New research: Not breastfeeding increases risk of stroke, heart attack

[Pooley]

Yeah, me 3

[Trillian]

Don't look at it like that. This was a small study but it does give some insight into the benefit of breastfeeding. It doesn't mean that if you didn't do what their recommendation was that you are doomed to die, it is just another way of finding out what potential health benefits there are and what this means in our long term health.

[BellyBelly]

As far as I could read, it did not say 100% of women who don't breastfeed will die. It's information; only you can choose how to react to it and what you get out of it.

[Tinks]

I don't want to offend you Kelly and I don't want to start a debate either. I understand the reasons for you posting this article but I can't pretend it didn't offend or upset me particurlarly since formula feeding wasn't a choice for me, it was either that or my children starved.

[Trillian]

You have to take the emotion out of it when you read stuff like this. I never BF for as long as they suggested either but I'm not concerned one bit by reading this. This information just tells me that I need to do in my life what BF didn't do. Think outside the square for one moment and see this for what it is. We are all for wome being able to access information and to learn from studies like this, but as soon as it makes you feel threatened the hackles go up andall of a sudden someone is offended. What is the point of having this information at our fingertips if as soon as you read something that upsets you, you emotionally put your hands over your ears, close your eyes and start shouting "LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA" we cannot block out this stuff simply because it upsets us. We choose the way in which we react to anything. How about looking at it from this perspective. BFing is supposed to reduce the chance of you getting breast cancer. Now I'm sure that gem of a statistic is a real comfort to those women who carry the breast cancer gene. I saw a doco on the ABC last night about 3 sisters who all carry the gene and it focused on one woman who had a double mastectomy and before the op she lamented about her breasts and said how much she loved them and why she loved them. She loved the way they changed during her cycle, she loved that they breastfed her child. In theory her chances of breast cancer should be less according to all the studies, but do you think that she was going to let that small chance battle against a defective cancer gene? No way! she was taking a proactive stance in her life. This study doesn't even mean that women who DID breastfeed for the recommended length of time are protected either, just that their overall risk is reduced, not removed.

ETA - just want to clarify that I don't mean 'you' as in you personally, but 'you' as in the general public.

[lauren22]

You have to take the emotion out of it when you read stuff like this. I never BF for as long as they suggested either but I'm not concerned one bit by reading this. This information just tells me that I need to do in my life what BF didn't do. Think outside the square for one moment and see this for what it is. We are all for wome being able to access information and to learn from studies like this, but as soon as it makes you feel threatened the hackles go up andall of a sudden someone is offended. What is the point of having this information at our fingertips if as soon as you read something that upsets you, you emotionally put your hands over your ears, close your eyes and start shouting "LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA" we cannot block out this stuff simply because it upsets us. We choose the way in which we react to anything. How about looking at it from this perspective. BFing is supposed to reduce the chance of you getting breast cancer. Now I'm sure that gem of a statistic is a real comfort to those women who carry the breast cancer gene. I saw a doco on the ABC last night about 3 sisters who all carry the gene and it focused on one woman who had a double mastectomy and before the op she lamented about her breasts and said how much she loved them and why she loved them. She loved the way they changed during her cycle, she loved that they breastfed her child. In theory her chances of breast cancer should be less according to all the studies, but do you think that she was going to let that small chance battle against a defective cancer gene? No way! she was taking a proactive stance in her life. This study doesn't even mean that women who DID breastfeed for the recommended length of time are protected either, just that their overall risk is reduced, not removed.

[Rouge]

Well I'm half a gonner and half not... oh and I smoked and I drink and I do a lot of things... but y'know I want to know.

Let's not be defeatist. Lets be grateful for the knowledge. It's not an attack it's a fact. YOU make it personal. The information is just that information. I don't see anyone's names in there?

[Laranna]

As far as I could read, it did not say 100% of women who don't breastfeed will die. It's information; only you can choose how to react to it and what you get out of it.

Well we are all going to die one day whether we breastfeed or not

Trillian - well said

And besides, what about those women who don't have babies so don't breastfeed, are their risks of stroke/heart attack increased too? Sooo many more variables to consider than what the study covers.