Did you know that we are just entering Breastfeeding awareness week?
So you might think that ‘There are NO benefits to Breastfeeding!’ sounds a rather controversial title for a post.
You may assume that it must be written by someone who has never breastfed and probably never even considered it.
Well no, non of that is true.
Sammy was breastfed for just over a year and I am still breastfeeding Tim, which people keep telling me is real dedication as I have had to go dairy free myself due to his allergies.
So why the title?
It’s quite simple really, if you remember that Breastfeeding is normal and that formula is artificial then you start to look at things in a slightly different way.
Breastfeeding does not provide benefits,
however NOT breastfeeding (or feeding formula) leaves your baby at greater risk of
• gastro-intestinal infection
• respiratory infections
• urinary tract infections
• ear infections
• allergic disease (eczema and wheezing)
• insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus
• sudden infant death syndrome
• childhood leukaemia.
to name just some.
Remember Breastfeeding will not prevent your child from getting any of these things either (so far Tim has allergies, has ended up in hospital with respiratory infections, had ear infections and we are currently waiting for the results on a urinary tract infection) but it will reduce the risk.
So as you can see unfortunately Tim is able to tick many of the boxes from the list above, but I just keep reminding myself that I have reduced his risks as much as possible and wonder how much worse things might have been for him if I weren’t still Breastfeeding.
I hope you have found it interesting looking at Breastfeeding from this perspective, I would love to hear what benefits you have observed about breastfeeding.
If you are participating in the Keep Britain Breastfeeding Scavenger Hunt them please leave a comment below about any benefits you have experienced and it will be counted towards your final hunt score to win the Grand Prize
Please also take a moment to look at some fellow bloggers and companies also taking part in the hunt
Life, Love and Living with Boys
Hinckley Yummy Mummy 
Yes, I started writing my post about obesity and the risks of formula feeding rather than the Benefits of Breastfeeding but it all got a bit serious and gloomy so I decided to publish it at a later date and kick this week off with something a little more light-hearted. Poor Tim. I sometimes wish there was a parallel universe where we could see how different choices might have affected us when we are faced with criticism or self doubt
I’m the same, the number of times I say it would be so interesting to have 2 identical babies that followed different paths to see what happens, then think how cruel that could be in other ways if one ended up worse of.
Enjoy the week
I have a postcard of that very phenomenon from Baby Milk Action. Its actually quite horrific, the difference (it was from a developing country – the formula fed twin died).
Interesting post – hope you are enjoying the hunt 🙂
must search out that postcard, don’t think i’ve seen it
happy hunting
I’ve got six copies of the postcard if you want one! Happy to post to you x
that would be great, i’ll send you my address if that is ok
Convenience has to be a big factor! No sterilising, no waiting, perfect temperature…
I have often said that I think I may actually be too lazy to bottlefeed, all that organising to be able to go out, so much to forget, Breastfeeding is just so easy
I agree, we should just view it as normal, and formula feeding as abnormal. The bond I have with my son through breastfeeding is incredible
it really is an amazing bond that should be enjoyed while it lasts, they just grow to quickly
the best benefit is a lighter bag when you go out and you can do many things like housework or chasing a toddler while breastfeeding baby
chopping strawberries for my 2 year old was my first experience of multitasking what breastfeeding, really don’t think i’d have managed that with a bottle
Oh they sure are benefits. I love breastfeeding.
me too, unfortunately for the last 2 days my youngest has gone most of the daytime without wanting to feed, looks like he’s starting to self wean 😦
Wow, what a great post, I’ve never look at it from that point of view. I wish the media and advertising used that point of view. I think telling people all the benefits sometimes makes then think that you just like breastfeeding too much! But If they used this point of view, I think it would away a lot more people’s mind or at least make them think twice, fantastic post 🙂 looking forward to reading more 😀
Thank you for your comments, wonderful to hear you enjoyed the post particularly as blogging and writing posts is new to me (this was post 7!) Already posted today, so hope you enjoy this one as well https://hinckleyyummymummy.wordpress.com/2013/06/24/top-tips-for-breastfeeding/
Pingback: Top tips for Breastfeeding | Hinckley Yummy Mummy
I was unable to breastfeed my daughter exclusively as I have IGT, but I love that by breastfeeding I was able to counter some of the risks that were increased by her having to have some formula too.
great to hear you were able to breastfeed, remember however much you manage to feed, whether exclusively or combined, each feed is a bonus
The greatest benefit of breast-feeding I have found is that it introduced me to comfortable bras, no longer do I suffer the scratches and blisters of ill-fitting under-wiring!
that makes me laugh, such strange things we think about
I love breast feeding and have fed all 4 of my babies. my number 3 gave up at 5 months coz he has a real personal space issue lol ( not many people believe it but 4 6 whole weeks I fought with him to feed but he just pushed himself away and on Christmas eve he screamed so much I never fed him again and was so upset by it). im currently feeding my 11 month old daughter and as she is by fair my longest true feeder and enjoying every feed (even the biting lol) nothing is better than feeding yr baby and thinking im making u grow into who u are!!!!
enjoy every moment, you never know when this one will decide to self wean, hopefully you will both feel ready
Breastfeeding gives me a wonderful excuse to lay on the sofa at least twice a day, put my feet up and have cuddles with my boys.
my first gave me that excuse virtually all day long, he would feed for at least an hour every 2hours for months
great excuse to do nothing, but catch up on tv and books
A great piece, its an interesting perspective, and does make you consider how we think about formula feeding in comparison to breastfeeding. I think for me the biggest win for breastfeeding is that once I got the hang of it it was easy….. nothing to carry around if i went out, no trawling to the bottom of the house to make bottles up in the night, no way i could forget the babys dinner even if i had forgotten the nappies!
I would be too lazy to formula feed with all the planning needed
Yes, yes, yes! Also breastfeeding hasn’t saved me money but it has meant I haven’t spent any extra (I got pump and bits from my sister)- unless you could extra cake 🙂
hope it’s chocolate cake 😀
The benefits for me are purely practical, having the ability to instantly soothe a rumoy child, and not having any of the paraphernalia of formula to organise every time I leave the house..
I definitely love not having to carry stuff with me, i’m now at the stage of having to carry foods with me and it is so annoying, particularly as he has allergies so i always have to have snacks that for my older one you could buy anywhere
After failing with the 1st 2 it is an amazing feeling to be still going strong with my 3rd at 3months, and going out is some easy, couple of nappies and some wipes and we are away no waiting for boiled water to cool and measuring out powder, it’s great x
Going strong at 5 months lol sleep deprived mommy doesn’t know how old her baby is haha
i thought my little ones were growing up quick, another 2months in 2minutes, he’ll be a teenager by the end of the day 😛
great to hear you are getting on well feeding your 3rd, enjoy
Toddler caught his fingers in a door today. After we checked that they were O.K. by doing some finger wiggling he had some breastmilk and was perfectly fine 🙂
breastmilk can fix so much
I like it! I said this in my post too, there are no ‘benefits’ as everyone thinks. Glad I’m not the only one who thinks like this.
we just need to get the rest of the world thinking it is NORMAL!
Pingback: » Where to turn if breastfeeding gets tough – #KBBF2013
Pingback: Are Breastfeeding cafes and organisations the only way to get support? | Hinckley Yummy Mummy
Love reading all these blogs and posts cannot wait to have another to hopefully go through it all again 🙂
great to hear you are enjoying reading them
Great post, I just wish the general populace of mums were open to hearing about the risks of feeding formula, then they might decide to give breastfeeding more of a go.
For me the benefits are healthy immune systems (in my two anyway!); portability; availability; and the comfort of convenience – for all of us!
the trouble is the formula companies put more money into advertising than anyone puts in to pushing breastfeeding, looks like it’s up to us to keep pushing it
A benefit I have personally seen from breastfeeding my little girl is that in the 8 months since she was born she has only suffered from 2 colds and they only lasted a few days even though she has been exposed to far more illnesses 🙂
great to hear she has been generally healthy, I know it is true for most, it was for my first
unfortunately later in the week I’ll be posting on ‘dispelling breastfeeding myths’ which will remind people that this isn’t always the case, but I just keep reminding myself that Tim could have been a lot worse if I wasn’t breastfeeding.
I love that shes growing into a little healthy chunk.. well not so little lol and that i get to sit down and feed whenever she needs it 🙂 my relaxing time!!
it really is a great excuse to say,
‘sorry you’ll have to do …… i’ve got to feed the baby’
Pingback: Breastfeeding in Public | Hinckley Yummy Mummy
Pingback: Do changes in pumping habits have any hidden meaning? | Hinckley Yummy Mummy
I love the bonding time and the way you have an easy way to comfort your child. I sometimes wonder how I’d cope if I didn’t have this tool to get my son to sleep to comfort him after he’s had a bad fall or just to give him reassurance. Brave blog btw!
It’s wonderful what we are able to do for them isn’t it.
I wouldn’t have coped today without being able to breastfeed Tim to keep him calm while spending hours at the hospital with him
Pingback: Can I make it to a year, or will cheese get the better of me?! | Hinckley Yummy Mummy
great blog! i’m only 7weeks in, but i love the fact i can settle my boy so easily with a breastfeed, also that i dont have to worry about how many oz’s he’s had – he can just take what he needs!
thanks
it is so easy,
i always say I am too lazy to bottle feed, with all the faf of sterilising, measuring and packing to go out
what a great perspective to see it from, I’ve never thought about it like that! There are loads of benefits that I love, but one of my most selfish is that I get to eat chocolate whenever I like!
I used to see it like that, until Tim became dairy intolerant, although I have finally found some chocolate that doesn’t taste too bad, I am starting to crave cadbury’s dairy milk
I love the fact that it’s so convenient. Izzy wakes in the night and she’s feeding straight away. No disturbing the cat and the house to make up bottles etc. I am lazy really 🙂
I’ve always said I’m too lazy to bottlefeed
Pingback: Dispelling Breastfeeding Myths | Hinckley Yummy Mummy
Pingback: Being paid to breastfeed! | Hinckley Yummy Mummy