(If
you are already bottlefeeding your baby, mentally retitle this
section, Why I Will Breastfeed My Next Baby. If, like many
parents of a firstborn high-need child, you have decided you will
never have another baby, and you are bottlefeeding, click here for survival tips with the one
you have.)
Bottlefed
babies have really smelly poop. Okay, that's not too
important, right? Well, not until you're changing your umpteenth
dirty diaper, or your significant other is
gagging while s/he does her/his parental duty. Plus, a
great many breastfed babies, after the first six weeks or
so, only have one poopy diaper per week or week
and a half. With a baby that's fed Artificial Baby Milk
(hereafter referred to as ABM for
purposes of brevity), she'd better have one or two poopy
diapers per day or something's wrong.
Bottlefed
babies tend to be overweight. "But he's right
where he's supposed to be on the growth chart," you
might hear a bottlefed baby's mother protest. Yeah, but guess
when they came up with those growth
charts? After ABM became the norm. That's why
quite a few breastfeeding mothers are informed by their
well-meaning but ignorant pediatricians that
their baby is "slow weight gain" or "in
the lower percentile" despite the fact that he's
healthy, happy, and having several poopy and wet diapers
per day (all signs of adequate nutritional intake). If
you consider breastfeeding as the way all babies
are biologically designed to be fed (whether by
God or evolution, it doesn't matter for this discussion),
then babies fed ABM tend to be overweight if compared
with that standard. They don't have the gradual change
from watery, less fat foremilk to thick, fatty hindmilk
that breastfeeding provides, which lets them know when
they're full. They also have a greater
tendency to become obese later in
childhood--and we all know how merciless their peers are
to overweight children.
Bottlefed
babies get sick more often. And guess why? Because
ABM can't reproduce the antibodies that
breastmilk gives to babies. When a mother gets sick (and
usually she gets whatever illness it is first), her body
produces antibodies to fight the infection. These are of
course in her blood, but what you may not know is that
they are also in her breastmilk, which means that her
baby gets those infection-busting antibodies each and
every time he eats. If you think they can do that with
canned ABM, you're wrong. No matter what "scientific
advance" they're proclaiming in ABM
production, they'll never be able to duplicate that,
because they have to pasteurize it to make it safe to
mass produce. Pasteurization kills the living elements in
milk. Also, bottlefed babies have a higher
incidence of allergies, as well as
asthma...which, in the early years, can mean higher
doctor bills. So ABM is costly in
more ways than one. Plus, look at the list of diseases
and disorders that bottlefed babies are at
higher risk for: (as found in the studies listed
in Attachment Parenting) Salmonella, respiratory
infections, gastrointestinal infections, ear infections,
diarrhea, urinary tract infections, rotavirus, influenza
B, eczema, food allergies (especially
if there is a family history of allergy), respiratory
allergies (especially if there
is a family history of allergy), prolonged colds,
colitis, childhood cancer, lymphomas, breast
cancer, juvenile diabetes, Chrohn's
disease (inflammatory bowel disease), ulcerative colitis,
and the great biggy, SIDS (crib
death). No, I am not saying that your bottlefed baby is
at death's door. I am saying that his statistical risk
for developing or catching one of these diseases is
raised by virtue of ABM feeding.
Bottlefed
babies can't "comfort suck" on a bottle without
consequences. Every baby is born with a need
to suck. No, I didn't just make that up. That's why some
babies wean at 12 months and others don't wean till
they're three or four years old. They have individual
sucking needs that must be satisfied one way
or another. High-need babies especially have a high
sucking need (just like they have a high
everything need, right, moms and dads?). What
this means is that even after they're full, some babies
have a physical need to continue sucking for their own
emotional well-being. When you breastfeed, that's no big
deal. You just let your little darling keep on sucking
for as long as he wants (or as long as you can
stand it, which sometimes is a shorter
period of time). When you bottlefeed, well, that empty
bottle isn't too good for his tummy, so you have to break
out the Binky. Don't get me wrong; I don't think
pacifiers are from the devil or anything. But we all know
that if they're not physically attached to us, we tend to
put our babies down so we can "get
something done." A breastfeeding mom
whose baby is comfort sucking doesn't have this option
(unless her boobs are way bigger than mine, which
I don't think is possible). A baby with a pacifier, on
the other hand, has that comforting rubber nipple, and by
the age of five months or so can probably aim it pretty
well towards his own mouth. So a big temptation is to let
him do just that. Is it fair that
that little baby should be touched less than his
breastfeeding counterpart? Of course not. Does it happen
anyway? We all know it does. And, speaking of touch...
Bottlefed
babies are at risk for a lower IQ. No, I do not mean
that your kid is stupid because he drank ABM. What I'm
saying is that on average, bottlefed babies have lower
IQs than breastfed babies. There is
a tendency among bottlefeeding parents to think that they
can make up for the advantages lost through bottlefeeding
by being extra vigilant with
other factors in their child's intellectual development.
To a certain extent, this is true. However, there are
several features of breastfeeding that contribute to a
breastfed baby's increased brain development. One is that
breastfed babies are, by nature of their feeding process,
touched more than
bottlefeeders. Touch, especially in the first year of
life, leads to brain growth. Come on, bottlefeeding
mothers. Can you honestly say that you never
once, not once, succumbed to
the urge to prop that bottle while
you loaded the dishwasher, or let your little one wander
around drinking on her own because "she's a big girl
now and can do it herself" (as one mother proudly
told me)? If you didn't, you have all my respect, because
I know in your place I probably would have.
"Okay," you may be thinking, "I can just
be sure to hold my baby every time she eats." That's
good, but the touch factor isn't the only
reason breastfed babies have the
advantage. The other reasons are those living elements
in breastmilk, and those essential fatty acids like
DHA and brain proteins like taurine that
aren't found in ABM for the simple reason that the
scientists working for the ABM companies can't
duplicate them.
ABM
tastes nasty. Oh, you've never tried it? Well, don't
unless you're prepared to make a face. It's gross and
tastes like...well, it tastes like canned formula, which
really doesn't taste like
anything else. Breastmilk, on the other hand, tastes sweet because
it has more lactose (sugar). That doesn't mean it has too
much sugar, because the sugar you're supposed to limit is
refined table sugar, not
lactose. Lactose, in fact, has a vital product called
galactose that your baby's brain needs for central
nervous system development. This goes back to the
whole IQ thing (see above). Guess what kind of sugar they
put in ABM? Sucrose or
glucose. Guess what grown-ups call sucrose? Table sugar.
ABM
doesn't have cholesterol (or not much, at any rate).
But that's good, you're thinking. Cholesterol is bad for
you, right? Bad for you, maybe, but not for
your baby. Babies need cholesterol for
brain growth, and the real stuff has plenty of
cholesterol. Which, again, goes back to the whole IQ
issue.
Bottlefed
babies get inferior oral stimulation. This is
because bottles are way, way easier than breasts to get
milk from. The baby doesn't have to work too hard to get
his dinner. Inferior stimulation leads to less strong
jaws and mouth muscles and more crooked teeth sometimes
too.
Bottlefeeding
mothers put their OWN health at risk. Not
intentionally, of course. But there is plenty of research
to show that there is lots and lots of good in it for the
mother who breastfeeds, not just the baby. Bottlefeeding
can significantly increase your risk of
premenopausal breast cancer, by as
much as 25%. Even if you breastfeed for a
short time, the risk drops, and the longer you keep
going, the lower the number gets. Why, you ask? Well, a
logical answer would be, because you didn't put an
artificial halt to a natural part of your
reproductive cycle. It has been hypothesized for many
years (and a few studies have supported this hypothesis)
that women who suffer miscarriage are at increased risk
for breast cancer because the hormonal changes to their
breasts causing them to prepare for lactation are
suddenly cut off when they lose their fetus. What very
few people are prepared to state publicly, I suppose for
fear of making bottlefeeding parents feel guilty or
scared, is that the same risks apply for those who just
let their milk dry up after carrying a baby to term.
Also, if you bottlefeed, you raise your risk for ovarian
cancer, osteoporosis, and
hip fractures later on in life. Ever wonder why those
things are so common in older women now?
Bottlefeeding
moms miss out on what Dr. Sears calls a
"hormoneous" relationship with their baby.
What that means is that every time a breastfeeding mom
nurses her baby, hormones called prolactin and oxytocin
are released. These are "mothering" hormones
that give you those warm, fuzzy, happy mommy
feelings as well as helping your uterus
return to its original shape more quickly. As the mommy
of a high-need baby, you need those happy fuzzy
feelings to make it through the day and not
pull your hair out--or your baby's.
Things You Might Want To Know
About Breastfeeding
All this sounds really
good, but I'm already bottlefeeding. What should I do?
First of all, don't waste time on guilt.Guilt
is a luxury for the parents of easy babies to indulge in. You
have probably in your baby's short lifetime already experienced
enough guilt as six of them combined.
Second of all, buy that baby a Binky.
Augh! I can hear the AP mothers screaming now. Most of them are
breastfeeding, though. It is not fair for that child to have to
suppress her natural need for sucking comfort just because
she happens to be bottlefed. Give her a pacifier, but carry
her while she uses it, and once she hits three or so, you might
want to start putting limits on its use,
just as many breastfeeding mothers do with nursing. You can also
try a freshly scrubbed pinky finger, but Abishai would never go
for this.
Third, don't let anybody guilt-trip
you about your choices. So what if you chose to bottlefeed?
You most likely didn't have all the facts about the
risks involved. Doctors aren't taught more than two hours'
lectures' worth of lactation science, so s/he probably didn't
tell you anything either. So what if your kid uses a paci? I squirm now
when I recall how I used to tease my brother-in-law and his wife
about their four-year-old (bottlefed baby) still using his
pacifier. It finally occurred to me that I would not be at all
weirded out by a four-year-old still nursing. It was reverse
prejudice on my part!
Fourth, consider giving her smaller,
more frequent feedings. It is sometimes easier to schedule a
formula-fed baby because ABM is not nearly as easy as
breastmilk to digest. However, if you start considering mealtimes
as opportunities
for bonding instead of obligatory nutritional tasks
to be completed, the four-hour schedule may lose some of its
appeal. Also, remember that a baby's tummy is about the size of
her fist. Hold that fist next to a full bottle and you'll see
before you one of the reasons ABM-fed babies are at higher risk
for childhood obesity.
Fifth, consider using a
Supplementary Nutrition System, which is a package of
formula hooked up to two tiny tubes you adhere to your nipples,
thus simulating breastfeeding (and also slightly stimulating your
milk supply!). If you do decide to stick with bottles, I highly
recommend the Adiri Breastbottle, which is the only bottle I know
of to model itself after the original, perfect design: human
breasts. Click on this link to discover
more about this exciting product (by the way, I receive no money
from them, I just think their product's so cool).
Sixth, please, please, please, don't
use Carnation, or any other Nestle product, for that matter.
I know it is much cheaper (the ads say, "It's like getting
the fifth can free!"), but there are literally millions of
reasons why any responsible adult should not
support these jerks. Click here for the
reasons why.
I tried to breastfeed, but I
didn't have enough milk. Will this happen if I try with my next
baby? Not if you read up on
breastfeeding from pro-breastfeeding sources (by which I don't
mean a helpful how-to pamphlet from an ABM company), most likely.
(See Resources page) Probably the reason you didn't have enough
milk (if indeed you really didn't) is because you tried to schedule your
feedings in the early weeks, or used unnecessary
supplementary bottles or pacifiers. Or maybe your baby wouldn't
stop crying, and you thought it was because he wasn't
getting enough to eat, when really it was simply
because he's a high-need baby. Or maybe you were never shown how
to latch
your baby on correctly, so he couldn't get to your milk.
What's the point of me trying to
breastfeed when I'm just going back to work anyway?
Contrary to popular belief, you can breastfeed while
working, and it's well worth the effort. Ask my aunt,
who breastfed four children while working as a nurse. (And two of
those were high-need!) You need to check up on it and read about
it (I know, time to read is exactly what you don't have). Try So
That's What They're For! (See Resources) And even if
you only breastfeed for six weeks (the usual
maternity leave), it still gives your baby so many benefits that
it's really worth the effort, and will give you time to gradually wean her to
bottlefeeding instead experiencing the sore engorged breasts
you'll have otherwise. Be advised, though...it's addictive for
the mommy.
When are you going to wean
Abishai? When he's ready, which probably won't be for a
few years. Why should I deny him the benefits of my
close-to-perfect milk just because he hits the big 0-1? That's my
choice, and I don't want to hear any
"pervert" remarks from the peanut gallery. In return, I
won't bombard you with angry remarks about how breastmilk was
good for him when he was 11 months old, so why not 12 months.
Deal?
So what are you saying, just
because you breastfeed, you're a better mom than bottlefeeding
moms are? That is exactly what I am not saying.
I have known very loving and competent bottlefeeding
moms, and some not-so-loving or -competent
breastfeeding moms. I am offering the facts behind our feeding
choice, and offering you the opportunity to draw your own
conclusions based on those same facts. If you are
feeling defensive about past feeding choices, don't bother! Just,
please, make the breastfeeding choice next time, now that you're
more educated about the inherent risks of ABM.
Interesting Link: What
if breastfeeding were marketed as agressively as ABM? See an ad here.
