels actually do anything.
(It feels very strange to sit in a hotel room in Uganda and post about breast-feeding warnings with old friends from college.)
Okay, I just took a few minutes to look up research on warning labels. It seems that the results are all over the place.
Warning labels on baby walkers don't seem to have made any difference in preventing injuries, warning labels on cigarettes make a difference for people who read them carefully and think about them (the real question is, what about all the other people?); the result for alcohol labels is similar (although it seems to grow over time). It seems like labels can make some difference, so it comes down to weighing those gains against the self-esteem losses to mothers who would like to feed but can't.
Wacky and sad note: Violence labels on tv programming actually seem to enhance interest in those tv programs, so...
I just read and printed that out. It's nice to have someone back up the breast. Whenever I talk about breastfeeding the doctors say great!, but my friends say it's and hassle. I'll take that hassle and all the benifits please!!!
Crabtree Family
Maybe it's me... but I don't get the inconvenience argument against breast (boob(ie) in our house). It's the most easy, cost-effective, convenient mode of feeding I know of. Whenever my munchkn would get hungry...you pop out a boob and voila... instant food. With formula you have to make sure you have the measurements, temperature tests and you have to mix it...and you have to use it within a certain time length.
With boob... it's on demand and available whenever. Plus...it's free, high-quality nourishment.
Always blew my mind the women that just wouldn't breastfeed because they were disguested by it... or whatever... suck it up and sacrifice a little. What the heck are you having babies for if you aren't willing to do your due???
Not to mention... the bonding is priceless. Kalea self-weaned and it was harder on me than her... special moments.
AND... I ate whatever I wanted and LOST all the baby weight plus some.
Saved on my gym membership with my own personal trainer... the non-stop eating machine. ;-)
I agree that breastfeeding is so much more convient than formula. I have never tried formula, but I certainly wouldn't want to lug around bottles on a trip. I have stayed out of work in order to keep breastfeeding my now six month old baby. (She won't take a bottle at all, I tried to express to go back to work, no luck.) I don't think warning labels on formula is a good idea though, for those who can't breastfeed but want to it would be like a slap in the face. I recently wrote a sentimental entry in my blog about breastfeeding my little girl. I just wanted her to go to sleep, but then I looked down at her and so much feeling rushed out I had to write about it. You can get that closeness without breastfeeding, but most people don't. It is hard, but I think it is so worth it. For one, I now weigh less than when I got pregnant! If you would like to read my blog entry go to babymaggiesblog.blogspot.com. And, thanks for your blog, it's lots of fun. My mom told me about it! (She emailed you about how to change your settings.)
Oh, also... I heard a good one recently. I had a woman visit who said that a mother and daughter she knew both didn't breastfeed because they thought it was "unnatural", can you imagine?
Ahhh the breast feeding labeling debate. I fell into the catagory of those who believe breastfeeding is best, however my poor child almost starved to death becasue I didn't produce enough (she went from 9lbs 7oz to 7lbs 2 oz before we caught the whole milk issue).
Heck we even tried reglin, which is actually supposed to make adoptive mothers able to breastfeed. No go. Labels like that against mothers who do bottle feed were hurtful and mean. I don't know how many times I got scowls and noses up in the air because I'd pull out the formula baggie and dump it in water to mix and feed. It was hurtful and I would go home and cry. I think after pregnancy most women have thier ideas set and really nothing's going to change that. We all have our own opinions too. We all know breast milk is best however when that's not readily available or yes convinient (working mums) formula will work just fine. It's healthy and lets babies thrive.
I tried breastfeeding and did half and half with formula as a supplement so the poor kids didn't starve. Ummmm formula's easier.
I just carried a water bottle, the babies got used to drinking it at room temp. You have little sandwich bags already measured at the beginning of the week so you don't have to think about it when you need it. Just dump and go. Breastfeeding, blanket, cover, fight the child to keep the blanket on in hot weather. Try not to flash the world.... ummm yeah. With formula you can also take turns with DH durning the night so you are also not on completly no sleep, which happens when your baby is hungry all the time because they aren't getting food.
Another thing the formula given at the hospital and sent to you in the first weeks of life saved our lives literally. :-)
Anywhooo just thought you'd like the other half's opinions and views. :-) breast is best but don't belittle anyone who pulls out a bottle. You don't know thier story, even if you think you do, what you are told might just be something different than the truth (I add the last part because I was ashamed to tell people that I couldn't produce enough. Everyone told me that EVERYONE can produce enough for their babies so I felt I was doing something wrong, even though the LLL couldn't find anything wrong. I felt that I was dysfuncitonal and I was humiliated to admit that. After a while of everyone and thier dog trying to "teach" me how to breastfeed I got sick of it sooooooo I just said "it's easier to bottle feed").
yes indeed. and health reasons aside, many women have to (or want to) work and cannot reasonably manage to breastfeed. this type of research is often used to make these women feel guilty, especially by other women. if breastfeeding works for you, great, but it's not anyone's place to judge how other people make this decision. if you don't believe it really is inconvenient, or sufficiently inconvenient, well, i hope you will at least have the decency to keep your opinions to yourself.
People know breast is best, but in my experience the rates are low as there is not enough adequate, free help for those struggling. We also need to do more work to get children and young adults to accept breastfeeding as normal so that they don't question when their time comes!
Companies should HAVE to give a year off maternity leave in the US like they do in Canada and England.
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