The Truth about breast feeding?

[georgebushmoron]

This issue has come up in chats with friends. One female friend is a member of The Leche League, which is a group of people (mostly women) who promote breast feeding. My brother's wife is a Doctorate of Nursing and she is also big on breast feeding. They both trumpet the same benefits, that is, it helps the immune system of the baby, etc. I find that this seems to make sense, but at the same time I've known 2 women who did not breast feed their kids beyond the first week, and they've grown up strong and healthy. The two brothers are each 6 feet tall and have never had health problems. The one sister and one brother are also strong and healthy. So I do wonder about the health benefits, but that is not my main area of interest (since I have no way to have kids anyway).

There is the contentious issue of breast sag. I was once in the company of a plastic surgeon, who said that a great fraction of his clients are women who have breast fed and he was doing a lot of breast lifts. The Leche League and my brother's wife are adamant that breast feeding has no relation to sagging of breasts. I think there is nothing magical about it, that as skin stretches to accomodate a larger mass within, and when that mass is taken away, the limited elasticity of the skin will not bring the original shape back - and thus sagging. Breast feeding, I believe, helps to continue the production of milk and thus increases the mass behind the skin - thus the eventual sag. But of course, I could be wrong.

It's a political issue, it seems. Groups that take a feminist slant, such as The Leche League and academics such as that Doctorate of Nursing, seem to want to only look at the absence of evidence that links breast sag to breast feeding. They want women (and their mates) to feel comfortable with the idea that no breast sag will occur if there is breast feeding, but of course, it is the woman who has to live with the outcome should it occur.

Your opinions please.

 

[LittleAsianGuy]

I heard breast feeding might be a bad idea if the mother doesnt eat all that healthy. Like drinking beers,junk food etc

 

[wannabeslut]

I've always promoted it for the positive psychological effects on the baby and its relationship with the mother.

 

[metoo113]

There are a very long list of the advantages of being breast fed for at least six months and really no disadvantages. I don't really think that any health professional would say breast sag is a disadvantage.

And yes the mother should not drink alcohol, or take drugs and should eat very healthy food.

here's a site with some of the advantages listed .http://www.breastfeeding.com/all_about/all_about_more.html

 

[slacker]

No great experience for me to draw on (unfortunately).

I would say if a woman has tiny A cups that swell up for milk then yeah I'd think they might sag if they go back to an A cup. I have seen very saggy A cups and always wondered how that can happen, you just gave me an idea.

If it's a large cup to begin with, then I doubt they would sag much more. I don't recall noticing my wifes sag too much after, though I must say they are now, but that's more to do with age I am guessing. Many women who breastfeed for a couple of years may just assume it was that when it was really age plus them getting used to them not sagging when they are rock hard full of milk.

 

[littlejimbigher]

I used to work near an area where a lot of women breast fed. I notced the good looking gals were discrete and covered themselves while feeding the kid . But the fatter gals just pulled their boob out and fed the kid in front of everyone.

 

[sarahpassion]

It has to do with your genes!

As far as the sagging goes. Some women with big breast sag some don't. It totally depends on your skin. If you have good genes than chances are they won't sag. I think it would be pretty selfish of a mother not to breast feed, just because of the worry of sagging. Also the point made about being filled with mass, even a women who doesn't breast feed will still get milk. When the milk comes in the breast engorges, then after a few weeks, you still have milk but the engorging goes down.

Breastfeeding, not only has the advantages for the babies immunes system it also improves, hand and eye coordination, less chance of constipation, it is the easiest thing for a baby to digest, and improves fine motor skills. Not to mention the bond it creates with the mother.

If you are a drinker or drug user there are many very good formulas and the benefit of having a pure food source would surely outweigh the benefits of breastfeeding. As far as the diet it isn't as important what you eat! YOur body does amazing things to make sure the baby has all the nutrients it needs.

Did you know that if you have a premature baby, your body knows to produce more fat, iron, and other nutrients the baby will need to survive? A women's body will actually cater to what the child needs?

Also a baby is born with the suckling instinct, if the mother for what ever reason was incompacitated after birth, the baby can worm it way to the mothers breast by itself. It is a natural instinct for the child. That is why after you give birth the nurses will put the baby straight to the boob!

 

[tianna]

Breast feeding is a beautiful thing

It really allows the mother and child to bond... and a womans breast were made to feed their young. Plus they are comforting to the baby... warm, soft, and close to the heart, babies love to fall asleep nuzzled up to them. Breast milk is very good for your children, its rich in vitamins, and if u do not breast feed for what ever reason, I think women should manually extract their milk or pump them to make sure the baby does get what nature intended them to have... and women should not drink or do drugs.. I dont even believe in asprin because everything goes right in to the milk.. and its important to keep ur body just as healthy as u kept it while pregnant.. I even believe that women should do a an extensive cleanse before even trying to get pregnant.. U need a healthy body mind and soul, to give ur children the best start possible !!

 

[LittleAsianGuy]

lol you crack me up

I used to work near an area where a lot of women breast fed. I notced the good looking gals were discrete and covered themselves while feeding the kid . But the fatter gals just pulled their boob out and fed the kid in front of everyone.

 

[alyb]

Breastfeeding And Sag

Breastfeeding and the amount of sag, in my opinion and experience, have little to do with each other....

Example: I breast fed, and my breasts are less saggy then some girls I know who have never been pregnant, however, they ARE saggier than before I obviously had my children. The milk coming in, I believe, is more of the culprit, because my breasts were never larger except for those particular 2 days where I lived as a natural 36DD. (Yeah I know!) But it was ONLY 2 days. The thing about our bodies, that is so amazing, is that they figure out how much milk you need to make then they only make that amount. I was never larger in the chest area after my body realized that....

Now here's my comparison. My mother NEVER breastfed me or my sister. I was born in the 80's. My sister is a child of the early 90's. Low and behold, my mother is now in her late 30's and sagging is becoming a really tough thing for her to deal with. Breastfeeding had not a darn thing to do with it, and she isn't that old.

Genetics is probably a huge culprit. I can even vouch for this having seen over 70-some girls naked, upclose and personal (via military showers). Some girls never had kids, had sag... others breastfed, little sag, its all person-to-person and to try to generalize this topic would be very unjust to the reality of how breasts work and evolve on women.

When I hit my mid 30's, I'll probably be looking forward to a small, small, small pair of "enhancements" just to get my shape back, with no profound increase in actual breast size. I see nothing wrong with that.

Aly

Ladies...if you breastfed, lets not jump the gun and blame it entirely. I have seen more natural breasts than a lot of guys on these boards and its amazing how unique all of us are... its not so bad! Its a beautiful thing!

 

[Naughty Nadia]

Well,

I'll be open on this subject as I'm not ashamed of or trying to hide the fact I have a child.

I think sagging ALWAYS occurs. The degree to which it occurs has to do with elasticity, and how large your breasts grow. Some women only go up a cup size, so they aren't losing as much mass after. It also depends how early your breasts grow during pregnancy.

I went from a B to a C by 6 weeks. That's REALLY early. By the time I started breastfeeding, I was an E. After I stopped breastfeeding, they went down to their current C. That's a lot of mass difference. And sagging can't be avoided. While I'm proud of the fact my body did an amazing thing in creating another human being, I'm definately missing my 24 year boobs and in line for a breast job

As far as the importance of breast feeding, it REALLY pisses me off when people make you feel like your depriving your child by not breastfeeding. Some women simply CAN'T breast feed. My child was on formula after 8 weeks, and she's brilliant and completely healthy, and had no more illnesses than any other child.

The most important time in breastfeeding is:

During the early days of breastfeeding, your baby will enjoy a concentrated, creamy-looking, high-protein, low-fat substance called colostrum. You may have leaked a few drops of this thick, whitish substance during the final weeks of your pregnancy (some women have this happen during their second trimester). The precious, easily digestible liquid is full of disease-fighting antibodies called immunoglobulins that strengthen your baby's immune system.

Bonding occurs whether your breastfeeding or using a bottle. Anyone who says it only happens properly from breastfeeding is full of shit. My daughter was fed colustrum from an eyedropper the first few days, and a bottle thereafter. Feeding from a bottle allowed bonding to occur not only with me, but with her FATHER. He got to enjoy those peaceful, precious moments too.

Pumping for 6 months is a wonderful idea, and a few women manage to pull it off, and I applaud them, but it's bloody hard. I won't go into the why's as this is too long as it is, but I will say this:

You can have ALL the expectations and plans in the world for your pregnancy, birth, and early months, but they RARELY work out the way you imagine them through your rose colored glasses (me included, I thought I was going to be the perfect Earth Mother, HAH!)

Unless you've been there, don't judge.

 

[tianna]

"As far as the importance of breast feeding, it REALLY pisses me off when people make you feel like your depriving your child by not breastfeeding. Some women simply CAN'T breast feed. My child was on formula after 8 weeks, and she's brilliant and completely healthy, and had no more illnesses than any other child. "

* * * * * * * * * *

I understand u completely there N N .. as there are infections one can get that, that are very painful and do not allow u to breast feed, giving u no choice but to make yourself dry out ! and there are some woman who do not produce enough milk, so to be judged by others who ask u why u did not breast feed, and inform u of all the things the child misses because of that can be very frusterating when in fact u would have loved to be able to experiece that but were never given the opportunity

 

[Up_My_Kilt]

Breast feeding is a beautiful thing (IMHO), but to or not to breast feed boils down to the parents choice ( read Mommy choice)

Daddies if you want to feed a breast fed baby Mommies can pump breast milk. Here is a hint for Mummy pump some breast milk and save it and maybe you can go out for a coffee with the girls or just some alone time.

Now if parents want to feed their kids formula its their choice, Bottom line----- just make a informed decision

 

[tianna]

thats a great way for fathers to bond with their

children as well, as some may not know where they fit in after the child is born because the mother naturally does so much for them, however if u were to pump I would recommend a manual one over an electric one, as the maual one is more natural, and the electric ones can have a very strong suck tion that can cause bruising to the breasts and make your niples very sensitive.. Its also important to moisturize the nipple area, because breasts pumps can make the area dry out, causing ur niples to crack and bleed

 

[sarahpassion]

There is a "safe" med for that!`

Well it is true that breastfeeding does not work out for all, I think it is selfish to deny your child the breast just because the worrying of sagging. (There are many good plastic surgeons who can help ya out)

Some women do not produce enough milk or they "lose" it, but there is a medication that can be prescribed from the doctor to bring your milk back.

It is actually possible for a women who is adopting to produce milk. It is difficult because sometimes the wait to adopt can be so long, that you never no when a newborn is coming. Many women who have surrogates carry children for them, are successfull in producing milk.

 

[georgebushmoron]

I was not breast fed. Nor do I have any immune deficiency or other health problems. But my relationship with my mother is distant and strained, but I believe that most of that was due to stresses on her part during my years 4,5,6 and 7. That "breast-feeding bond" doesn't seem to have much effect either, as there are plenty of cases where children grow into adversarial relationships with their mothers later in life. Perhaps it is beautiful, especially from a woman's point of view to have the baby you brought to life be so intimately attached and nourished by you. This can't be contested. But are the benefits really there? Does anyone talk at any depths about disadvantages? I've heard some women say that after their 3rd child breast feeding, their breasts became like flattened christmas stockings with elongated 3 inch dark nipples. Even plastic surgery won't restore breasts like that to their former beauty, as major scarring occurs from lifts and there could be possible hardening of the breasts to make them look unnatural. Why is it also that it is thought of as "selfish" to worry about your beauty when the benefits to a child are not truly established? Does a woman not have a life after the baby is born? As far as I've observed, a woman's breasts are an integral part of her self esteem and identity. You surely wouldn't want to dismiss that so easily?

 

[sarahpassion]

I breast fed my daughter for almost 7 months. Did you know that when the mother is sick, and breast-feeding, her milk from her breast changes, and is filled with antibiotics to ensure that the child does not get sick as well.


The mother passes along anti-bodies, not antibiotics.

 

[Naughty Nadia]

Lets not forget the EXTREME bonding thatyou have with your baby while breastfeeding. There is nothing better than providing your child with the milk that they need to survive. The touching, the admiring, the love the amazement. Breast feeding is a Beautiful, BEAUTIFUL thing. I am very thankful that I was able to!!!
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I'm glad breastfeeding was such an amazing experience for you. But it's attitudes like this (the way you are coming across) that make women who are unable to breastfeed feel like shit. You bond JUST as much whether it's from bottle or breast. Just as much touching, admiring, love and amazement. Just as much cuddling and love. Just as many peaceful times in the middle of the night when the baby is nuzzled asleep into your neck.
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Breast-fed babies or known to be more intelligent.
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Bullshit. My daughter had the vocabulary of a 5 year old by age 2. I was formula fed and I was reading at an advanced level by age 3. She's amazingly well mannered, smart, and an absolute joy. My best friend breast fed for 3 years and her son is a little monster. It's PARENTING.


I'm not denying breastfeeding is the best choice for the baby IF POSSIBLE, AND if the Mother feels it's the best choice for her. If the Mother is resenting the baby while breastfeeding, the baby WILL pick up on those emotions and it WILL affect them.

This is an age old debate that will rage on forever. Both sides have valid points to offer. But again, making women feel inferior for not breastfeeding their children IS NOT COOL. I don't mean to imply that was your intent Miss Shay, and I apologize if this comes across bitchy, but unfortunately it is some people's intent. (yes, this is a sensitive issue for me)

 

[Naughty Nadia]

Why is it also that it is thought of as "selfish" to worry about your beauty when the benefits to a child are not truly established? Does a woman not have a life after the baby is born? As far as I've observed, a woman's breasts are an integral part of her self esteem and identity. You surely wouldn't want to dismiss that so easily?

Our breasts are an important part of our self esteem. This industry makes it REALLY hard because your constantly being critiqued under a magnifying glass for any imperfections. It definately has an affect on my self esteem.

I suppose for some women, if your in a happy marriage and your husband loves you just the way you are, it might not be an issue for you. I always said I would NEVER consider plastic surgery, but because my body is the most integral part of my business, it crosses my mind a lot more. I wouldn't care nearly as much if I wasn't in this industry. (and no, they aren't pancakes)

And sure, the poll last month showed men overwhelmingly preferred natural breasts, but that seems to only be perfect "20" year old breasts.

"Points" get deducted for any stretch marks or "sagging". What about real life relationships where the man encourages his partner to have surgery so she looks better for HIM? Should we not look at how men's attitudes towards our bodies also affect our self-esteem? Creating a child is an amazing process, should our bodies not be honoured for that?

Interestingly enough, I find eastern european men LOVE the bodies of women who have had children, sagging or not! They constantly tell you how beautiful and perfect you are. Interesting cultural difference.

Food for thought. I love debates!

 

[Naughty Nadia]

Keep in mind that no one can make you feel anything Nadia. Your feelings come from your thoughts. If you have a strong enough character, then you will not feel inferior regardless of what other people say, or their opinions.

Very true Ropey It is a touchy subject for me, because of the barrage of disapproval you get for not following the party line, and there IS some guilt and disappointment inside for not being able to do what I wanted to, and those are my issues to be dealt with. But a very valid point, and one I need to keep in mind in all aspects of my life and business.