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Subscribe to RSSBefore her second son, Hayes, was born a year ago, Erin Carroll was determined to breast-feed him.
Courtesy Erin Carroll
Erin Carroll and second son, Hayes, seen here at 4 months. Erin gave up breast-feeding Hayes when a hospital nurse insisted he needed formula because he'd lost too much weight.
“With my first one, I didn’t really have any expectations or plans for anything,” says Carroll, 30, a stay-at-home mom in Columbia, S.C.
Breast-feeding didn’t exactly work out with her first son, Hudson, three years ago. Hudson weighed nearly 10 pounds at birth, and, Carroll says, she couldn’t produce enough milk for him. He lost nearly 2 pounds, and by the time he was 6 weeks, she was feeding him formula exclusively.
With Hayes, “it turned out that I was making enough for him, but he just fell asleep any time I tried to nurse him.” Before they left the hospital when he was 3 days old, Carroll says, a nurse told her “he’s lost too much weight. We’ve got to do formula.” Carroll says, “I was devastated.”
Carroll is like many women with the best intentions about breast-feeding, according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one of the first to examine the discrepancy between how long pregnant women say they intend to exclusively breast-feed and how long they actually do.
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Carroll continued supplementing Hayes’ feedings with formula and by her first postpartum doctor’s appointment four weeks after his birth had decided to stop nursing him altogether.
“Omigosh, this formula is so easy,” Carroll recalls thinking. “It was sad at first, because I really just thought it would be different [with Hayes], and I didn’t have the same issues with both of them.”
Roughly half of the women in the new study said before they delivered they planned to breast-feed exclusively for at least three months, the CDC researchers report Monday in Pediatrics. But only a third of those women actually achieved their goal.
“The one that shocks me is the fact that 42 percent stopped in the first month,” lead author Cria Perrine, an epidemiologist in the CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity, tells msnbc.com. And about a third of those women had abandoned plans to exclusively breast-feed by the time they took their baby home from the hospital.
“To me, this isn’t about the individual women,” Perrine says. “This to me says we as a society are not supporting mothers to feed their infants the way they want to.”
The study analyzed data from about 1,500 U.S. women in a 2005-2007 study of infant feeding practices. Most of the women were 25- to 34 years-old, white and married and had some post-high school education. Their babies were all healthy.
The World Health Organization and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that mothers feed babies only breast milk (and medications or micronutrient supplements) for their first six months of life. “Breast milk is the best source of nutrition for young children and provides both short- and long-term health benefits,” including fewer infections and a lower risk of chronic conditions later in life, Perrine and her coauthors write.
The proportion of 6-month-old babies who’ve been exclusively breast-fed has increased in the United States, according to the CDC. In 2011, 14.8 percent were — up 4 percentage points from 2007, the first year the CDC issued a breast-feeding “report card.” That’s still well below the government’s target of 25.5 percent in the “Healthy People 2020” report.
In Perrine’s study, married moms with more than one child were more likely to exclusively breastfeed as long as they’d intended to. Moms who were obese, smoked or planned to breastfeed exclusively for at least seven months, which is longer than the minimum recommended by health experts, were less likely to meet their goal.
The researchers also found that six hospital practices helped predict whether new mothers would exclusively breast-feed as long as they’d planned:
- breast-feeding within one hour of birth
- no supplemental feedings with formula
- no pacifiers
- rooming in
- breast-feeding on demand
- information about breast-feeding support.
The most significant predictor was whether the hospital had supplemented breastfeeding with formula, which was reported by four out of 10 women in the study. Last summer, Perrine says, the CDC reported that about four out of five hospitals routinely gave formula to healthy breastfeeding newborns.
“I don’t think we know exactly why all of the hospitals are giving the formula,” says Perrine, whose study didn’t count those supplemental feedings as the end of exclusive breast-feeding. “I think it could be the weight issue. I think some nurses say let the mother sleep. It comes from a place of good intentions, but not everyone realizes how detrimental it can be to establishing breastfeeding.”
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Dr. Bill Sears' theory of "attachment parenting" is making headlines after a Time magazine cover story featured a photo of a mother breast-feeding her 3-year-old. NBC's Darlene Rodriguez reports on this parenting technique and TODAY's Savannah Guthrie speaks with the mother in the now-infamous photo and Dr. Sears.
Related:
Exclusive breast-feeding may be just too hard, study finds
Military mom sparks controversy over breast-feeding in public
Shock, buzz over Time cover of breast-feeding toddler
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parental_leave
Take a look at the comparison data, and you will see exactly what needs to change in the USA regarding parental leave (and breastfeeding issues, obviously.)
The whole breast feeding thing is a myth...it's just something mothers use to make themselves feel better when their 6 weeks of "leave" are up and they have to drop off little johnny at the daycare...it's all crap.
Wow, how many kids do you have? Yeah, it's crap -- right. That's why we can do it.
Breastfeeding is rarely encouraged in a hospital setting in this country. It just doesn't fit in with their "flow." I think women should have the choice. Many, if not most, of us have to work and if you can be off for only six weeks (or less), I get why you wouldn't want to breastfeed. I'm from a family of six and we were all bottle fed, which was encouraged, from 1949 through 1968. I breastfed my son for about 4 months (in 1983) and wished I could have done it longer, but I was a student and gone 12 hour stretches, and could not pump enough milk to make up for when I wasn't there. Regardless, I'm glad I did it for as long as I could.
The statistics in this article paint such a sad, but unsurprising, picture. How can it be that so many women are told they are not producing enough milk for their babies and pushed to give formula? Hundreds of thousands of years of existence as Homo sapiens and we are still told our bodies can't do what they are designed to do. Giving formula leads to a vicious cycle. It causes the baby to nurse less, telling the mother's body to produce less. It should be a last resort, not a first choice.
Maybe the healthcare people are afraid they will get sued if something goes wrong.
You realize that babies used to die A LOT back in the "good 'ol days" right? Get off mothers backs. I'll raise my kid, you raise yours.
Breast-feeding is hard emotionally and physically. It feels uncomfortable (until you get used to it), you feel sore and irritated, and you worry that the baby is not getting enough to eat. I did it 13 months. My hats off to any woman that can do it. I think if you can do it at least a few months that is great.
I'm so sad to hear the stories of women beating themselves up or feeling upset during what should be a pleasant, bonding time with their babies. I think the most important thing is to not compare ourselves with others but to do what works best for our families. Make a feeding plan, go to your back up plan when needed and don't look back. Enjoy your time with your sweet babies. I am so lucky that I didn't have a choice. I wish I could have breastfed but it was not an option for me. In the end, did it make a difference to my kid? No. He got exactly enough food to eat every time, developed normally and has not experienced any more illness than usual which is the ultimate goal.
Exactly my point...makes no difference...blah...blah...blah...
Breastfeeding is a choice and I understand not everyone can. I breast feed both of my children, first child until she was almost 2.5, that was because my breasts were changing with our second child due in a matter of months. I was so sad when I had no more milk, and so was she. Our second child, he breastfed until he was just short of 4. Altogether 7 years of breastfeeding. Yes just like the kid in grownups lol. I breastfed because of all the bonuses. Its free, I had plenty, and its natural. The best part of it all is I spent countless hours holding my babies. We co slept with both children, right from the hospital. Is that not how we humans have done it since the beginning? I look at the parents who get up, make a bottle and go sit somewhere uncomfortable, and ask why? My babies were hungry the longest the had to wait was two seconds, maybe more depending on what I was wearing, or if we were out, long enough for me to find a seat. I breastfed in public, discreetly. No nipples or flesh showing, out of respect for myself, and those who may not find another human being seeking sustenance appropriate. AND I also chewed food and placed in my babies mouths when they were old enough for solids. My children are healthy and happy children, most of the time, (wash wash wash your hands). I have no regrets and I do not judge those who do differently.
I hope to succeed at breast feeding at least for a month or two, but I think sometimes people judge without considering all of the issues. Many prescription drugs, including antidepressants and OCD medication, CANNOT be taken while breastfeeding and this is never talked about. I do want to breastfeed and bond with my child but having horrible OCD related panic attacks could interfere even MORE with bonding. I think that today's modern woman has many issues to consider and feeding ability and work schedule are just two of many. I try not to judge women for their choices.
Do as much investigating as possible on your meds. I've been on zoloft for several years, through two pregnancies and years of nursing. Both boys are healthy, happy, and perfectly normal. Talk to your prescribing doctor, OB, and pediatrician about continuing your meds while nursing. Consider the pros and cons. If you need to use formula, that's fine. But if you're interested in nursing, don't automatically give up just because you're taking something.
I strongly urge you to contact the La Leche League about your medications issues. They have fabulous information on drugs and breastfeeding. I think they know more about it than most family doctors do. OBGYNs know a lot too, of course, but they must know enough about a lot of things to keep their patients well. LLL has many doctors who contribute and staff their organization, and they are exclusively dedicated to breast feeding.
Why does anyone really care about this?
My wife, when pregnant with her 3 kids earlier on(before I came into the picture) never produced enough breast milk after giving birth to her first two boys, but the youngest, she produced way to much, so she breast fed until he was 6 months old and started biting her, then swapped him to formula. When we had the first together, she wanted to breastfeed, and when the baby attached to her breast barely any came out, so she gave up immediately. She is due in July and said she will try to breastfeed, but so far she doesn't think it will go well, because unlike her 3rd kid, she is exactly like she was the other 4 times at the same stage of pregnancy. The third one, she was lactating around 7 months. This time she hasn't, just like the other 4 times.
I wasn't able to breastfeed because we adopted our child.
But I have to wonder, why is this a subject for anyone but a woman, her doctor and her husband?
If formula was unhealthy, then I might be able to understand all of the handwringing. But it's not unhealthy, it's just not the ideal. Ideally, my toddler should be getting 4 to 5 servings of veggies a day, but that's not happening either.
Leave the mothers who bottle feed alone already.
I was lucky, in that I was a stay- at home Mom at the time so I nursed my daughter for 2 full years. It wasn't always easy but I am glad I did it. No shame to those who don't want to or who don't have the time.
"Many Moms Quit BF'ing Earlier than Planned" -- and, in related news, their kids turn out JUST FINE ANYWAY.
Unfortunately, we live in a culture that makes it very difficult for women to breastfeed. It encourages them to get back to work after 6 weeks, it embarrasses them for breastfeeding in public, and at the first hint that there is a problem with the breastfeeding relationship, the doctors rush in to supplement. The fact is that breastfeeding is TOUGH WORK and women need a lot more education and support than they receive. My first daughter was an absolute nightmare to breastfeed. We had problems with oversupply, long nursing sessions, multiple rounds of mastitis. I view it as a miracle that I made it through with little-to-no outside help. My second daughter was a breeze. No problems at all, other than the occasional nursing strike. Both were breastfed into toddlerhood.
If you choose not to breastfeed, that's fine, but I think the point of the article is that many, many women would like to breastfeed, but when problems come up, they have no access to help. Maybe we can develop a culture where breastfeeding is viewed as normal and possible, and provide women with resources to teach them how to do it effectively. I think even women don't like to talk about the problems it brings in case they scare people out of trying, but when women go into it thinking it's the easiest thing in the world, then you will be sorely disappointed!
My hospital encouraged me to supplement because my son was jaundice. I felt like I didn't have a choice It was presented as 'supplement and you get to take your baby home, or don't and he'll have to stay here without you.' I also had to give him a pacifier while he was under the light therapy because he couldn't be held or touched; it was the only soothing experience he could have other than his feedings every two hours. So I supplemented and pumped like crazy whenever my husband gave him formula. I was never able to produce enough milk to breast feed exclusively. The first 3 months he had one bottle of formula a day. When I went back to work at 6 months, he would get one bottle of breast milk a day, nurse with me at home, and the rest was formula and baby food. I pumped until he was 10 months old; after that he only had breast milk when we were together.
I continued to nurse my son for two years. He was never exclusively breastfed, but I made nursing a priority no matter what. The first 2 weeks were hard. I had to do saline soaks after every feeding, it hurt like Hell, but it was extremely important to me and I didn't mind the sacrifice (it just comes with the parenting territory, might as well get used to it, I thought). After two weeks, nursing was a walk in the park. It was fun and easy and amazing. I hope that I will be able to do it the next time around.
To expectant moms: You have to do what's best for you and don't let anyone make you feel bad about your choice. But if you really want to nurse, stick with it. It is tough in the beginning, sometimes very tough, but it gets easy quickly, and it's so rewarding even if you don't do it exclusively.
My wife tried breastfeeding, my son was sick and malnourished, on his second doctors visit out of the hospital he lost 6 ounces, I said enough and started feeding him formula, he was ravenous and gained 10 ounce in less than a week. That was our forray into breastfeeding.
It doesn't work for everyone.
But every woman who wants to breast feed should receive encouragement and support. The point of the article is that many mothers who DO want to breastfeed receive misinformation and a lack of support that causes them to give up sooner than they should. It will never work for some women, it will never be the right choice for some women, but for those women who do want to breastfeed, more needs to be done to ensure the hospital staff encourages rather than discourages their efforts.
Back in the early 50s, I was fed condensed milk with a bottle. I was allergic to my own mother's milk.
In the early 70s, I gave birth to my only child (my choice), a daughter. I gave birth at home. We nursed within 30 minutes of giving birth. I nursed her exclusively on my breast milk for 6 months, she weaned at 18 months (her choice). She slept in her own crib in our bedroom. I went to LaLeche League meetings for support. Society, norms, and my mother were against breast feeding then.
My daughter potty trained (on her own) at about a year. She was healthy and flourished.
I had no problems breastfeeding her even though I weighed about 105 pounds back then, and my pre-breastfeeding bust size was 28.
Now, my daughter has had 5 children including a set of twins. She has breastfed all of them. She was lucky to be able to be a stay at home mom, which she is today. She is homeschooling all of them. My grandkids are flourishing.
I have to say, there seems to be some kind of intangible, strong bond between her and I (which I never had with my own mother), and between her and her kids. Whether this comes from breastfeeding, I don't know. But I am glad it is there.
I had to give up after 8 weeks because my milk dried up. Very disappointing but oh well. I really enjoyed the special bonding and experience while I could. Breast feeding is a personal decision and I do not condemn those who choose not to.
AMAZING! BLAMING SOCIETY for mothers who simply don't know how or don't really want to, are not committed to it so they find an excuse. DISGUSTING blame game libtards.
And what is your experience trying to breastfeed, Chris?
In generations past, a nursing mother had her mother, sisters and other experienced nursing moms around to help her with any issues with her newborn. Now a mother may not have anyone in her circle who is experienced in nursing and if she has trouble, has to find a lactation consultant or consult a volunteer at an organization like La Leche League. I nursed my oldest successfully, and he grew and thrived beautifully, but there were some rough spots in the beginning. With my youngest, I struggled. I returned to work, and though I pumped milk, I was not producing enough for her. She was also a sleepy baby who would doze off before nursing fully. Nonetheless, she was nursed for about five months. If you can do it, I highly recommend it. Both of my children are allergy-free, extremely athletic, and have remained relatively injury-free despite rigorous physical schedules. They are college students now and have maintained lifelong immunity to certain diseases I had as a child, such as strep throat. If you can’t nurse, just get the best formula you can find and love and care for your baby without guilt.
I wish it wasn't us vs. them and moms would support each other. There are many reasons women cannot or do not breastfeed, and a lot of them would be resolved by better support at the hospital, from our families and from our employers. When I said I was considering nursing my twins, my mother, who had her children during the 70s when formula was in, told me I was crazy. I wanted to try. Nurses gave my son formula without asking. My daughter was in the NICU for several days on an IV. It was many hours after delivery before I was even given the opportunity to nurse my son, and five days before my daughter. My son never latched well and lost weight, so ultimately I pumped for him and supplemented with one formula bottle--I did it for my own sanity and have no regrets. I nursed my daughter exclusively for 6 months, then added in some formula when I returned to work. It was exhausting, but I took a leave from work and made nursing them my job--I couldn't afford formula for twins while not working. When I returned to work on their 6-month birthday, plans to continue nursing quickly fell apart as there was NO suitable place to pump. My point is, taking care of of a newborn (or 2) is exhausting, and when you are nursing and the sole person feeding him/her, it is a lot of stress. Spouses, family, doctors and hospitals need to bet better at providing support if they believe breastfeeding is best. But what works for one person won't work for another, so I wish studies/groups/etc. would stop trying a one-size-fits-all approach.
My mom had us in the 70's and was pretty much forced to use formula. She inadvertently caused me to decide to bf, over a decade before I had kids, because of the horror stories I heard about my colic! Apparently I'd throw up just about any formula they could find, and shoot it straight across the room. My nickname for a while was 'exorcist baby'.
News flash - most people who attempt anything at all quit earlier than planned - that is human nature.
I can't even begin to read all these because I know they are all what some would perceive as excuses, but I perceive as a society letting moms down and not supporting them feed their babies a more natural less engineered way. I really don't get why everyone gets so defensive, it's mother nature here. It's normal???
The reason everybody gets offended by breastfeeding women is men view women's breasts as play toys for their sexual pleasure and not for the their real purpose. Hello, folks! WE ARE MAMMALS. Maybe we should start raising our childrens differently? The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world. Use it wisely.....
In America, put a breastfeeding woman on a magazine cover and people are outraged. Put a woman on the cover in a thong bikini with her breasts spilling over and millions of copies will be sold.
And there we have it, in a nutshell.
Basically, in America, it seems that breasts are for men to fondle and drool over...not to be wasted on infants. Sad.
My wife and a few of her friends had a "Boob In" at a local restaurant. A week earlier the manager of the restaurant made their breastfeeding friend feel very uncomfortable, and actually put a towel over her top as she fed her baby. That was it, the stage was set. A week later several mothers marched in and began to breastfeed.
The irony is that the restaurant is known as "The Hippie Restaurant" and is basically the student union of the local Liberal Arts College. They are all about local-beef, but not local breastfeeding.