Breastfeeding Does Not Boost Baby's IQ

Parent Cafe
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<p>So wonderful to hear from all these like-minded moms! I breastfed my son til he was 3 years 9 months, and read to him a lot. He does have a very high IQ - not sure if that’s why, but it makes sense to me.</p>

<p>What’s interesting is that all the arguements in favor of breastfeeding are for the child (better immune system, etc) whereas the arguments in favor of bottle-feeding are for the mom (convenience, can leave the child more, etc.) </p>

<p>Ha! And very telling (if true) that moms who choose to breastfeed tend to better educated and more intelligent. I don’t think it’s so much that, as that they tend to research the topic more and once they learn how much better it is for the baby, how could they not breastfeed? In other words, it may be a matter more of initiative than intelligence.</p>

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<p>‘…But at least one of them dropped the little bottle and held the baby to her chest. She got credit for that question!..’</p>

<p>What a great story!</p>

<p>That question was biased, though. I’m amazed that there would be a question like that - what does that say about the biases in our society.</p>

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<p>One study by a public health agency tried to determine the stongest correlation to successful breastfeeding-- was it level of education, income, access to medical care, race, having been breastfed by her own mother, etc?</p>

<p>The biggest predictor of successful breastfeeding: having the support of your spouse. Which makes perfect sense.</p>

<p>The supportive spouses probably also add good genes to the mix and they also provide good interactive fathering.</p>

<p>I remember being so sleep-deprived, hormonal and wiped out, and then my husband would say to me: “oh honey, thank you for breastfeeding our baby” and it would fill my sails with wind again.</p>

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It certainly seems as if the popular media reports breastfeeding as being good/better/best for baby (depending on the reporter’s own bias), but something that mom must bite her lower lip and endure. Still, some articles and certainly LLL meetings enumerate the (very real) advantages to mom, dad, and the planet as well - so why can’t the mainstream media outlets? </p>

<p>Once breastfeeding is well established, there’s nothing more convenient. But mileage varies, of course - I remember a LLL meeting when we were asked to complete the sentence “More women would breastfeed if they knew …”. I answered “… how easy it is” and at least 3 women all but threw their diaper bags at me. </p>

<p>Speaking of advantages to mom - I clearly remember articles and references to breastfeeding’s protective effect against breast and ovarian cancer. (Okay, I don’t “clearly” remember much - this would have been back when I was still nursing, 12-plus years ago.) As I recall, it was a mild but measurable protective effect against these cancers in pre-menopausal women, and the theory was that the effect resulted from the fact that breastfeeding suppresses ovulation. Did I make this up in a sleep-deprived hallucinatory state, or have the studies been disproved - does anyone know? Because I always wonder why I NEVER hear about breastfeeding during October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.</p>

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<p>Breastfeeding IS the easiest way to care for a baby who likes to nurse. I was lucky that my kids took to nursing easily. I know some babies are harder. </p>

<p>My main problem with continuing with S1 was lack of support in the workplace (I returned to work after three months home with baby). It didn’t help that my mother-in-law, who cared for him while I worked and who was great in almost every way, had never nursed and just thought he should have a bottle. Of course, that was right before I’d arrive on my lunch break to nurse, so I’d return to work without that relief! </p>

<p>Other benefits to mom are the weight loss (I think nursing uses 500 calories a day or something) and expense. Formula is expensive!</p>

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<p>Frazzled - actually, breast-feeding does suppress ovulation and acts as (not perfect) birth control. It is bad for women to have kids closer than 2 or 3 years apart, because of the stress on her body (leeches minerals from bones, stress on her reproductive organs, need to replace nutrients) - breast-feeding does seem to regulate that. </p>

<p>Generally, pregnancy in the 20s does have a mild preventative effect on breast cancer, but I’ve never seen that linked to breast feeding (although the link could be there). What I wonder is if this is because those women aren’t using the Pill during those years.</p>

<p>You never hear about breast feeding during October because it’s a hot-button issue. Women can be (not on CC, y’all are awesome) horrible to each other, especially about mothering, which seems to be a great place to re-enact junior high superiourity contests. </p>

<p>I’ve noticed that our culture tends to downplay problems that women have as mothers. It’s all about “convenience,” but no one talks about mental health. No one talks about the fact that, in our caveman days, there was a whole community to help out a new mom (not to mention, in many cultures, they would nurse each other’s babies). </p>

<p>No one talks about the fact that we aren’t evolved for (and many women are not equipped for) having one person as a baby’s source of support. Supportive spouse? How about supportive family? Humans are rare in that we live long beyond menopause - one theory is that grandparents are needed to help bring up children. Sure, breast milk may be evolutionarily a great thing, but aren’t we really evolved for Mom and her friend co-nursing their babies, with Grandma helping out around the house, other tribe members helping as needed, and older children (5 or 6 years old) foraging for food. What we have not evolved for is one woman nursing every two hours, day and night, while still being responsible for household tasks and cooking. In fact, our evolution took us in the other direction - to get as much help as possible.</p>

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<p>But the problem with breastfeeding as birth control is that frequently women do not have periods while they are breast feeding. Some then think that since they are not having a period they can’t get pregnant. Since ovulation precedes menstruation, that’s a risky mindset and women often do not attribute the lack of a period to the possibility of pregnancy and may engage in behaviors that are not conducive to healthy pregnancy. (drinking, smoking, etc.)</p>

<p>I could be wrong about the breast cancer link but I thought there was a link between breast cancer and the number of periods a woman has in her lifetime.
Hence the link between breast cancer and earlier menstruation as opposed a later onset of menstrual periods. At any rate, since breast feeding suppresses menstrual periods thereby reducing the number it can reduce the risk of breast cancer. (I could be wrong about this one.) I know this is a weird topic for a male to be weighing in on but I used to teach Sex Ed.</p>

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<p>I didn’t nurse D1 because of the back to work issues and subtle sabotage from my mother who was babysitting. But I was determined not to let her have control like that over my relationship with D2, so I carried a little cooler with ice packs and my pump when I went back to work at 12 weeks. That lasted till 14 months and then we reverse-cycle nursed till she was ready to wean. Same with my son and I have to say that nursing them despite going to work so early, no support and a 1 1/2 hour each way commute, is one of the things I am most proud of in my life.</p>

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<p>What we have not evolved for is one woman nursing every two hours, day and night, while still being responsible for household tasks and cooking. In fact, our evolution took us in the other direction - to get as much help as possible.</p>

<p>Off topic but good point
And perhaps why more women are stressed to the point that they become psychotic/depressed- including myself- I ended up in the psych ward twice- because it was a place where I could get some sleep-
Its pretty hard to parent without extended family support, especially when the partner is not available, physically or emotionally
Its maybe why co-ops are very popular in my area, it can be very helpful to meet other moms and their kids- especially when so many are far from their own birth families</p>

<p>I don’t think that is weird wharfrat
my D is currently taking health taught by her track coach & I have already double checked with him the schools take on sex ed
I think it is great to have male teachers- especially as a role model for boys</p>

<p>Another thing that people might not realize is that you can have what seem to be periods and still be pregnant.</p>

<p>I have 8 years between my girls & while we did try and concieve when the oldest was 4, even going to a fertility dr to get checked out when it didnt happen, although we didn’t take any heroic measures, I didnt’ use birth control either.</p>

<p>By the time she was 7, I had adjusted to the fact that we were only going to have one child, unless we adopted, and I was working and in school.</p>

<p>However, that fall, I had three months of periods that didn’t seem quite right, I always had weird cycles, but not 3 in a row, so I went to the dr, and was shocked to find out that I was estimated to be 3 months pregnant.
Not only was I shocked because I had, had what I thought had been three cycles, but also because I had zero morning sickness, and always before ( I had been pregnant 4 xs previous), I had pretty pronounced morning sickness. ( not that I was complaining)</p>

<p>So you can’t predict your body going by others experience, or even your own!</p>

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<p>Good points, Emerald and Wharfrat. Emerald - at least now we’re a little more aware of post-partum depression and psychosis. As for sleep - I would rather take 5 hours of coma-like sleep than 10 hours of sleep where I’m getting up every two hours. </p>

<p>I’m certainly NOT advocating that women use breast-feeding in place of modern birth control… just saying that it is a nice little evolutionary feature.</p>

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<p>There are plenty of studies: <a href=“http://www.lalecheleague.org/cbi/bibcancer.html[/url]”>http://www.lalecheleague.org/cbi/bibcancer.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>or “A study by Yale University researchers showed that women who breastfed for two years or longer reduced their risk of breast cancer by 50 percent.” from <a href=“http://www.breastfeeding.com/all_about/all_about_breast_cancer.html[/url]”>http://www.breastfeeding.com/all_about/all_about_breast_cancer.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>One would have to be an utter boob to disagree with these moms…</p>

<p>:)</p>

<p>Yes, p2n.wife nursed both girls for about 18 months each. It was very easy, excepting that first month (ouch!).</p>

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<p>Well, I meant breast-feeding independent of pregnancy… I personally was, until now, unaware of the connection. Also, they say that pregnancy reduces breast cancer, but I’ve never (personally) seen a study that shows that the connection is unrelated to breast feeding.</p>

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<p>Thanks for the sentimental journey. I also breast-fed all three of mine. (Since I have a degree in nursing, I’ve never been able to call breast-feeding “nursing.” Brings up all kinds of interesting images of potential college courses.) My mom breast-fed back in the days when she was in a distinct minority, but it gave me the necessary support I needed. I’ve had “only” 3 kids, but can relate to so many posts – I had the snuggli kids who dallied at their meals, the one who ate quickly because he hated to be held, the S who breast fed his stuffed animals, the one who nursed forever because she refused to eat solid foods… Two went directly to the cup; the other ate or drank anything within reach. He had a major oral fixation, and ended up playing horn. :)</p>

<p>I do disagree with those who said breast feeding was easier. I had a foster baby after my own were a bit older. Bottles are amazing. H could feed her in the middle of the night! S could feed her while I was fixing dinner! People fought over the chance to feed her. I knew exactly how much she’d eaten, and when she’d be hungry again. Wow.</p>

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<p>Breastfeeding is not easy. It is wonderful and unlike any other lifetime experience, but it is a disservice to younger women to say it is ‘easy’. A breastfeeding mom who doesn’t pump must limit her independent movement to two hour intervals at first. I found that time limitation agonizing. Breastfeeding is messy. It is time consuming. It can be painful.</p>

<p>I was more than a little annoyed when I discovered how difficult it was to incorporate breastfeeding into my new life-with-babies. After all the warnings about pregnancy–why didn’t women tell me a little truth about breastfeeding? I breastfed both my boys and I loved the intimacy of that time but I wished that someone would have explained that like all the other wonderful parts of life, breastfeeding requires a substantial physical and mental committment.</p>

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<p>"Well, I meant breast-feeding independent of pregnancy… "</p>

<p>Breastfeeding without first being pregnant is not easy though I actually do know someone who did it with her adopted baby. It’s very rare though, and doesn’t usually produce enough milk to provide complete nourishment to the baby.</p>

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<p>I look at the human gestation period as being 18 months long – 9 months in utero and 9 months attached at the breast. I think it’s difficult in our culture to do it all – to work, have a relationship with a spouse and nurture a baby, all at the same time. I don’t think modern American life nurtures moms or babies --there are too many expectations that women can compartmentalize their lives. Neither of my babies was predictable, and they tended to nurse every hour and a half. </p>

<p>It does take time to nurture a baby – I remember my older sister telling a story once about when her husband came home from work. She was sitting in a chair, breast feeding the baby, and he asked what she did that day. She looked him straight in the eye and said, “You’re looking at it.” I also remember days when it seemed that all I did was eat, nurse and change diapers – usually during S2’s growth spurts.</p>

<p>I actually think women should be able to just take care of a baby for that first year without the expectation that they should be doing anything else.</p>

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<p>Initially, when I was pregnant with our first child, my hubby & his family were talking about us hiring some random low-wage immigrant helper to keep house for my aging in-laws & watch our newborn. I thought the idea very poor, but kept it to myself & asked hubby to take some time off work to help raise our newborn after my maternity leave ended. He took off from the time baby was 3 months old, for 6 weeks, working just 4 hours every night & all day once/week & bringing baby to breast-feed during my lunch hour while hubby & I ate take-out lunches. Hubby had expected to get TONS done while he was home with the baby but soon found out it was tiring (but important) work. </p>

<p>After that, when I decided to stay home & raise our kids, he never asked what we did at home when he was at work. :slight_smile: He also never again supported the idea of hiring “some random low wage worker” to come & watch the baby & told his family it was totally unacceptable.</p>

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<p>Thanks, binx! NOW I understand why my former thumb-sucking, is-always-eating kid loves the trumpet so much!</p>

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<p>Both of my kids play trumpet – hmmmmmmm.</p>