I think that the attitudes of many health care providers is what causes many
people to see breastfeeding and feeding ABM as equivalent. One mother I
know, whose first baby (weaned to ABM at three months) had many ear
infections, talked to me about breastfeeding her second baby longer. I told
her about the research that showed breastfeeding could help reduce the
number of ear infections, and talked to her about the other benefits of
breastfeeding. Her reaction was "If breastfeeding was really so much better,
why didn't my doctor tell me that?" Then she went to her doctor and asked
him if breastfeeding would help prevent infections in her expected baby, and
he told her no, it didn't really make any difference. She did nurse this one
slightly longer, but still weaned early - and guess what, constant ear
infections ever since.

I think doctors often make these comments in the name of not making mothers
feel guilty, but women take it to mean that there really isn't a difference.
I know that with some encouragement from her doctor, this mother would have
breastfed longer, but her doctor made her feel as though it wasn't worth the
effort.

Teresa Pitman
LLL Leader, Oakville, Ontario