This is part 2 to a blog post I created a day ago and have gotten heat over on social media.
Why is no one talking about it? Why are we making our babies less intelligent with formula?
As I had predicted, there are many excuses for why some women do not breastfeed and I shared my own including medical reasons. What many women could not get past though was their own guilt. They basically said this just adds to it. Why should the facts add to it? It could be my tone and for that I apologize but when are mothers going to apologize for not being able to look past their own guilt and support the facts.
Breastfeeding is the normal way babies have eaten for millions of years. It is the standard. All other nutrition should be evalutated next to it. Instead though breastfeeding is looked at like some alternative that only some babies get if such and such a situation is perfect for it.
Why are we saying breastfeeding increases IQ when that nutrition is the birth right of our species. Why are we not saying that formula lowers IQ compared to a normal breastfed baby? Is it because we are caring more about feelings than facts or more about selling a product? I know it isn’t unicorns and rainbows. I know it isn’t something wonderful to think about for a formula feeding mother, as I was remember. How come though I and others could move past the guilt and look at the facts and support the facts rather than trying to change the topic to our own guilt or justification?
As I had said in the last post, as expected I heard stories of “My child is just as smart” and “I just couldn’t breastfeed” and very little about the actual facts of formula and even fewer questions that might help the situation. Even worse I guess was reading about mothers who had surgery after birth or one case where the mother had a vaccine and couldn’t nurse. Did no one tell them that they could pump after the surgery and keep up a supply so they could nurse the baby? Did no one tell the vaccine Mom that after 2 weeks she could nurse and no one gave the tools and information to do so? My heart breaks for them, they really think they had no choice. That is part of it though, formula is just so “easy” and support for breastfeeding is just not as common as we would like to think it is. Sadly most women don’t even know they could re-lactate.
In the end though, it just seems like guilt is being allowed to get in the way of the facts and some how that is supposed to be ok. It isn’t ok to me. It isn’t about us, isn’t about guilt, it is about the facts.
I always cringe when reading breast feeding versus formula feeding. Mainly because it is the woman’s choice and it is no ones business how she chooses to nourish her baby.
Formula has all the nutrients a baby needs to grow healthy. I think it is time we acknowledge that and stop making moms who use formula feel like they aren’t being good moms. I’m not pro formula. I have 6 kids. I formula fed the first two, pumped for the next three for several months, and then exclusively breastfed my last for a several months. All six kids are fine, thriving, and extremely healthy.
I would also like to add that my oldest daughter, who never received any breast milk at all, was reading at a ninth grade level in third grade, graduated from college, Summa cum laude, and made the Dean’s list, had a 4.0 GPA and is bilingual. She learned Spanish in two years and is so fluent you would never know she wasn’t born in Spain. She is living in Spain now teaching English.
I just really hate it when people start playing the whole IQ card regarding breastfeeding. It’s not fair to moms to do that.
I “hate” it when we put feelings before facts. It isn’t fair to anyone to do that.
I know I live in America a very selfish country where “choice” is protected above logic and reason in many cases. I just don’t understand why “feelings” come before facts. The facts are as another blogger pointed out so well:
The risks of formula feeding are many, they include:
For the baby:
An increased risk of otitis media
An increased risk of gastroenteritis
An increased risk of pneumonia
An increased risk of type 1 and 2 diabetes
An increased risk of leukaemia
An increased risk of obesity
An increased risk of SIDS
An increased risk of necrotizing enterocolitis
For mothers who do not breastfeed:
An increased risk of breast cancer
An increased risk of ovarian cancer
An increased risk of type 2 diabetes
– http://sarahockwell-smith.com/2013/08/02/breastfeeding-benefits-or-formula-risks-does-it-make-a-difference/
Most people are not aware because they are so worried about the “feelings” of some mothers. I am sorry but facts and truth come before feelings.
I am sorry but I just do not agree with you and while your bright daughter is wonderful, she doesn’t negate the facts. My oldest is smart as well, but that doesn’t negate that fact that breastfeeding her would have better for her mind and her health. My ego isn’t getting in the way of me accepting the truth.
No one can make another person feel a certain way, at some point we have to grow up and take responsibility. I gave my babies formula, I am responsible for that. It isn’t about what kind of mom I am, that judgement isn’t needed. I simply didn’t know any better so now I try and help others know better. When we know better we do better!
I am a firm believer in breast feeding, it is natural, nothing unnatural about it unlike formula, created with all kinds of ingredients that I personally believe aren’t NATURAL! Thank you for sharing & KEEP CALM & BREASTFEED ON!