Who Benefits From Minimizing The Benefits Of Breastfeeding?

Of course we shouldn't ignore the latest scientific research, providing we're talking about unbiased studies, but we should probably ask if t he latest studies are presented in a way which undermines all the findings on the benefits of breastfeeding? I have friends who never had a drop of their mother’s milk and they generally seem to be doing fine health-wise and otherwise. 

But does that mean that my exclusively breastfed or somewhat breastfed friends never received any benefits from breast milk? What other circumstances in their lives had an effect on their well-being? How do you ever weed this information out in any research? 

We are, it seems, invited to interpret new scientific data in a way which throws the baby out with the bath water. What is often missing in our interpretation of new scientific data presented in such a way is an awareness of the possibility of hidden agendas. It is awareness that separates us from our purely primitive ancestors, but it seems our intellectual capacities can get in the way too. I believe that relying on intellect and science alone has led to many modern day problems. We have become detached from our instincts, beliefs, traditions and our true human nature, and in that weakened state we are more vulnerable than ever. 

An article I recently came across quotes a mother: "I chose not to breastfeed my babies because it was inconvenient, time-consuming, interfered with my sleep, and was incompatible with my job." Doesn’t motherhood usually do that? How are we supposed to feel about our roles as mothers if we are led to believe that our sleep, comfort and work commitments matter more than the needs of our newborns? 

Another article features a scientist objecting to the statement that breastfeeding is free. "What about the mother’s labour?’ he asks. The very question seems to imply breastfeeding is always hard, and that he’d rather a mother’s labor were invested into something other than her baby. "A mother who chooses to breastfeed is usually willing to go the extra mile with other decisions that impact a baby’s wellbeing", quotes another expert. 

Are you wondering whether the benefits of breastfeeding as so minimal that it doesn't really matter whether you breastfeed or not? Are you starting to think that an army of "Breastapo" soldiers is out to guilt you into nursing your baby simply so they can feel better about themselves? 

READ Breastfeeding In Public: Your Rights

Considering the anti-breastfeeding articles that circulate the web in such large numbers, that would hardly be surprising. But while no mother should be shamed for making decisions on how to feed her baby, shouldn't we be asking ourselves who really benefits from continued efforts against normalizing breastfeeding?