Interesting article on breastfeeding and formula

It's very long, and you probably don't have to read the entire thing (as I did! ) to get the gist, but I thought it was really interesting.

The case against breast-feeding:
Is breast-feeding essential or is it an instrument that keeps women down?

Thoughts?

Re: Interesting article on breastfeeding and formula

I don't know. The article just says that moms judge each other but it did not prove to me that moms who judge use breastfeeding as the biggest factor. Later, the article discusses that fact that women are bombarded with information about "breast is best." It says that we all hear about all the benefits of breastfeeding from the moment we first go to see our OBs. Most of the benefits listed are proven benefits, such as immunity. I'd expect that information to be available. Also, some moms think that the formula propaganda is a bit much. I don't believe that but is shows that we're not only hearing one side.

Re: Interesting article on breastfeeding and formula

What a stupid article. She doesn't want to be judged, yet she's judging breastfeeding mothers?

And when she tries to downplay the positive effects of breastfeeding, it ruins her points. Breast milk will always be superior to formula, and to say that they're on a level playing field is ridiculous.

How on earth is breastfeeding "keeping women down"?!?! Last I checked, you are still allowed to leave your house while breastfeeding, or did she not get the memo?

Re: Interesting article on breastfeeding and formula

Re: Interesting article on breastfeeding and formula

Re: Interesting article on breastfeeding and formula

I love the part about epidemiological studies of breast-fed vs. formula babies...

truth be told, EVERY population study is like that... and the data easily manipulated by statistics to prove virtually anything you want! They quoted a study of 523 pairs of siblings... that's not a huge # of children to study for a human subjects study at all.... it should be in the tens of thousands for accuracy....

My gut instinct? higher IQ, and even possibly diabetes and obesity correlates of formula babies may be bunk. Better immunity likely is true for breastfed babies.... and that's why I try to BF.

Much more interesting to me is this quote:
Mothers these days are expected to “optimize every dimension of children’s lives,” she writes. Choices are often presented as the mother’s selfish desires versus the baby’s needs.

I think this IS true. Society is trying to guilt working moms into being the most absolutely perfect humans on earth. It's nuts... My gut instinct is that there IS a subversive factor in this cultural phenomenon.... much like fashion magazines of our youths, I think it is meant to guilt moms to obsess about trivial things (I should spend an hour at night playing classical music to my belly to develop DC's mind before birth... The virtues of purchasing only organic cotton clothing.... we could all go on for hours....)

But the REAL test of whether a social movement is trying to subjugate women is if the movement encourages behaviors which will prevent upward career mobility. I think some facets of this utopian mother movement DOES. It encourages women change their careers or abandon them altogether... (It's fine if a woman makes this difficult choice without outside influence, but how many times has a working woman had her heartstrings yanked by being asked 'do you ever wish you could stay home with DC' Surely only an evil heartless woman would say 'no'... ) It also encourages women to tear themselves from their job to pump for 20 min several times a day... which SURELY doesn't help their reputation in the workforce. I'm about to apply for some pretty competitive professional job slots... and I'm dreading the inevitable... 'are you married? Do you have kids? how old' yeah, it's illegal to ask those questions, yet they're always asked.... I can't show up to a 2 day interview (roughly 12 hours of interviewing) and ask for 20 min breaks to pump.... Just lke glamous magazine, the subjugation is subtle, but it's very very real.

I'm like the author.... I pump and BF, but do it on my schedule... and feel no guilt in feeding DS formula.

Sorry for the feminist rant.... can you tell I almost got a minor in undergrad in sociology

Re: Interesting article on breastfeeding and formula

I found it to be a very interesting take. I'm in the 17% that was still going strong after 6 months. I did it because I thought it was right for us.

I was intrigued by the results she cited from the Kramer study.

I think that propaganda and the media generate a lot of emotions in this country that make grand illusions about things that people just take for granted and it could be what is happening now.

Either way I am glad I made the choice to EBF but don't judge (or at least I try very hard not to) those who do things differently.

Ultimately, as long as you feed your baby something healthy, breast milk or formula you certainly aren't causing any harm.