I have read every single post. Overwhelmingly people seem to either be pro-formula or this is personal decision. Breastfeeding advocates seem to be few (contrary to what everyone seems to claim about people judging). There were very few “judging” comments. I am most appalled at the misinformation of breastfeeding. How can people use (probably are exaggerating to prove their point) anecdotal evidence to extol formula-feeding? research is out there, hell, anecdotal evidence is out there (funny how no one was sharing their “bad” formula stories).
Most People CAN breastfeed. either someone is not being truthful with the people who claim “medical” conditions or they are lying to themselves. There are some conditions but it is like 2% to maybe 5% of women who CANNOT ACTUALLY nurse. There is help if a woman wants to succeed but she also has to be supported and have the will. Many women are duped into thinking formula is just as good. Actually not even close. AND no one has admitted this on this thread, but there is also growing evidence that formula is very bad for the baby (it unseal the stomach and seeps into the blood). Obesity, cancers, etc… are becasue the stomach and digestive tract were never properly sealed and treated.
I don;t judge most women who formula feed becasue they don’t really know all the facts and those that think it is weird or have attachment issues, that stems from their childhood and their parents. It is a cycle and we hope to break by empowering women, giving them information, and stopping the formula companies!

cute

We speak of ‘choice’ but we are making that choice not just for ourselves but for a defenceless, voiceless infant as yet incapable of making cognitive choice so surely we should consider their preferred choice to be that of natural superior developmental nutrition rather than an artificial basic substitute.
We need to respect that our infants are actually fellow human beings in miniature to nurture, not possessions and should thus endeavour to do our best to provide them with the healthiest start in life. Financial ability to shower them with material possessions is just lame in comparison to providing them with health benefits. We should not play roulette with our offsprings future health and that is exactly what we are doing if we think breast/formula is just a personal choice. Just because you believe you turned out ok on formula does not necessarily mean the same outcome for your child so why take the risk? Your child is as much an individual as you are.

Scientists admit there is still lots more to be discovered about human milk and in Australia it has recently been discovered that there are stem cells in human milk:

“We already know how breast milk provides for the baby’s nutritional needs, but we are only just beginning to understand that it probably performs many other functions,” says Dr Cregan, a molecular biologist at The University of Western Australia.

He says that, in essence, a new mother’s mammary glands take over from the placenta to provide the development guidance to ensure a baby’s genetic destiny is fulfilled. He believes that it not only meets all the nutritional needs of a growing infant but contains key markers that guide his or her development into adulthood.’

Research on premature infants has shown that those who receive human milk are more likely to survive than those fed medical formula alone. They are also much less likely to develop the devastating, destructive bowel disease necrotizing enterocolitis.

Currently formula is a blessing for babies/mothers with medical conditions that mean they cannot be breastfed/breastfeed. For conditions such as galactosemia & phenylketonuria it really can be the difference between life and death. Sensibly formula really should be reserved for the medical reasons it was originally invented for, not commercial gain. Maybe in the future more suitable formulas can be created from mothers or donated human milk for infants that need them or mothers who genuinely, physically cannot provide their own milk/ enough milk for their babies.

Breastfeeding is also ‘environmentally green’, but couldn’t imagine indulgent celebs like J-lo & Marc concerning themselves with such issues, so thumbs up to Julia Roberts for breastfeeding her twins and opting for more eco-friendly lifestyle choices.

Chele Marmet:
People need to understand that when they’re deciding between breastmilk and formula, they’re not deciding between Coke and Pepsi…. They’re choosing between a live, pure substance and a dead substance made with the cheapest oils available.

From issue 2445 of New Scientist magazine, 01 May 2004, page 32:
“Would we knowingly substitute any other complete biological system of nourishment (blood for example) with one that contained no living cells, no tissue-specific growth enhancers, no immune system modulators, no inflammatory response inhibitors plus a massive dose of non-human protein? And then give it to our children for the first six months of life when their immune systems are at their most under-developed and sensitive and consider it a mystery when they become ill?”

Check out the promom website for 101 reasons to breastfeed.

the saying that babies its bad for babies not to be breastfed, that they be malnourished, not as healthy and everything else is just pure rubbish.

Not me, nor my siblings for medical reasons were breastfed, and we all turned out to be perfectly healthy babies with no major illness, the same in our childhoods and now in our adulthood.

To me I doubt the baby really knows or cares how its fed, just that its fed, there are plenty of ways to be close and bond with your baby, I sure don’t blame those small hitches in my childhood or recall being sad simply because I wasn’t breastfed, and I certainly don’t feel as though I missed anything, of course a mothers perspective may be different.

The most important thing is that the baby is raised in a stable happy environment with love and care and needs fulfilled, not how its fed. Trust me its really not the end of the world to not be breastfed.

I can understand people’s views I really can, but it is Jen’s choice, and the babies are so beautiful, her and her husband must be so proud.

And thats my two cents for today, lol.

The babies are beautiful but I don’t like their names. In fact, I was so disappointed!!

Amy – You said everything that I was thinking. I also have two children via IVF and I love hearing from celebs who have experienced the same thing.
Celebbabylover – I think if you investigate a little further, you’ll find that people that get pregnant once they have adopted or started the adoption process often never really gave up trying to get pregnant, but were, in fact, trying very hard to get pregnant WHILE they were adopting, even undergoing fertility treatments throughout the adoption process. That is what happened to us, and many adoptive families that we know. The idea of “giving up” and then miraculously getting pregnant is a fairy tale for most people, but a story that fertile people really like to tell. I know many many more people that adopted and never got pregnant, than people that adopted and then got pregnant (naturally or not), but that story is not as interesting to tell.
It certainly doesn’t matter how JLo’s twins were conceived, but I think that fact that there are so many fraternal twins in Hollywood, way more than in the general population of women over 35, that IVF must be pretty common in Hollywood, and so it’s natural to think that she did it. Along with the fact that the twins in her husband’s family couldn’t possibly have affected her ability to ovulate two eggs. In any case, if she did, she doesn’t want to talk about it, and if she didn’t, then she’s one of the very few to which it happened naturally. Congratulations are in order regardless.

I KNEW this would turn into a breastfeeding debate. I’m glad Jennifer and Marc are happy with their babies, who are ever so cute! Jennifer, it seems has wanted to be a mother for many years, and its wonderful to see motherhood happen to someone so deserving. As for the breastfeeding issue: I have no children, but am going on what I see here in New Zealand and within my own family.
In my country, it seems that breastfeeding is more the norm, even if the child is not exclusively breastfed or for very long. Not that bottlefeeding is seen as ‘bad,’ but more to the fact that we have wonderful support for breastfeeding through midwifes and Plunket services (health and development care for children under 5 years, often do vaccinations etc – is a free service provided by the government).
La Leche League also offers fantastic worldwide support (both my grandma and my mum were members – with my grandma being a life member. Breastfeeding is very highly supported in my family).
Danielle, you make an excellent point. Bottles and formula are simulations for the real thing. It’s like having instant coffee when you can have espresso. Apart from the health benefits of breastfeeding, breasts are made to produce milk. It seems a shame to waste something that your body makes anyway, and that’s exactly the right consistancy, temperature etc.
The New Zealand government want to propose a bill to support breastfeeding in the workplace. If you’re interested you can read about it here:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4449417a10.html

I guess I just don’t get why it is anyone’s business how she feeds her babies, what color their skin is, or her c-section info. Yeah, she’s famous and it makes people curious. But how would any of you mothers posting on here, including you Danielle from your soapbox, like it if 10,000 people were posting their opinions, comments and criticisms of your parenting? Would any of you like to go on to this and read about yourself? How you are selfish because of your parenting choices? I pray that even if I were famous and allowed people an interview and questions about my family, that I wouldn’t have to endure complete, total strangers dogging my every move.

Danielle,
I’m certainly not the same poster as Rebecca. I’m curious as to why you think I am. Doesn’t this site keep track of IPs?

I am very happy for jennifer, she now has the one thing she has longed for her entire life, to be a mother. It doesnt matter how much the babies pictures went for or whether they are prettier than other celebrity babies, they are her children and nobody will ever change that. To jennifer and marc they are the most beautiful babies, as long as she was able to go through pregnancy and have children i think that has made jennifers life complete, Congratulations x