If breast is best what does that make formula?

Well I am no math whiz but I would assume it made formula second best.

*Actually formula is fourth best. Second best is the mothers expressed breast milk and third best is donated breast milk. 

Now I know that was not the PC thing to say but you will quickly learn that this blog is not intended to be PC. It is intended to give honest information and advice about parenting without worrying about hurting a parents precious feelings.

Honestly there are some areas of parenting that are gray zones of what is best but infant feeding isn't one of them. Science has proven time and again that breast milk is superior to formula in every way, hell even formula companies put it on their product. The problem is with the current mode of presenting that information under the "breast is best" format.

Actually breast is not BEST it is the biological standard against which everything else is measured. Formula is inferior to breast milk in every way but we aren't allowed to say that because some new mom may feel guilty about the choice she made. Well you know what if we told people the truth from the get go and stopped the deceitful advertising there would be nothing to feel guilty about because they would have had all the information needed to make an informed decision going in.

So now I am going to go on to talk about some of the risks associated with formula.

*Obesity. Milk comes out faster from a bottle than the breast and formula also has a higher calorie count per ounce. This means that by the time a baby realizes they are full they have allready over eaten and gotten too many calories. This is compounded by parents urging them to finish the last half an ounce is the bottle causing their 'full reflex' to be overrode at a young are and setting them up for a lifetime of not boing able to recognize fullness opposed to stuffed.

*allergies.Formula fed kids are more likely to have allergies. That means compared to their breast fed counterparts on average they will have more allergies, have more severe reactions, and be less likely to outgrow them.

*immunities - Formula fed children get more colds and infections. Breast fed babies get some as well but tend to be less overall and the severity and length are lessened.

 *gastrointestinal health - Much of formula is not digestible. this makes it very hard on the stomach, intestines, and kidneys (this is also why formula fed babies sleep longer the undigestible parts sit in their stomachs for hours). Breast milk is made for a baby's delicate gut and even has some properties that heal small tears. 



Now before you start telling me about the breast fed kid you know who is allergic to everything or all the formula fed kids who are fine let me explain a bit of how statistics work.

 Not every kid who is given formula will develop every thing they are at risk for. Nor does breastmilk guarantee perfect health.

Like other risky behavior sometimes you beat the odds and someties it doesn't matter how careful you are. Take drunk driving for instance many people do it hundreds of times before causing harm to themselves or another, while some very careful and sober drivers are in freak accidents. Risk simply refers to the likely-hood of something happening. there are no guarantees in life but much like putting an infant on their back to sleep breastfeeding will reduce the RISK of SIDS and many other things.