Did I Really Just Read That?

          Today I stumbled upon an article that created quite a bit of controversy and rage in the breastfeeding community. I did not go looking for it but rather I'd like to think that it found me. I was actually looking for literature on something my friend told me about called the "Breast Crawl". It's really fascinating if you have time, definitely look it up. It will wow you. So back to this controversial article, it's called The Case Against Breastfeeding. I was pretty intrigued when I saw the title of this article, being a proud breastfeeding mother and huge supporter of the concept that breast really is best, I could not believe what I was reading. I mean even mothers I know who formula feed will admit that they know nursing provides benefits to baby and mother that formula simply can not. Usually, their opinion on the matter is something along the lines of "Well, I was given formula and I came out o.k." Before I say anything more, i just want to point out that I'm not judging mothers who choose to/ have to formula feed their babies. I am simply sharing my thoughts on an article and why I have personally chosen to breastfeed.
      So I did what any curious person would do and I sat down and read this very lengthy article and to put it nicely was not impressed. The article discuss how some moms struggle with breastfeeding and suggests that in the end it's really not worth it.  She claims to have read the actual studies that show the benefits of breastfeeding, saying “It shows that breast-feeding is probably, maybe, a little better … A couple of studies will show fewer allergies, and then the next one will turn up no difference. Same with mother-infant bonding, IQ, leukemia, cholesterol, diabetes.”
     I have also read the studies and know for myself that breastfeeding is best so I dispute the entire premise that the studies don’t support the benefits of breastfeeding.  After all, if you saw a study that claimed to show no link between sunscreen and skin cancer (despite all the others that DO show a link), would you not bother to use sunscreen on your children? 
      Boy did she open a can of worms! To be quite truthful, I think when we make excuses like the ones she has made in this article, you tend to come off as selfish. The number one reason why I breastfeed is because I know with out a doubt that it is the best thing I can give my baby. Bottom line. It is not about me. I think that people in this society have become overly self serving. ME, Me, Me! Yes, odds are if you give your baby formula, he or she will turn out to be happy, healthy individuals but nature can not be duplicated to an exact measure and there are things that you and your baby will go without. 
   Here are the facts:
1. Breastfeeding is the way nature intended for us to feed our babies. Natural is ALWAYS better than anything that we can cook up in our science labs.
2.It is healthier for both mom and baby. For the mother alone, it reduces the risk of breast, endometrial, and ovarian cancer, as well as many other diseases. For the baby, it passes along immunities that the mother's body has on a day to day, feeding to feeding basis, helps prevent SIDS and lowers the risk of many diseases including cancers, diabetes, asthma, ear infections, and arthritis, just to name a few. It also lowers the risk for baby girl to get breast cancer later on.
3. It is waaaaaayyyy more convenient. No mixing and warming and washing bottles. I just lift up my shirt and "Bon Appetit! Dinner is served."
4.It is free. Yes I have chosen to buy things like a breast pump, nursing cover and pads but all of those things are optional. And don't nearly add up to the $1200 per year it costs to formula feed. Plus breast fed babies are generally healthier than formula fed babies, which means less doctors visits.
5. it helps Mom lose the baby weight faster. Thanks to breastfeeding I was back to my pre-pregnancy weight by my 5th week postpartum and actually weigh 5 lbs less than I did pre-pregnancy. that is with no dieting and very light exercise. Plus, did you know that if a women doesn't breastfeed her uterus will always be slightly larger than it was before pregnancy? Interesting.
      My journey with breast feeding was not a walk in the park either. My son was put into NICU when he was first born because of a fever that spiked in my last stages of labor. I did not see him for 6 HOURS after he was born. It was awful. I began to pump as soon as I could and would send my Husband down with the bottles every few hours. By the time I could begin to try and breastfeed, we were having problems latching on. Through tears, exhaustion and many many attempts I continued to pump bottles for him and my supply came in with abundance. Engorgement sucked, my nipples had blisters from the pump and I looked like Dolly Parton. I thought many times about giving up but I kept going for one reason and one reason only: For Kai. Eventually he latched on and even through a second case of engorgement ( I had been accidentally pumping more then he was actually eating) we continued. And you know what? I am extremely proud of myself for what I did. And the benefits have paid off. I think Kai has only had one small cold. As I am writing, I am sick with strep throat but you know what? He is fine. Despite my constant contact with him, he is perfect. I'll leave you with this quote by Christine Northurp M.D.:

"When we trust the makers of baby formula more than we do our own ability to nourish our babies, we lose a chance to claim an aspect of our power as women. Thinking that baby formula is as good as breast milk is believing that thirty years of technology is superior to three million years of nature's evolution. Countless women have regained trust in their bodies through nursing their children, even if they weren't sure at first that they could do it. It is an act of female power, and I think of it as feminism in its purest form."