I am doing an EPQ (Extended Project Qualification) in breastfeeding alongside my A-Level studies. I am required to write a 5000-word essay on my chosen topic using many different types of research. I would be very grateful if you could answer these questions for me. Thank you.
[name_m]How[/name_m] old are you?
What is your ethnicity?
Where do you live? (very general eg. [name_f]England[/name_f], US)
Are you going to breastfeed your baby?
If yes, how long are you planning to breastfeed your baby for?
If you already have children, how long did you plan to breastfeed them for?
[name_m]How[/name_m] long did you actually breastfeed them for?
[name_f]Do[/name_f] you think breastfeeding is beneficial to your baby and why?
If you have chosen not to breastfeed why is this?
Thank you so so so much to anyone who answers this for me. All responses will remain anonymous.
1 I am 28 years old.
2 Caucasian
3 United States
4 Yes I am going to breastfeed.
5 I planned on breastfeeding my first child for a year.
6 I breastfeed my oldest for 14 months.
7 Yes I think breastfeeding is beneficial to my child and for the mother. I believe it’s the best nutrition. However, at the end of the day the most important thing is that your child gets nutritional value whether it’s breast milk or formula.
[name_m]How[/name_m] old are you?
I am 21 years old. What is your ethnicity?
Caucasian. Where do you live?
[name_f]Canada[/name_f]. Are you going to breastfeed your baby?
When I have children in the near future, yes I plan to breastfeed. If yes, how long are you planning to breastfeed your baby for?
Approx. 1 year, depending on a few variables (kind of personal factors, I suppose?) [name_f]Do[/name_f] you think breastfeeding is beneficial to your baby and why?
I don’t know if I would say that it is. I have read many articles that argue that it is beneficial, and several that argue that it is not (I once had to write a paper about child development and breastfeeding was a point I had to discuss), but I guess I can only really speak from personal experiences.
My sister and I were NOT breastfed at all, and both of us have a very strong bond with our mother, and have always been very close, and rarely, if ever, got sick as children (we have each only been “seriously” (resulting in more than a week off school and an Urgent Care visit) ill once before age 18). We were apparently both immune to chicken pox (my parents actually tried to put us around as many children with chicken pox as possible so we could get it as children, before ultimately giving up on that and getting us vaccinated). We both did well in school (my sister is at an advanced level in high school and I am holding an above average level in my college studies) and have never had any kind of developmental setback either.
I know for a fact that part of the many arguments for breastfeeding that I have seen say that it can help strengthen a child’s immune system, improve brain function and development and help form a strong bond with their mother, so perhaps my sister and I are exceptions to this?
It’s not a very solid, fact-based argument as I’m not 100% familiar with all the new findings in favour of breastfeeding, but I’ve always found that rather interesting.
I plan to breastfeed each of my children for at least one year, but would likely wean before 2 years of age.
I believe breastfeeding is beneficial for mother-baby bonding; reducing post-partum depression; giving babies the best start in life based on their nutritional needs both in ways we understand and quantify, and in ways we have yet to understand and quantify; protecting baby’s immune system and microbiome by sharing antibodies and beneficial organisms and protecting harmful organisms from colonizing; and in cutting the monetary costs of bottle-feeding.
For these reasons, I feel very committed to breastfeeding my future infants even if it is very difficult for me to do so. Reminding myself of the risks of formula-feeding perpetually recommits me to this goal, not just because of the peer-pressure “should” of breastfeeding.
Probably, especially in the short-term with regards to the immune system. I am sceptical about many claims of long-term benefits as I suspect there may be socio-economic factors coming into play. I do think it was a very positive bonding experience between me and my daughter, though, and it was extremely convenient to be able to feed her anywhere at any time with no preparation. I found breastfeeding very easy, though, so I did not really face any major challenge to my plans.
If I ever chose not to breastfeed it would be if there was some kind of medical problem that meant it was hard or impossible. Since everything was so easy with my first baby I don’t expect this to happen, but you never know I suppose.
[name_m]How[/name_m] old are you?
28 What is your ethnicity?
Caucasian Where do you live?
US Are you going to breastfeed your baby?
I would try because it’s cheaper than formula. Although I would strongly consider pumping and breastfeeding (not sure if you consider this breastfeeding or not, some don’t). At the end of the day, I’d try to go with the flow because plans don’t always go the way you expect and the less anxiety/rigidity I give myself the better it would be for my mental health. If yes, how long are you planning to breastfeed your baby for?
The max would be a year if feeding from the breast. However, if my body was still producing a steady supply and my child seemed to still want it, I’d consider continuing to give breastmilk in a cup. [name_f]Do[/name_f] you think breastfeeding is beneficial to your baby and why?
I feel pretty strongly that what is beneficial for a baby is a happy, healthy mom and environment, so whatever form of feeding can help me/a mom be in that state is what is the best. Breastfeeding may offer some protective factors, compared to formula, but I feel that a lot of the benefits are exaggerated.
If yes, how long are you planning to breastfeed your baby for?
12+ months – however long she wants.
[name_m]How[/name_m] long did you actually breastfeed them for?
Currently breastfeeding my 11-month-old who doesn’t show any signs of stopping anytime soon.
[name_f]Do[/name_f] you think breastfeeding is beneficial to your baby and why?
I think that breastfeeding is beneficial for me and my baby, personally. I find breastfeeding really easy, it’s free, and doesn’t require the clean-up that bottles do. Breastfeeding makes me and my baby happy and calm, which is what I think a baby needs to thrive. If formula-feeding is what works for another family, then that is the most beneficial for that family. I like the saying “[name_m]Fed[/name_m] is best!”
As a biology major in college and a student in professional school, I know for a fact that breastfeeding has so many health benefits for both the mother and the baby. Plus baby’s are expensive (especially formula), so I hope to be able to feed my children the most natural, healthy, and free way!
I planned to try to breastfeed but I felt good about feeding the baby formula if it didn’t work out
He is a year old now. We night weaned him, but he still nurses about every 2 hours during the day, no signs of being close to ready to wean. I’m happy to continue nursing him. He won’t drink cows milk and is not a great eater, so it’s good he has the breastmilk nutritionally speaking right now
My older son (age 5) was adopted and 100% bottle-fed. So far, he’s been very healthy, never got sick till age 2, never had an ear infection, is very intelligent, and is quite loving and closely attached to us. I actually bonded with my older son much more quickly, probably bc breastfeeding was very difficult and quite painful at first. I had vasospasm and got mastitis multiple times. I honestly kept doing it bc I didn’t know how to quit without getting mastitis again.
It was easier for his dad to bond as well since he could feed him. We did both bond closely with our younger son as well, it just took longer.
So I don’t know, this is hardly a scientific answer, but both breastfeeding and formula seem like great ways to feed babies to me. At some point, I think at about 6 months, there was a tipping point and breastfeeding started seeming easier than bottle-feeding to me.
[name_m]How[/name_m] old are you? 21
What is your ethnicity? White British
Where do you live? (very general eg. [name_f]England[/name_f], US) Australia
Are you going to breastfeed your baby? Yes
If yes, how long are you planning to breastfeed your baby for? Around 2 years? Depending on a number of factors including subsequent pregnancies and daycare etc.
If you already have children, how long did you plan to breastfeed them for? N/A
[name_m]How[/name_m] long did you actually breastfeed them for? N/A
[name_f]Do[/name_f] you think breastfeeding is beneficial to your baby and why? Yes, not only for immunity reasons, but also the mother-baby bonding experience it gives.
If you have chosen not to breastfeed why is this? The only thing that would stop me from breastfeeding would be a medical problem stopping me from doing so.
Where do you live? (very general eg. [name_f]England[/name_f], US)
US
Are you going to breastfeed your baby?
No - I exclusively breastfed my first but will not do that again.
If yes, how long are you planning to breastfeed your baby for?
If you already have children, how long did you plan to breastfeed them for?
I planned to feed for the recommended amount of time (1 year).
[name_m]How[/name_m] long did you actually breastfeed them for?
I did the recommended 1 year (actually fed for 13.5 months - 1 year breastfeeding plus 6 weeks weaning).
[name_f]Do[/name_f] you think breastfeeding is beneficial to your baby and why?
I think it can be beneficial for a very young baby (less than 3 months) for immune reasons, however it is not necessary. I think our current fanatically pro-breastfeeding culture greatly exaggerates the actual benefits.
If you have chosen not to breastfeed why is this?
I experienced an uncommon medical condition when breastfeeding my first called D-MER (dysphoric milk ejection reflex) that made breastfeeding horrifically miserable the entire time. I stuck with it because whenever I tried to research the actual benefits (or mention to anyone I was considering stopping before the recommended time) I would encounter a lot of pro-breastfeeding propaganda which made me think I would be selfishly denying my baby necessary benefits if I stopped without having a “real reason” (i.e. milk drying up). I now understand that this is not the case and also I absolutely do have a legitimate reason not to want to go through breastfeeding hell again.
[name_m]How[/name_m] old are you? 25, expecting our first child
What is your ethnicity? Chinese & Caucasian
Where do you live? USA
Are you going to breastfeed your baby? I plan to, but will probably mostly pump
If yes, how long are you planning to breastfeed your baby for? Until baby starts teething or around 6 months, whichever comes first, then will either only pump or switch to formula
If you already have children, how long did you plan to breastfeed them for? N/A
[name_m]How[/name_m] long did you actually breastfeed them for? N/A
[name_f]Do[/name_f] you think breastfeeding is beneficial to your baby and why? Yes, studies have shown breast milk is better at the beginning for baby in order to help build its immune system
If you have chosen not to breastfeed why is this? N/A
[name_m]How[/name_m] old are you? 25
What is your ethnicity? White
Where do you live? USA
Are you going to breastfeed your baby? Yes
If yes, how long are you planning to breastfeed your baby for? At least 1 year
If you already have children, how long did you plan to breastfeed them for? 1 year
[name_m]How[/name_m] long did you actually breastfeed them for? My daughter breastfed until she was 2.
[name_f]Do[/name_f] you think breastfeeding is beneficial to your baby and why? Yes because they get all the nutrients they need, and it is natural. I don’t see the point of paying for formula if I can get breastmilk for free.
Where do you live? (very general eg. [name_f]England[/name_f], US)
United States
Are you going to breastfeed your baby?
Yes
If yes, how long are you planning to breastfeed your baby for?
Until my baby self-weans or I am just done.
If you already have children, how long did you plan to breastfeed them for?
I initially planned on breastfeeding my first child for 3 years.
[name_m]How[/name_m] long did you actually breastfeed them for?
So far we’re at 4 years and 10 months, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s still breastfeeding at 5 years.
[name_f]Do[/name_f] you think breastfeeding is beneficial to your baby and why?
Yes. I could write an essay on why I believe breastfeeding is beneficial, but I’ll be brief. Breastmilk is tailormade for the child. The child receives health benefits, such as antibodies. Breastfeeding is comforting and provides social and psychological benefits.