Why is it that less educated and lower class people are more likely to formula feed if breast milk is free?

Question

Also there are many benefits like less time missing work to care for sick children, fewer doctor visits etc.
Why is there the correlation between formula feeding mothers and younger, less educated, and lower income?
To me breastfeeding would be the ideal solution because it is free and formula cost money.

Answer 1

I'm pretty sure this is a true statement...based on the moms I know..and most of their reasons were "because they didnt want to mess their boobs up"

also..WIC pays for their formula...so they don't have to put any effort into breastfeeding, and they don't have to pay for their babys food...so I guess it benefits THEM the most



I have more than enough money for formula...but I

breastfeed..because its easier and better for my baby...

and I dont worry about myself, when it comes to giving my daughter the best.

.......

ETA: WIC does provide breast pumps to mom who want to breastfeed

But many moms still *choose* to formula feed

...........

UBC. GIRL: O how wrong you are. http://www.promom.org/101/

Breastmilk is far superior to artificial feeding. And babys that have been breastfed, have been proven to be healthier and have higher IQ'S I provided a link to support my claim

........

O and to you moms who were physically unable to breastfeed NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT YOU!!!!!!!

So get your panties out of a wad, stop being defensive. This question was referring to moms who ARE able to breastfeed, and choose not to.

Answer 2

I will tell you exactly why I didn't breast feed my son and chose formula when at the time I may have been considered 'low income' and 'less educated' when I was 20 years old.



-I got WIC assistance which covered about 70% of the cost

-I did not know how to find/was not offered breast feeding support, education, or training. No internet at home, books did not help. It is not something that comes naturally for most mothers and infants.

-No family support

-No husband

-I could not afford a pump that worked to use while I was working

-The manual pump was too hard to use, I couldn't figure out how to get my baby to take to the breast

-Even if the manual pump worked well, I could not stop working every few hours to pump

-Regular benefits such as being able to pump at work are not offered at minimum wage jobs, whether it is the law or not, they will find a reason to get rid of you

-Lower income, less educated people generally work more hours



So, I assume all of the above are typical of low income/education. The whole lifestyle is different and there are different challenges.



Now, at 29 yo w/ my MBA, I am going to try to breast feed. I bought one of the best pumps, I actually get to stay home for a while w/ the baby, I work in an office and can pump at work, I am married and have family support. I know who to call and where to go for assistance if I need help w/ it.



I went from one extreme to the other, so I can compare and contrast

well.



Does this answer your question?

Answer 3

I had my first child at 20, and we are currently on WIC, as my husband got a slightly lower paying job and I have only had partial college education. That being said, I have breastfed exclusively all 4 of my children.



I read a study, and am trying to find my bookmark for it. The study is to determine whether breastfeeding raises a baby's IQ (it's a combo of breastfeeding and a gene).



The study actually showed that moms who breastfeed have higher IQ's typically. Moms with higher IQ's are, in turn, often more educated, higher income level, and older. Slight co-relation, but I didn't fit that mold!

Answer 4

i'm not sure that there is a correlation between training or socioeconomic status with the selection as to if breast feeding is acceptable. I definitely have a intense degree of incontrovertible fact that the advantages of breast feeding are better than we've even stumbled on hence far. the priority is that expressing milk does not come particularly for all women human beings and demands a brilliant form of prepare, yet for women folk human beings which could breast feed and decide to no longer, i think they are doing a brilliant disservice to toddlers and that is my opinion that this improve contained in using formulation rather of breast milk interior the west is a considerable reason of improve in paediatric allergies and absence of intense passive immunity in neonates.

Answer 5

Well, it used to be that breastfeeding was what you did if you couldn't afford formula, and I'm sure a lot of these young mums' mums and grandmums push them that way. I suspect the correlation is because younger and less well-educated mums are very conscious of it wanting to look as if they have plenty of money to spend on their babies. Older women are less concerned about looking as if they are doing the right thing.



It's a standard, well-known statistic that has been published in multiple peer-reviewed studies - all you people who think she made it up are simply adding weight to the point by demonstrating your abject ignorance. Seriously, you have kids and have no idea of this link? Don't you read at all? Have you no concept of what statistics are and how they work? Saying you don't fit them so they must be wrong means precisely NOTHING except to demonstrate that you DO fit them due to your ignorance of the sort of maths average 12 year olds understand.

Answer 6

I do not think to breastfeed or to not breastfeed has anything to do with low or high class, an education or lack of one, and I do not think it has anything to do with cost. Less educated and lower class people along with well educated and so called high class people alike both formula feed out of convince. It might not fit into the schedule of a busy single mother to sit down and breastfeed or pump milk for another feeding, it might just be easier for her to give the baby to someone else in the house along with a bottle and do what ever else she feels she needs to be doing. A few moments away from the baby might be priceless to her. Who knows? I just don't think the choice to not breastfeed is limited to the "underclass" nor do I believe that cost has much to do with the decison either.

Answer 7

Mostly because WIC provides is easily and you can get free samples. I am a poor person and am considered less educated because I didn't finish high school. However, it is a more logical choice to breastfeed which is one of the many reasons why. I love breastfeeding, I love the bond, I would not give that up for free samples and free formula from WIC.

Answer 8

So why are you assuming that women who formula feed are less educated and lower incomed? First of all, thats a horrible judgement! I formula fed all 3 of my children, and Im not uneducated by any means....and we are not low income. My husband is in the Army, and Im a nurse at the state psychiatric hospital. Does that make us uneducated? Breastfeeding is not for everyone, despite what some people think. Some are unable to for medical reasons, and some just choose not to. To some women, it doesn't feel natural to them, and its not our place to place a judgement when we don't know everyone's situation. Not every formula fed child is more ill than a breastfed baby. It also has alot to do with your lifestyle. Do the parents smoke? Do they have pets that the children may be allergic to.



So, if you breastfeed...whats your education status??

Answer 9

Not everyone can breastfeed. I know I tried and my body stopped making enough milk so I had to give my daughter formula and I have gone to college. I don't think I've noticed this happening at all. I know a lot of young mom's that breastfeed and A LOT of mom's that don't have a lot of money that breastfeed. I know a lot of mothers who have money and or have gone to college and formula feed b/c they thinkk it's easier or they think breastfeeding is grose for some reason, so I don't think this is true at all.

Answer 10

to answer your question i guess is lower income families can get wic (florida) where their formula is free and paid for by the state.



However I don't think it is a low class discussion I see all types of women rich, middle class, lower class breast feeding. It really is just a mothers choice and it also depends on if the baby will nurse. Not all babies will, nor do all mothers want to

Answer 11

formula is usually free for them. Also they may not have the luxury of breast feeding pumps, or have as much time off of work after having a child to fully breastfeed all the time.

Answer 12

I don't think it matters if they are lower class or rich. Some people just aren't able to breast feed! I don't think it has anything to do with them being less educated and in the lower class. Every woman makes a choice and I bet you will find rich woman formula feeding their babies just as much as the lower class does.

Get your facts straight before you say stuff like that!

Answer 13

Where did you get the information for your correlation from? I'm just curious.



One thing that could be a problem for women of all classes is if the mother has to go back to work soon after having the baby. Not every mom has a breast pump, and it is not easy to work out pumping while at work, and the issue of where to store the milk, and getting the milk to your baby on time.



Also, not all women can fully breast-feed their baby. I physically cannot produce enough milk, though I am middle class and more educated.

Answer 14

If this is actually true, my guess is that they have to go back to work or work an unusual schedule..not 9-5 and also the type of place they work might not be accommodating to pumping. Breast feeding is probably difficult when you don't stay at home and have an irregular work schedule, which is likely to be the case with lower income moms.

Answer 15

Where exactly does your data come from? Or are you just making a HUGE generalization.

I think it's up to the mother whether or not she should breastfeed or formula feed. Perhaps, if your assumption is actually true, it is because they don't have access to support systems that most insured, middle class women do such as lactation consultants, etc.

Answer 16

Hey,

Although I do believe that breastfeeding is best, I've discovered that it is not as beneficial as we once believed. My OB recently told me of a survey done in the states (I'm in Canada) that showed no significant difference in develoment of health problems/allergies/asthma between children who are brestfed vs those who are formula fed.

Formula feeding is not something women should be looked down upon for, and it really bothers me when women who breastfeed take a superior attitude towards this.



Just my two cents.

Answer 17

Some studies suggest it's a combination of believing formula to be equal to breast milk (can't EVER be!), thinking breastfeeding is SO hard/not worth it, and qualifying for WIC so they get free formula.

That being said, I know many young, non-college educated, poorer mommies who breastfeed exclusively. :)

Answer 18

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-408327/Breastfeeding-doesnt-make-babies-intelligent.html



Makes some of those points.



BTW - I do think this question is going to make people feel very defensive. Not the best way to word something like that in my opinion.

Answer 19

I don't fit this little stereotype that you are referring to. I am 20 years old and still nursing my 14 month old. And I qualify for wic, they are pretty helpful when it comes to breastfeeding though.

Answer 20

If this is true then it would make a really interesting research topic! I don't really know why this would be the case though.

Answer 21

Where the hell did you get that dumb *** assumption from? I know quite a few people with money who formula feed and vice versa. Some just choose not to it is their decision like mine I decided to breastfeed and if I want to switch to formula I will

Answer 22

Formula is free to those of low or no income. Go figure.

Answer 23

Because we're less educated.





And some of us tried to breast feed, but couldn't, THANK you very much.



And yes, what exactly does it matter to you?

Answer 24

They might not have all the fresh food available to them and there fore they want there babies to get all the necessary vitamins and minerals!

Answer 25

Why would it matter to you anyway??