Do breastfed babies progress faster?
My friends babies that are breastfed are pretty much all advancing faster then people I've know that formula feed. I mean milestones like holding head up, sitting up, crawling etc etc. Is it just coincidence or is it a proven fact that breastfed babies progress faster?
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Breastfeeding does not cause babies to progress faster however, statistics will show that babies who are breastfed tend to be read to and talked to more by their parents, thus helping them to learn things at a younger age. Also, mothers who breastfeed tend to be more conscious of other things, such as healthy eating habits, educational toys and television instead of toys and television with no educational value. Breastfed babies are more likely to be healthy, see a doctor regularly and be up to date on their shots. So in a way, breastfed babies TEND to be healthier and sometimes progress faster, however it has less to do with breast milk and more to do with the difference in environment and parenting of a breastfeeding mother VS a formula feeding mother. It is a fact that breastfeeding mothers tend to be more health conscious, informed and educated.
On average they progess slightly faster. But it's almost impossible to separate this out from social issues. Mums who breastfeed are on average better educated and a bit brighter than mums who don't. Please note I said ON AVERAGE - of course there are loads of well-educated, intelligent formula feeding mums, and also loads of less well educated and not so intelligent breastfeeding mums. And badly educated, intelligent mums, and well-educated, not very intelligent mums. It's a statistical thing, not a judgement. But in order to say that "breastfed babies progress faster" you have to separate out all the other factors which might be involved and that's really difficult to do.
It's such a tiny difference that anything you're seeing as obvious is a coincidence.
FWIW, both my kids were breastfed. Neither walked until 18 months, and my son couldn't even sit up until 9 months
I don't think so. I know a friend who gives her baby formula and he is very advanced. I know breast milk is very healthy for babies but just because they are breastfed doesn't mean there going to be more advanced then a baby who has had formula.
It's just coincidence. My first was formula fed although I pumped a few weeks to give him some milk after the hospital sabatoged my breastfeeding plan. He could hold his head up from day 1, rolled from stomach to back from 3 weeks on, and hit other milestones early. My 2nd son I pumped and formula fed him too, but he met his milestone on time. My 3rd is breastfed and is hitting milestones early, but I am a stay at home mom now and he gets a lot of interaction from me and a lot of family. It really depends on the environment they are in and their muscle tone.
No way!! My baby was bottle fed from birth and could hold his head up from week 1. Also rolling over at a young age to. It doesn't make a difference if they are breast or bottle fed they all develop at their own individual rates!
Also, my baby is 5 months old and has never been poorly but I know parents with breast fed babies and they are always ill?
My baby was bottle fed and never lost an ounce of weight since birth and carried on gaining good weight however I know many breast fed babies who have struggled to put on weight and a strong health baby is better than a smaller baby surely?
I'm not sure if it's a proven fact but I think it just has to do with environmental factors. If a baby is given a large space and it's able to move, it's going to crawl and explore. Babies are curious creatures....
No. Breastfeeding does not determine the child's ability to learn. I know many people who were breastfed up until the age of four, just as I know people who were not breastfed at all. Regular milk and breast milk will not effect the child in any way.
No, my son has been bottled fed since birth. He is 10 months and crawling, pulling up, standing alone and nearly walking! He is very intelligent and can say mama, dada and hi.
I am also over the breastfeeding nazi rubbish!
My oldest was only nursed 3 days and she was right on track for milestones, Second was nursed 3 months and was behind on most things. Second was nursed 6 months and was advance on everything. Fourth was nursed 1yr and she was right on track. So I think it is just luck.
I don't know about progressing faster, but in general breast fed babies are much healthier than formula fed babies, and when they do get sick it is usually much milder and for a shorter time.