Comments on: Campbell Brown: 'It's Not Possible' to Do It All

By: Mary

Mary — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:01:10 +0000

The potential negative effects of Campbell Brown’s child having been fed *one bottle of formula* in his lifetime will surely be far, far outweighed by her unique opportunity to one day share with him the story of how she MODERATED THE 2008 PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE. Stop for a moment and think about how truly significant that is. What an incomparable learning experience that will be, and what a unique perspective on the world she will be able to offer her children as a result of her career. Go Campbell.

By: Jenn

Jenn — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 19:09:30 +0000

Sterile gut? Void of foreign substances? Really? So what about my nephew (who my sister breast fed until he was about 16 months old) who crawled away from her when they were playing on a blanket outside and ate a leaf when he was 7 months old? That seems to be pretty contaminated to me. But alas, he is now 5, happy and healthy and without any allergies.

By: computerag

computerag — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:23:36 +0000

Homeschoolmama, I’m guessing it was not your intent, but it literally sounds like you’re just trying to make women feel bad about themselves.

By: Karen

Karen — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:04:31 +0000

For those people who have never breastfed; its completely an emtional response, not a logical one. I breastfed my son, and we have an amazing bond. However, I bawled like a baby when I gave him his first bottle of formual.

I was unable to pump. I would still produce milk as long as my son nursed, but i couldnt pump any extra.

She wasnt blasting people who dont breastfeed; she simply stated that she had a mental breakdown b/c of her circumstance.

Really not that big of a deal.

homschoolmama….
A breastfed baby doesnt have a sterile gut…are you for real…
a childs life quits being sterile the moment he/she is born…even sooner in some cases

People need to stop taking offense to everything they hear and read.

By: Bonnie

Bonnie — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 19:35:05 +0000

I actually read the whole article before posting, thanks. I still think she was being overly dramatic about giving her baby 1 bottle of formula. I’ve never seen a more holier-than-thou bunch than people who exclusively breastfeed their babies. Homeschoolmama being an example. That’s all.

By: Nicole

Nicole — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 02:54:29 +0000

It’s really amazing how judgmental and ignorant people can be, isn’t it?

By: Amanda

Amanda — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 11:52:05 +0000

homeschoolmama, PLEASE do not tell me that you’re comparing formula to McDonalds’ food. And your comments about formula “contaminating” a breastfed baby’s “pristine” system only serve to further the negative attitude some people have about formula. Like the article said, breastmilk isn’t magic and formula isn’t poison. They’re both healthy ways to feed your baby and one typically works better for a family than another.

End.Of.Story.

By: Julia

Julia — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 10:55:26 +0000

Did some of you read the full article and only get the part about the bottle/breastmilk??? Read it again and get off your high horse – it is about real life with a working mother – and giving yourself permission to ENJOY your life and children. It really is not relevant about the milk. It was just an “aha” moment – a wake up call.

By: deedot

deedot — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 04:51:10 +0000

Wow. She left her 2 month old to work across the country 24/7? No wonder some things fell through the cracks…

By: homeschoolmama

homeschoolmama — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 04:41:38 +0000

Also, to anyone who might make the point that it’s “only one bottle”. True. However, an exclusively breastfeeding infant has a sterile gut, void of foreign substances and allergens. As soon as any other substance is introduced (formula, cereal, juice, etc), that previously-pristine environment has, in effect, been “contaminated”. It will never be the same again.

So, if medically necessary, the benefits outweigh that risk. However, a casual philosophy of supplementation ignores or downplays an important risk. We are now seeing how many autoimmune disorders are related to GI health (which is why we now see so many products containing probiotics, something that was fringe 5-10 years ago). It’s important that when we think about our children’s GI health, we realize that formula supplementation is a crucial aspect. (Note: cesarean birth also impacts infants’ gut flora). The gut flora literally changes within the first 24 hours of supplementation, and yet takes weeks to recover back to normal breastfed-baby levels. Early supplementation also changes the PH level of the gut, shifting it toward a more acidic environment which is less protective against pathogens.

(By the time solids are introduced at around the middle of the first year, the baby’s immune system and GI tract have matured enough to better handle foreign substances. Prior to that, any artificial substance given can sensitize an infant to allergies.)

Here’s just one source to further detail this (it’s pretty heavy on the biology, though). You can certainly google for more:

http://www.health-e-learning.com/articles/JustOneBottle.pdf