our NHS midwife antenatal class last night said it wasn't cheaper, as you have to ensure the mother has the right nutrition herself (she might have been half joking though).
Children (in the UK) who are breastfed past six months are statistically more likely to have higher IQ, and less risk of obesity - whether or not this is cause and affect, or if there are other things at work which unite the two is not stated.
Babies on breast milk do put on weight, initially at a much slower rate, which can worry some mothers.
bleeding nipples, and mastitis, and other issues are mostly down to not getting the suckling right, and can be very easily solved by someone knowledgable taking time to watch the mother, and point out where there might be issues.
it's not rocket surgery!
Breast is best?
Re: Breast is best?
Eh? Nonsense. The cost of a few hundred extra calories a day might equate to the cost of formula - but only if you're eating filet steak. And what about bottles, teats, sterilisers, cool bags, little wire brushes to clean the bottles, a plastic basket to hold the teats if you put them in the dishwasher...JRobinson wrote:our NHS midwife antenatal class last night said it wasn't cheaper, as you have to ensure the mother has the right nutrition herself (she might have been half joking though).
Re: Breast is best?
@ JRobinson, you do seem to be of a mindset, or perhaps playing Devil's advocate for responses?
I'm sorry Rachael, but I reckon JRobinson and his Missus ought to invest in a full sterilising kit at the outset (a one-off cost bar ster. tablets and replacement teats). I wish I had. I hadn't thought in advance that there could be days - however healthily I ate and drank enough fluids... or be ill or taking meds etc so had to rush out and buy a kit. Also need one if expressing milk for trips out as I mentioned previously.
Some mums and dads like to do both, i.e. breast and bottle, so that dad can bond with baby as mum does, though this can affect milk flow if bottle is formula, so again a matter for decision.
As for soreness etc "can be very easily solved" - maybe just thank your lucky stars that you'll not experience or know first hand whether that's true
It's not a two-sided coin at all really (breast vs bottle) as after the event so many things can come into the equation. The best one can do is to try to be prepared.
Incidentally, can you find out the name of the statistical report about breastfeeding beyond six months you were advised of? Most reports considered worthy of expounding widely will have been published in the BMJ. Doubt they can tell you as it's darn near impossible to track down any original info about things told to us about anything whether babies, health, food. Still, if people are saying things, they should have some sort of idea where it came from. Ta.
I'm sorry Rachael, but I reckon JRobinson and his Missus ought to invest in a full sterilising kit at the outset (a one-off cost bar ster. tablets and replacement teats). I wish I had. I hadn't thought in advance that there could be days - however healthily I ate and drank enough fluids... or be ill or taking meds etc so had to rush out and buy a kit. Also need one if expressing milk for trips out as I mentioned previously.
Some mums and dads like to do both, i.e. breast and bottle, so that dad can bond with baby as mum does, though this can affect milk flow if bottle is formula, so again a matter for decision.
As for soreness etc "can be very easily solved" - maybe just thank your lucky stars that you'll not experience or know first hand whether that's true
It's not a two-sided coin at all really (breast vs bottle) as after the event so many things can come into the equation. The best one can do is to try to be prepared.
Incidentally, can you find out the name of the statistical report about breastfeeding beyond six months you were advised of? Most reports considered worthy of expounding widely will have been published in the BMJ. Doubt they can tell you as it's darn near impossible to track down any original info about things told to us about anything whether babies, health, food. Still, if people are saying things, they should have some sort of idea where it came from. Ta.
Re: Breast is best?
Actually, I'd agree that it's a good idea to have the kit, or at least know what you would need and where you could buy it quickly if you needed to. If you never use it, you can sell it or pass it on to charity.
My experience of breastfeeding was overwhelmingly good, but I don't want to come across as evangelical - everyone's experience is different. And I had my share of problems, everyone does. Being told that it is a breeze in the park is as unhelpful as hearing in gory detail how things can go wrong.
Perhaps the most important thing to remember is that each family finds their own way, and one way or another the baby gets fed and grows into a healthy child. And then, one day, as happened to me yesterday, your eldest child gets their National Insurance number in the post and you feel officially OLD.
My experience of breastfeeding was overwhelmingly good, but I don't want to come across as evangelical - everyone's experience is different. And I had my share of problems, everyone does. Being told that it is a breeze in the park is as unhelpful as hearing in gory detail how things can go wrong.
Perhaps the most important thing to remember is that each family finds their own way, and one way or another the baby gets fed and grows into a healthy child. And then, one day, as happened to me yesterday, your eldest child gets their National Insurance number in the post and you feel officially OLD.
Re: Breast is best?
we already have some bottles, and as I home brew, we've got milton sterilising tablets. We have a dishwasher too, so should be ok. according to MrsR there's no such things as being too prepared.