A study in the UK shows that breastfed babies have a 24 percent better chance of climbing the social ladder. Yes an odd thing to study, climbing the social ladder.  Basically the study shows that the babies who were breastfed had better outcomes, better education, and that led to of course a better social standing.

In the article from news.com.au, it mentions the following:

“In the 1958 group, 68 percent had been breastfed compared with only 36 percent in the 1970 group, said the study”

It amazes me that in 1958 only 68% were breastfed and then in the 1970’s only 36% were breastfed, that is a massive drop. I wonder what it would be like today. As you will see below it is obviously due to the convenience and popularity of formula that this happened, and also if you had issues with breastfeeding then formula would be the way to go and that is perfectly fine. I breastfed my twins for 95% of their food for five months and did formula in the evening due to trying to keep up and make more breast milk, it was hard, but I needed the break so took to using the formula in the evening. I was very pleased I could do it for so long and managed to have a little bit for their breakfast until a week before they were eight months, after that it dried up. No more breast milk, to my upset, but it was also to good as I was expressing so it was good to not be linked to the machine anymore.

If you are interested this baby food timeline is a great list of history and very informative. Formula and other ways to feed your child was happening long before the 1950’s and of course the 1970’s.  One reason baby formula became more popular is possibly the fact that it was cheaper to purchase in the 1950’s so that allowed more mothers to feed their babies formula. In the 1970’s more improvements and the fact that hospitals gave free samples made more mothers want to use the product so it gained in popularity. If you would like to know more read more on the history of infant formula.

I know that many people cannot breastfeed, have issues, have had surgery and are just unable. The study is looking at if skin to skin contact all the time when you give the bottle to the baby does the same thing as feeding from the breast. I gave my girls mostly all breast milk and had to do it from bottles so I wonder if that is classed as bottle feeding or breast. I would say breast but you might get someone saying the baby is not having direct contact with its mother so it is not. At the end of the day I gave what I thought was the best start for my little girls. I also think that formula now days has gotten much better and if you are a parent who is doing it the formula way I think there is no need to judge or upset their decision even more.  There are reasons why you do what you do and that is your role as a parent and not mine to judge you.

I do agree though that breast is best if you can, it has all the right things in it to give your little person the best start in life, even if you cannot do it for long, everything helps.

Do you think breast milk helps you climb the social ladder? Not sure if it has helped me, I was breast fed and I don’t believe that I have moved up from my station in life, although I have continued my education, creating and doing things to build things for me and the family. Maybe that is a part of it. Who knows? Or it just could be my DNA, or personality?  Let us know what your thoughts are.

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