Breast is Best?

I believe that mother's milk is best. I don't think there's any question about that. However, since I've had my daughter, now 2, I'm a little more realistic about things and I think that we all need to be supportive of each other's decisions. I also think that all articles saying it's SO easy to pump while holding down a full time job don't apply to everyone.

I nursed until I had to go back to work at 8 weeks. Then I pumped full time (my daughter liked the bottle better). Then I ended up in a state where I was totally stressed out because I was trying to keep up with work and taking lots of breaks to pump. Then I pumped so much that I ended up in a LOT of pain (doctors and lactation consultants cringed when they looked at me). I finally put an end to it and started using formula when I ended up crying for an hour everytime I had to pump. I was totally depressed and in pain. Once I switched to formula, things were sooo much better.

I will nurse again if I have another child. But I'll be easier on myself, and I'll even try doing both mother's milk and formula if that works for me. I won't be such a perfectionist.

And for those who use formula only - good for you for feeding your child a healthy nutritious diet also!

I was only able to nurse for 4 months and my son is well advanced for his age. The IQ difference is shown to only be a couple of points and usually disappears into elementary school. I think no matter what your choice is when feeding your child, as long as you do it with love, your child will be the best they can be. Besides, doesn't every mother think their child is smarter, cuter, funnier, etc than anyone else's? I think that goes for every mom whether they chose to breast feed or not. I think that is only natural. I certainly do!

Healthy or not, it was JUST PLAIN EASIER!!! After 4 kids, I can't even imagine doing the bottle/formula/warming it up at 3 a.m./packing up all that mess to go shopping, etc. Breast feeding there is literally no preparation to going anywhere, you are ready when they are! Not to mention the close bond of having your baby so close to you.

I couldn't breast feed due to health reason and so far my oldest daughter - 3 and half - advancing far more than the rest of the group and the day care have already started her with the 4 year old group. They did the same when she was 2 and half - put her in 3 year old group because she was getting bored and started to rebel a bit.

And we are trying to find out if she could start school before the mandatory age start. Her birthday is in November.

So...when I see this type of article, I just have my doubts about the study.....

H~
Mom of 2 Daughters - Kelly (3 yrs) and Skylar (19 mos old)
zoostationu2@hotmail.com

I breastfed my first child for about five months until my milk dried up. (Weird, I know). She is a straight A student in high school honors program. I was not able to breastfeed my second child at all. She is also a honors student, and actually has scored higher in gifted testing than the first child. I wasn't breastfed myself and I think I'm pretty smart, although my teen may want to argue that point. :o)

sure, fine, whatever

I do think the science has proved that, ideally, breast milk is certainly best. What with there still being over 100 ingredients in human milk that isn't in formula, the lower incidence rate of allergies, asthma, ear infections, etc. etc.

That said, of course, it isn't possible for all. Most parents do certainly try to do whatever is the best that they can for their child. Look at all those poor moms who cut virtually everything out of their diet and their babies still have terrible reactions to their mom's milk and they end up having to go to formula!
But hey, I probably shouldn't yell at my kids when they really annoy me either...but we all simply try to do our best.

For me, my daughter was breast fed exclusively for 3 mo. then I did formula and breast milk for 2 more months- to the daily and incessant nagging and snide comments by my mom to "stop the ridiculous nursing." She may possibly be the last remaining educated American woman who thinks formula is far better - perhaps to justify her decisions to not even try nursing?
When I quit with my daughter (I gave in to her badgering), I swore it'd be different next time.

So with my son, I nursed for 16 months - until I got called away in the middle of the night to tend to my grandmother who was hospitalized out of town with emergency surgery. By the time I got home 8 days later, both he and I were done. I had troubles with using the pump for the first time, he spent 8 days drinking cow's milk out of a cup, etc...

I would have probably done it longer, if only because it was so darn easy, no leaking/engorgement after the first 8 wks, it was free, seemed a big deal to begin a weaning process.

Happy2BMommy, is a stay-at-home mom who just turned 40 (argh!) with a 6 yr. old daughter and a 4 yr. old son, and is a discussion leader for arizonamoms.com living in Scottsdale.

I don't really think breast milk has anything to do with intelligence . . all 4 of my kids were breast fed, each one for a longer time period, but the oldest is the smartest and the youngest is the "least" smart, but I don't like to label, and I breast fed him the longest. (not saying that he is the least smart because I fed him the longest, just how it turned dut).

How funny. My SO sent me the article you refer to (we're looking into AI). Both our Moms are A-cups. Her's didn't have enough milk, and I was stuck in the incubator so long that my Mom dried up.

She's brilliant, and I'm educated.

If we are lucky enough to get a sticky bean, I'm fairly certain that we won't be buying formula. Her mammary glands deserve their own zip code.