benefits of extended nursing

[wondercat]

Because many of you don't know about the benefits and because I have had people ask me, here they are:

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/bfextended/ebf-benefits.html

Comments

[balamuthia]

I'd like to reiterate that I have never said that formula is better than breastfeeding. What I do get tired of is being looked down on for my choice to formula feed.

Nursing toddlers are SICK LESS OFTEN

See...this one I was just mentioning to Kitten. Juni has only been sick a couple of times- usually a stomach bug from licking the floor (lol)...but all of your kids have allergies and colds rather frequently. I suppose it's a statistical anomaly?

As to the "formula fed kids are obese", well- Sam was exclusively breastfed for the first year of his life and is obese. My grandma formula fed all of her five kids and none of them are obese even though she is. Juniper isn't showing any signs of being obese, however since both of his parents are it's a high possibility that he will be too. That's isn't because he drank formula- it's because we're fat.

A large portion of the gathered statistics in favor of breastfeeding come from third world countries, where of course non-breastfed children are sicker

[wondercat]

Actually, my boys are rarely ill and do not appear to have allergies. Armando is the one who gets sick a lot and really suffers from allergies. Occassionally we'll all get a stomaach bug or soemthing, but it pretty much can always be pinpointed to Armando bringing it to us from either school or the daycare he frequents with his mother. Alos, my kids recover much fatser and suffer less of the symptoms than their brother.

[wondercat]

Nursing toddlers between the ages of 16 and 30 months have been found to have fewer illnesses and illnesses of shorter duration than their non-nursing peers (Gulick 1986).

[balamuthia]

*shrug* All I can attest to is you've cancelled play dates due to colds and/or allergies, you've mentioned to me that the kids have allergies- and I've seen very regular runny noses, sneezes, and wet coughs.

Listen, I'm not trying to "compare kids" as kitten put it- I'm only pointing out that there are exceptions to every single rule, and that includes formula and breastfed children.

I guess I look at LLL and wonder what the ultimate end is here? If it's simple education about the benefits of breastfeeding, I'm all for that.

I've seen, though, that there seems to be a full on frontal assault against formula companies and I can't help but think it might be a one-sided war. Formula companies provide something that some moms need and that others choose to give their children- they have disclaimers in their commercials and on all of the cans of formula that say "breastfeeding is best for your kids

[wondercat]

Also, just so we are clear I have never looked down on you for your choice to formula feed. It is your body, your baby and your right to choose how to feed him. Juniper is not sick often, however he is not exposed to the same number of bugs my kids are, especially since he is not often around other kids and probably spends less time generally out of the house than we do. My kids are with other children 2-4 days out of most weeks and Armando is with them daily, thus exposing us to more germs. Also, we don't recommend that people use breast milk in eyes or zits, the only thing I know it to be really good at healing is cracked nipples and I can say I have first hand knowledge of this.

[kalahara]

Hi ya

[wondercat]

"I think as a parent you do all that you can whatever your situation is an do the best you can do to bond with the child you have