Breast feeding & Formula feeding: facts (part 1)

Since there is so much info here, I will have to break this up into two posts (part 1 and part 2). I want to start this by saying that I am not intending to mommy shame anyone with this. I know this may come off as if I am, so my deepest apologies if it does. My only goal here is to provide facts, not opinions, on breastfeeding. I am pro-breast feeding 100%, and because I am, I have done extensive research on the topic. On all of the breastfeeding posts we’ve had lately, I continuously see ladies state things such as “formula feeding is just as good as breastfeeding” or “many women can’t produce/can’t breastfeed”, and based off my research both of these statements are generally false. The % of women that in fact can’t produce or breastfeed is minimal, and this is typically due to diseases, disorders, or augmentations; the biggest reason for failure of breastfeeding is latch issues in the beginning which cause most moms to become discouraged and give up. A lot of the information I have learned is from board certified lactation consultants, but no sources were provided with that information. I have tried my best to provide reputable sources for the purposes of this post, and have searched for as many pros and cons to both breastfeeding and formula feeding as I can, so not to seem too biased; AAP (American academy of pediatrics), WHO (world health organization), nrdc.org (natural resources defense council), webmd.com, americanpregnancy.org(American pregnancy association), medela.com, ilca.org (international lactation consultant association). And one last thing before the facts: you may have been formula fed, or you may formula feed your baby, and none of the cons of formula feeding apply to you or your baby. That’s great, and I’m very happy for you! But that doesn’t discredit the facts and stats about breastfeeding vs. formula feeding – that means you and your baby are the exception to the norm.

General facts:

·         You only produce a small amount of breastmilk (colostrum) in the first few days, after 3-4 days you gradually start producing more milk [medela.com]

·         Babies breastfeed until they’re full not until they 'empty' your breast; on average, babies remove 67% of the milk you have available – this amount can vary widely among moms; with bottle feeding, a baby will generally feed until the bottle is empty [medela.com]

·         Mothers can make plenty of milk, even if they are stressed or hungry [ilca.org] 

·         breastfeeding can begin again even if the mother has discontinued breastfeed; this is called relactation [ilca.org] 

·         Babies instinctively know how to get your milk quickly and efficiently: they start breastfeeding with a faster suck for stimulation until you let-down. Then when your milk is flowing, they switch to a slower, deeper suck and eat until they’re full [medela.com]