Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is part of what makes us mammals, and it was the only way to feed our children for most of human history.

However, all that began to change in 1865 when the first infant formula was developed[i], with cow’s milk as the main ingredient.

Since then, the manufacture and marketing of formula has boomed, and it’s only recently that more and more mothers have decided to breastfeed again. (In the late 1960s and early 1970s, fewer than 30% of infants were breastfed. Based on 2021 statistics, 84.1% of mothers now breastfeed their infant, although this figure drops to 59.8% at six months and only 39.5% at one year – because mothers are put under a lot of pressure to wean their babies too soon.)

Why breastfeed at all?

  1. It’s natural – every single species of mammal does it, and we are, after all, mammals.
  2. It promotes a strong emotional bond with your child from the moment they’re born (particularly if you decide to have a home birth).
  3. It’s the source of food your child is meant to have, and it meets all their nutritional needs.
  4. It supports the child’s developing immune system, helping to protect them against bacteria and viruses.
  5. It facilitates postpartum recovery because breastfeeding releases oxytocin.
  6. It promotes natural weight loss.
  7. If you co-sleep with your children, it can reduce the disruption caused by having to feed them during the night.

Why breast milk is what your child needs

  1. Human breast milk has evolved over hundreds of thousands of years to be the perfect food for your child. Nothing else comes close to a mother’s breast milk.
  2. It adapts to the specific needs of your children, both over time and within a single feeding.
  3. It contains bioactive ingredients that help protect your child from illness and disease.

In the rare instances that a mother cannot directly breastfeed her child, wet-nursing and pumped human milk are better options than formula.

Under no circumstances should you feed your baby cow’s milk during the first year, because:

  • this should go without saying, but cow’s milk is for young cows, not young humans
  • it doesn’t contain all of the nutrients (e.g., vitamin E) your baby needs
  • the high levels of protein and fat can cause problems with your baby’s immature digestive system
  • the high levels of proteins and minerals can cause kidney problems
  • it’s low in iron and can therefore cause anaemia

What about formula?

Medical professionals, who accept gifts from formula companies, push formula relentlessly, so you might hear something like this (which is an actual quote from a doctor): “Babies cannot live off breastmilk, they have to have formula also or they will not make it.”

It takes but a moment’s thought to realize this is 100% untrue, given that human beings managed to survive for hundreds of thousands of years before formula was invented, and all the other mammal mothers on the planet are able to produce the nutrition that their offspring need.

But what about formula itself?

Well, there are many problems with infant formula in general, including:

  • it’s not human milk but cow’s milk that has been modified to make it slightly more similar to the nutritional composition of human breast milk
  • it has a higher calorific value than breast milk, which can lead to a much greater risk of obesity, as shown by numerous studies[ii]
  • it is always the same, not only for your child but for every child, whereas breast milk changes dynamically based on the child’s specific needs at the time of each feeding
  • it is not as bioactive as breast milk
  • it does not confer immunity via antibodies like mother’s milk does
  • it’s more difficult for your child to digest and takes two to three times as long
  • the bacteria in formulas function differently, with unknown health implications
  • the ingredients can be questionable at best, with many, for example, containing soy derivatives, which in turn contain phytoestrogens that are structurally similar to human estrogen and whose risks are not yet fully understood, and high-fructose corn syrup

Problems caused by lack of breastfeeding

  • it leads to an underdeveloped immune system
  • it increases the risk of various ailments, including ear infections, allergies, asthma, obesity, diabetes, and more
  • there’s a connection between lack of breastfeeding and lower IQ.[i]

Breastfeeding in public

First, remember that breastfeeding in public is legal in all 50 states.

No one is entitled to ask you to stop breastfeeding or to cover your breast.

If you are challenged, you need to stand your ground, not only for yourself and for your child, but for all mothers.

In the USA at least, breasts have been sexualized for decades and many people do not appear to understand that the primary function of breasts is to feed children. This is, of course, true of all mammals, of which humans are but one species.

There is nothing obscene or lewd about a bare breast, especially when it’s being used to feed a child, so if people have a problem with it, that’s their problem, not yours.

Weaning

There is huge pressure placed on mothers these days to wean their children off breastfeeding after as little as six months, which is far too soon.

Left to their own devices, children will stop breastfeeding after two and a half to seven years, with three or four years being typical.

You should be aware that the growth rate charts used by paediatricians in the USA assume children are fed on formula – which, because of the high calorific content, makes children put weight on a lot faster than they would do normally. This means paediatricians are likely to consider your breastfed child under-developed for their age, but you should ignore them.

In terms of trying solid foods, many babies may start showing an interest as early as six months, but anywhere from then until twelve months is normal.

And of course that does not mean you should stop breastfeeding the moment they are able to try solid (or semi-solid) foods. The healthiest thing for your child is to let your child drive the weaning process.

[i] https://aussiebubs.com/blogs/bubs-blog/when-was-baby-formula-invented

[ii] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6866175/

[iii] https://www.bbc.com/news/health-31925449