Breastfeeding has benefits but so does formula feeding! People always talk about the mild passive immunity effects of breastmilk but they ignore things like the shared burden of feeding between two parents reducing maternal sleep deprivation, increasing secondary parental bonding, and improving growth rates in underweight babies that formula feeding affords parents and babies.
This! The sleep is major. My wife and I each got 6 hour stretches because we did shifts when our girl was a newborn. And she started sleeping through the night at 2.5 months old. The fact that vitamin d supplements are not needed for formula fed babies and the presence of iron for anemic babies is so rarely even acknowledged as such a huge benefit of formula. But people will bend over backwards on immunity benefits that largely get digested and merely coat surfaces (as opposed to providing actual immune responses).
Breastfed babies don't get anemia at all, or have nominal risk of it, until after 6 months of age (which is when they should be eating iron-rich meats, anthropologically). Just FYI!
I said anemic babies like babies that are born anemic. My preemie was born anemic and didn’t have good iron stores to begin with. She was born at 33 weeks. If I had believed the “breast is best” lie, she would’ve suffered. Since we did formula, she had guaranteed iron that was able to help her thrive.
And the general likelihood of iron deficiency is higher with breastfed babies because it’s significantly harder to get a 6 month old to get their daily iron intake in solids than it is when it’s guaranteed in their formula. I’ve seen numerous moms in my mom groups stressing about iron rich foods and how their baby won’t eat enough iron solids.
Over 15% of formula-fed infants still have low iron absorption. Comparatively, 3-4% of breastfed infants develop iron deficiency by 4 months of age (that's what the vitamin D drops are for!). Our babies don't get enough direct sunlight in modern society -- vitamin D is what's lacking, as it's the facilitator of iron absorption.
What you're describing is purely anecdotal, not research-based. Studies suggest that 14% to >36% of formula-fed infants may experience iron deficiency or anemia, often linked to early introduction of cow's milk, premature birth, or low birth weight.
I brought up my personal experience with my daughter because that’s the most important example for me since I actually went through it with her healthcare team, not a google article. My 33 weeker was literally diagnosed anemic in the NICU so breastmilk that lacks iron was not recommended. That’s per her neonatologist. I’m so glad I could give my baby what was best- formula.
I never said formula fed babies are immune to iron deficiency I said breastfed babies are a higher risk. Bringing up babies that are given cows milk early is comparing apples to oranges, I’m talking about EFF babies and EBF babies. EBF babies are higher risk point blank when looking at just the two feeding types. Our pediatrician told us breastfed babies at 1 year are more commonly iron deficient when we did our daughters 9 month iron blood test and she was no longer anemic. But here’s some research that backs the other two medical professionals I’ve mentioned.
https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(20)31493-1/fulltext31493-1/fulltext)
“Though these investigators also looked at the formula-fed infants in the FITS survey, they concluded, as did the American Academy of Pediatrics131493-1/fulltext#) and the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee,231493-1/fulltext#) that infants fed formula (iron content 10-12 mg/L) but no breast milk, are at much less risk for significant iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia.”
“Median iron intake in breastfed infants 6-12 months of age was only 3.3 mg per day, with 81.5 % of the infants having an intake of less than the EAR of 6.9 mg per day. “
I see you are active in breastfeeding subs so I’m not engaging further as clearly you have a huge bias to push the lactivist agenda. I’ll continue to take the advice of medical professionals that affirm reality- breastmilk lacks iron and leads to iron deficiency more than formula (common sense could’ve told you that though 😉)
Familiarize yourself with the National Institute of Health...it's concerning that you just called it some "google site".
Again, formula fed babies get iron deficiency anemia at extremely high rates. This is more about lack of vitamin D in modern society than anything. Vitamin D is what facilitates iron absorption. Babies are (I know not in your case) born with all the iron stores they need for 4-6 months, which is when meat is anthropologically introduced.
And not that it's any of your business, but I had to formula feed because my baby was in the NICU.
23
u/twisted_memories May 01 '26
Breastfeeding has benefits but so does formula feeding! People always talk about the mild passive immunity effects of breastmilk but they ignore things like the shared burden of feeding between two parents reducing maternal sleep deprivation, increasing secondary parental bonding, and improving growth rates in underweight babies that formula feeding affords parents and babies.