Hellobee Boards Topic: Do you think your LO's health is better for having breastfed?

Hellobee Boards Topic: Do you think your LO's health is better for having breastfed? https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 29 Apr 2026 17:10:25 +0000 littlecasita1122 on "Do you think your LO's health is better for having breastfed?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-think-your-los-health-is-better-for-having-breastfed#post-807703 Fri, 24 May 2013 14:22:32 +0000 littlecasita1122 807703@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I think breastfeeding did help...I was sick with the flu and two colds this past winter and LO never became sick. He's 11 months now and still hasn't been sick, knock on wood. However, I think a big factor is that he stays home with me full-time...I'm sure if he went to daycare he would have been exposed to a lot more germs by now! HLK208 on "Do you think your LO's health is better for having breastfed?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-think-your-los-health-is-better-for-having-breastfed#post-807612 Fri, 24 May 2013 13:47:20 +0000 HLK208 807612@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Both kids were/are breastfed and I see no difference. They were both sick every 2-3 weeks this past fall and winter :( lovehoneybee on "Do you think your LO's health is better for having breastfed?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-think-your-los-health-is-better-for-having-breastfed#post-807584 Fri, 24 May 2013 13:37:41 +0000 lovehoneybee 807584@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I have no idea. I will say that over Easter one of his cousins was sick, it passed like wildfire through the family (knocked my MIL and FIL on their asses), including myself. DH was out of town that week, but I could barely get out of bed. A few weeks before I had been glanced with the flu and DH got it really bad for a day or two (we both had flu shots). Both times DS didn't have so much as a sniffle. Healthy as a horse. That said, I won't attribute that directly to BFing. DH and I very rarely get sick (twice in a year for me was ridiculous!) and DS just might have a great immune system. As for overall health I really think it's too soon to tell. regberadaisy on "Do you think your LO's health is better for having breastfed?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-think-your-los-health-is-better-for-having-breastfed#post-807540 Fri, 24 May 2013 13:17:47 +0000 regberadaisy 807540@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Hard to say. So many other things to factor in, family history, daycare or no daycare. Can't really say if her health might have been WORSE off if not for BFing. KWIM? pinkcupcake on "Do you think your LO's health is better for having breastfed?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-think-your-los-health-is-better-for-having-breastfed#post-807535 Fri, 24 May 2013 13:14:45 +0000 pinkcupcake 807535@https://boards.hellobee.com/ My LO is 15 months old and has only had a handful of colds so far (maybe 3 or 4) - knock on wood! I don't know if that can be attributed to BFing (we are still nursing) or the fact that she's not in daycare. I do notice that almost every single time we are in a multiple children, "high germ" situation (ex: play groups, indoor play areas) she comes down with something, whether it be a runny nose or cough. It usually doesn't develop into anything more serious than that though (again knock on wood!). I was FF and at 31, I have no allergies and I'm pretty healthy! Could stand to lose a few lbs but that's bc of my own unhealthy habits, not bc of formula :) ladyfingers on "Do you think your LO's health is better for having breastfed?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-think-your-los-health-is-better-for-having-breastfed#post-806543 Fri, 24 May 2013 07:50:59 +0000 ladyfingers 806543@https://boards.hellobee.com/ It's so hard to say. He's in daycare, and in a four-week span, he caught RSV and then an intestinal bug. BUT. He seemed to recover really quickly from both, and neither were serious. I don't know how much of that is from breastfeeding, but I think that what he's caught so far has been less severe and not lasted as long thanks to the antibodies. I was formula fed, and I don't have any severe health issues, though I do have bad allergies. I'm not quick to point to formula as a reason for that, though. Foodnerd81 on "Do you think your LO's health is better for having breastfed?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-think-your-los-health-is-better-for-having-breastfed#post-806503 Fri, 24 May 2013 07:20:52 +0000 Foodnerd81 806503@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Just bc bfing is "healthier" I wouldn't expect to see obviously negative results in ff babies. Formula is really great these days so yeah, ff babies are fine! That said I still do think bf is healthier, IF it works out. My guess is it's most obvious when mom or dad get sick and can pass on those immunities immediately, and I think kids who go to daycare will get sick way more often than kids with a nanny or sahm- but then those kids will get sick more often when they start preschool or kindergarten. It's sort of like vitamins- you do everything you can to stack the odds in favor of the healthiest outcome, but it's not like an isolated thing. If your kid is prone to allergies they may get them, bf or not. But it's still worth trying. anbanan15 on "Do you think your LO's health is better for having breastfed?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-think-your-los-health-is-better-for-having-breastfed#post-806440 Fri, 24 May 2013 06:34:03 +0000 anbanan15 806440@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I think so. DS has GERD and a ton of food allergies and interances (FPIES), but I believe if he would have been formula fed and been exposed to milk and other proteins directly instead of through my milk reactions would have been so much worse and we would have ended up in the hospital on multiple occasions. Aside from those things he never had a fever or a cold (stuffy nose) until he weaned. My brother and I were breastfed for our first year and my oldest brother was formula fed. Myself and my formula fed brother were very sickly children. As an adult my brothers biggest battle has been a rare form of cancer, but in general he has been rather healthy. For myself I have various autoimmune disease, seasonal allergies and other mild things going on. My other breastfed brother has been the healthiest. We were all milk protein intolerant as infants and all needed our tonsils removed at some point. T.H.O.U. on "Do you think your LO's health is better for having breastfed?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-think-your-los-health-is-better-for-having-breastfed#post-806434 Fri, 24 May 2013 06:30:05 +0000 T.H.O.U. 806434@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I BF for 18 months and I think it played an impact on her not having any ear infections. Ear infections seem to run in our families (my husband had tubes) but we haven't had any issues. I think a lot of the other long term benefits are hard to relate back to BFing because other things like diet come into play. Was the baby fed organic milk after BFing or regular milk after BFing. Was the child allowed to eat lots of carbs and sugars without any fruits and veggies? Of course all of those things factor into obesity and illness rates. looch on "Do you think your LO's health is better for having breastfed?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-think-your-los-health-is-better-for-having-breastfed#post-806405 Fri, 24 May 2013 06:06:24 +0000 looch 806405@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I really don't think so, which is why I didn't worry to much about giving my son formula when my milk didn't come in. I think exposure to other people is what gets people sick, especially children in group settings. My son has pollen allergies, but then again, so do I, so is it genetic or environmental? I think it's one of those things that you can't say 100% one or the other. Smurfette on "Do you think your LO's health is better for having breastfed?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-think-your-los-health-is-better-for-having-breastfed#post-806367 Fri, 24 May 2013 02:55:58 +0000 Smurfette 806367@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I think it just depends on the person. I BF and R still has had issues. R got a cold, small, when DH came back from a trip with one. Have to use cream every diaper change or she gets a rash. Also on medicine for her reflux. lamariniere on "Do you think your LO's health is better for having breastfed?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-think-your-los-health-is-better-for-having-breastfed#post-806354 Fri, 24 May 2013 01:42:56 +0000 lamariniere 806354@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I really think it depends on the person. I EBF my son, and he is as healthy as they come. That said, I was formula fed and have always been healthy, whereas my brother was breast fed for the first few months but was the child who was sick more often. Mrs. High Heels on "Do you think your LO's health is better for having breastfed?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-think-your-los-health-is-better-for-having-breastfed#post-806353 Fri, 24 May 2013 01:41:13 +0000 Mrs. High Heels 806353@https://boards.hellobee.com/ It's really hard to say... I know so many formula fed babies that seem just as healthy as their breastfed counterparts. I was breastfed for only 2 weeks and then given formula, and I've always had a really strong immune system. I rarely ever get sick. I'm also at a healthy weight and don't struggle with obesity or anything like that. I do have seasonal allergies and that's about it. DH was breastfed for 6 months and he gets sick way more than me, and is allergic to so many things (all melons, bananas, exotic fruits... aiyaiyai he's missing out!) DD was breastfed for 11 months and she didn't get sick until she went to daycare at 20 months, but she does have eczema and an allergy to peanuts. tysonja on "Do you think your LO's health is better for having breastfed?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-think-your-los-health-is-better-for-having-breastfed#post-806304 Fri, 24 May 2013 00:11:39 +0000 tysonja 806304@https://boards.hellobee.com/ welp, i don't know if it has to do with it, but LO is made up of approximately 92% formula and 8% breastmilk (i went 7 months, but it was drip by drip.... argh...!), and he's healthy as a horse at 1yr! he's never been even remotely sick once yet! this may have to do with the fact that he's not in daycare though, but he does see lots of kids etc every week at church, etc. :) i will still prefer to bf if i can for #2! hummusgirl on "Do you think your LO's health is better for having breastfed?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-think-your-los-health-is-better-for-having-breastfed#post-806300 Fri, 24 May 2013 00:07:08 +0000 hummusgirl 806300@https://boards.hellobee.com/ No. I mean I only BFed for 7 weeks, but I have yet to see any negative effects from formula feeding. LO just got his first case of congestion last week at 8 months, and hasn't been sick at all otherwise. My husband and I both got an awful stomach bug a couple months ago but LO didn't catch it. As for long-term, I was FFed from 6 weeks and am still (at 30) waiting to experience any of the bad things people talk about. No obesity or allergies, rarely sick, and I like to think I'm intelligent enough. So, I think BFing is great, but formula's pretty good too. I'd bet daycare, genes and diet/habits over the long haul probably make more of a difference when it comes to health. sarac on "Do you think your LO's health is better for having breastfed?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-think-your-los-health-is-better-for-having-breastfed#post-806291 Thu, 23 May 2013 23:58:33 +0000 sarac 806291@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Yes. Whenever my husband or I get sick, my daughter either doesn't get it, or she gets a much weaker version of our illness. But if she gets sick and we don't, she gets really sick. So it's clear that she's getting the antibodies from me. lawbee11 on "Do you think your LO's health is better for having breastfed?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-think-your-los-health-is-better-for-having-breastfed#post-806198 Thu, 23 May 2013 22:20:08 +0000 lawbee11 806198@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I was breastfed and am rarely sick--maybe once a year. DH was formula fed and is sick much more often. I have no idea if it's because of the way we were fed or because he is a drama queen and is "sick" every time he has a little cough or runny nose :) Mrs. Bee on "Do you think your LO's health is better for having breastfed?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-think-your-los-health-is-better-for-having-breastfed#post-806167 Thu, 23 May 2013 22:06:47 +0000 Mrs. Bee 806167@https://boards.hellobee.com/ i think so. charlie got sick the month after i weaned and was never sick before that. olive was sick a fair amount her first year of life because of charlie's daycare germs, but given that she was born early and is tiny, she is pretty healthy! maybe this extended breastfeeding is really helping! autumnlove on "Do you think your LO's health is better for having breastfed?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-think-your-los-health-is-better-for-having-breastfed#post-806164 Thu, 23 May 2013 22:05:16 +0000 autumnlove 806164@https://boards.hellobee.com/ My LO was breast fed until she was 9 months old and she drank pumped milk until she was almost 14 months old. She was sick all the time during her first year. :-( photojane on "Do you think your LO's health is better for having breastfed?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-think-your-los-health-is-better-for-having-breastfed#post-806158 Thu, 23 May 2013 22:03:52 +0000 photojane 806158@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @babyjmama: My thoughts exactly... it's totally a crapshoot. There are so many factors that play into your health that it's ridiculous to say "breastfed = good health." runsyellowlites on "Do you think your LO's health is better for having breastfed?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-think-your-los-health-is-better-for-having-breastfed#post-806152 Thu, 23 May 2013 22:00:04 +0000 runsyellowlites 806152@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I have a breastfed & formula fed kid in our house... G was ff and has needed antibiotics for illness twice in his whole 8.5 years of life, P is breastfed & has not gotten sick when DH & I did. Generally though the risks of not breastfeeding are things seen later in life, not infancy & childhood. I think alot of ff moms forget that.... I mean yea G is healthy know but I really don't know how he'll be and how his "exposure" to formula & lack of breastmilk will have affected him. I really like the NIH study on the "risk of not breastfeeding" b/c I think it really speaks to the attitude concerning the short/long term effects. mamimami on "Do you think your LO's health is better for having breastfed?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-think-your-los-health-is-better-for-having-breastfed#post-806143 Thu, 23 May 2013 21:52:14 +0000 mamimami 806143@https://boards.hellobee.com/ My kids are quite healthy and I do think bfing plays a role. I notice when I get a cold or something, they get the sniffles and that's it. It's clear the antibodies kick in.. blackbird on "Do you think your LO's health is better for having breastfed?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-think-your-los-health-is-better-for-having-breastfed#post-806142 Thu, 23 May 2013 21:50:33 +0000 blackbird 806142@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I have a handful of autoimmune issues-allergies, asthma, etc, and I was breastfed. Wasn't real sick as a kid, but I also wasn't exposed to much. E has eczema-she gets formula and BM. But eczema has a large heredity component doodlepoodle on "Do you think your LO's health is better for having breastfed?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-think-your-los-health-is-better-for-having-breastfed#post-806137 Thu, 23 May 2013 21:49:17 +0000 doodlepoodle 806137@https://boards.hellobee.com/ In my humble opinion, I think it's a crapshoot. J is healthier than almost any of the kids we know, but he isn't in daycare. That's the main thing. He's only had one ear infection and never had a cold/stomach bug (yet...I know it's just a matter of time). I don't know how much of that can be attributed to the 4 short months I breastfed :) photojane on "Do you think your LO's health is better for having breastfed?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-think-your-los-health-is-better-for-having-breastfed#post-806135 Thu, 23 May 2013 21:48:21 +0000 photojane 806135@https://boards.hellobee.com/ It's hard to say now, because Sadie is only 3.5 months, but she's very healthy so far. No allergies, eczema, sickness, etc. She doesn't have any issues with reflux, gas, or spit up (she hasn't spit up a all since she was a week old). Like @princessbaby... not even a diaper rash yet! I was exclusively breastfed (never had any formula), and I did have allergies growing up. I'm lactose intolerant (I eat dairy anyway, because I'm a rebel like that) & I'm overweight. My husband was formula fed, and he's thin (even though we eat the same things... ugh!) & pretty much never gets sick. I do want to add that I think it's silly to blame being overweight or obese on formula. It's because they eat crappy food and don't exercise. It's not the formula they had when they were infants! I'm fat because I like cookies. :) PrincessBaby on "Do you think your LO's health is better for having breastfed?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-think-your-los-health-is-better-for-having-breastfed#post-806132 Thu, 23 May 2013 21:46:18 +0000 PrincessBaby 806132@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I like to think so....She has never even had so much as a diaper rash (knock on wood!) at almost 6 mos, but we had a nanny and not daycare so who knows what would have happened if we would have been in daycare. I might think differently! lomom on "Do you think your LO's health is better for having breastfed?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-think-your-los-health-is-better-for-having-breastfed#post-806124 Thu, 23 May 2013 21:41:17 +0000 lomom 806124@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I think having the antibodies in breastmilk may have helped LO's immune system a little. I don't think BM will give him a higher IQ or anything like that. heffalump on "Do you think your LO's health is better for having breastfed?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-think-your-los-health-is-better-for-having-breastfed#post-806120 Thu, 23 May 2013 21:40:06 +0000 heffalump 806120@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I tried breastfeeding lo and it didn't work for us. So far she's perfectly healthy, no allergies, etc. My mom breastfed all of her babies. My sister is the only really healthy one out of three. red_seattle on "Do you think your LO's health is better for having breastfed?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-think-your-los-health-is-better-for-having-breastfed#post-806112 Thu, 23 May 2013 21:37:43 +0000 red_seattle 806112@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I know a lot of people point to the antibodies babies receive as a main reason for why they chose to breastfeed their babies. And of course, many mention (and there are lots of studies that show) decreases in obesity, allergies, SIDS, and asthma amongst breastfed babies. But, I didn't emphasize this aspect of breastfeeding because in my experience, formula fed babies do just fine, too. (And, in my experience, which is just anecdotal, the members of my family that have been formula fed have better health [fewer allergies, asthma, and illnesses] than those that were breastfed except that the ones that were formula fed tend to struggle more with being overweight.) So-- do you think your kid's health is better because you breastfed them? Do you think you are healthier for having breastfed, if your mother breastfed you?