breast is best...right?
This morning while watching the news, they featured a story about a study on breast milk.
The study looked at the components of the breast milk and the doctors discovered caloric value, fat content, etc.
The study was done to see how breast milk ranked for premature infants.
Obviously, premature infants are born early and often times underweight. The main goal is to help these babies grow and develop while in the NICU.
The study determined that from their findings, breast milk was not enough for premature infants. It was not a sufficient nutrition for their needs. They stated that formula was a better option.
..........WELL, I call bullshit.
ONE sample of breastmilk is just that, ONE sample from ONE day from ONE time. Breast milk is constantly changing. Breat milk is never the same time after time. If you have ever looked at pumped breast milk, you can tell. I have pumped milk from one breast that looks completely different from the milk pumped from the other breast and I pumped them at the same sitting.
Of course a premature baby needs to grow and develop but to say that breast milk is not the best option for them give the wrong idea. Of course breast milk is the optimal choice and then, if need be, formula would be next....although I think donor breast milk should be the next option.
To say that breast milk does not provide enough calories or enough fat content is saying that formula is a better choice. That is like saying a woman's body produces breast milk for her baby but it shouldn't be used?!
Again, formula is being pushed on to moms at a sensitive time when they have babies that arrived early and are in the NICU. Formula companies prey on vulnerable moms. They have just had their baby early, the baby might be underweight and might be sick, the moms are stressed and emotional and her milk might not be fully in yet, so breastfeeding and/ or pumping is difficult and then BOOM! formula. it happens too fast. ONE nurse or doctor suggests forumla...you say yes because you want to feed your baby and then the vicious cycle happens where you feed formula and then your milk supply dips because you are not breastfeeding or pumping and so you have a low supply and give more formula and your milk supply lessens some more and on and on and on.
Anyways, I just think that to say breast milk is not enough to nourish a baby is not completely accurate and is VERY misleading to parents and parents-to-be.
The study looked at the components of the breast milk and the doctors discovered caloric value, fat content, etc.
The study was done to see how breast milk ranked for premature infants.
Obviously, premature infants are born early and often times underweight. The main goal is to help these babies grow and develop while in the NICU.
The study determined that from their findings, breast milk was not enough for premature infants. It was not a sufficient nutrition for their needs. They stated that formula was a better option.
..........WELL, I call bullshit.
ONE sample of breastmilk is just that, ONE sample from ONE day from ONE time. Breast milk is constantly changing. Breat milk is never the same time after time. If you have ever looked at pumped breast milk, you can tell. I have pumped milk from one breast that looks completely different from the milk pumped from the other breast and I pumped them at the same sitting.
Of course a premature baby needs to grow and develop but to say that breast milk is not the best option for them give the wrong idea. Of course breast milk is the optimal choice and then, if need be, formula would be next....although I think donor breast milk should be the next option.
To say that breast milk does not provide enough calories or enough fat content is saying that formula is a better choice. That is like saying a woman's body produces breast milk for her baby but it shouldn't be used?!
Again, formula is being pushed on to moms at a sensitive time when they have babies that arrived early and are in the NICU. Formula companies prey on vulnerable moms. They have just had their baby early, the baby might be underweight and might be sick, the moms are stressed and emotional and her milk might not be fully in yet, so breastfeeding and/ or pumping is difficult and then BOOM! formula. it happens too fast. ONE nurse or doctor suggests forumla...you say yes because you want to feed your baby and then the vicious cycle happens where you feed formula and then your milk supply dips because you are not breastfeeding or pumping and so you have a low supply and give more formula and your milk supply lessens some more and on and on and on.
Anyways, I just think that to say breast milk is not enough to nourish a baby is not completely accurate and is VERY misleading to parents and parents-to-be.
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