"the risks of formula feeding are not statistically worse than the risks of breastfeeding"? - Page 3

[sahmama_12]

Originally Posted by menomena

also, any contamination that we are exposed to that may end up in our milk, wouldn't our LOs also be directly exposed to? And wouldn't cow's milk (used to make formula) also be contaminated??? It boggles the mind when people stop suddenly in their logic tracks.

:that

[songbh]

Other perceived "risks"

Without reading the context of the statement that the OP has brought to us, it's hard to say what the person who wrote it may have meant by "the risks of breastfeeding." However, I think mainstream perceptions of breastfeeding include downsides or "risks" that this thread has not yet taken into account. Mothers may believe that breastfeeding will be painful, that they may have insufficient milk, that breastfeeding will make their breasts sag or strain their marriages or "tie them down" in ways that formula feeding does not.

People who are better informed about breastfeeding understand that many such perceptions are based on myth or formula marketing, and also understand that when problems do arise in breastfeeding there is usually a breastfeeding-friendly solution provided a mother has access to the appropriate information and support. However, since most mothers do NOT get the information and support that they need to breastfeed, it is not surprising that the perception is out there that breastfeeding is a risky, hazardous, prone-to-difficulty-and-failure manner of infant feeding.

We need to continue promoting, protecting, and SUPPORTING breastfeeding to normalize breastfeeding and change these perceptions.

[JessasMilkMama]

well interesting timing: I hadnt read this thread but I remembered the title, and then I read this new article that came out today
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/stor...4F2D3FC6F03%7D

Yeah the title is "Benefits of Breastfeeding Outweigh Risk of Infant Exposure to Environmental Chemicals in Breastmilk"

"When breastmilk was chosen by regulatory agencies as a handy medium for measuring environmental toxins, the public became alarmed that breast milk was contaminated. The authors, eminent authorities on the subject have put these fears to rest," says Ruth A. Lawrence, MD, Editor-in-Chief of Breastfeeding Medicine, from the Department of Pediatrics, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry.