
I was tired.
Tired beyond belief. Only weeks earlier, I’d had my first baby and I was oh-so-exhausted.
My baby had been up all night with a cold and now he was suffering the aftermath: a blocked button-nose and conjunctivitis. And I was operating on about 36 minutes sleep.
I’d been told by numerous people – professionals and not – that a few drops of breast milk into the affected areas would sort him out. After all, it was liquid gold, right? Liquid. Gold.
So, the morning after the (horrendous) night before, I spent an inordinate amount of time wrestling my baby awkwardly on my lap, with his face poised under my chest. I squeezed milk from my breast, aiming it into his eye or nose.

Yep. True.
And do you think any milk hit the bulls eye?
Not a drop. He had it in his hair, on his cheeks, down his neck, in skin folds and creases I never knew existed. Everywhere. Except. My. Target.
Then someone said, “why don’t you just get some milk out with a dropper or syringe and then drop it straight into your baby’s eye?”
Ping.
Breast milk can send us all a little batty. Especially the mothers who choose not to have anything to do with it through no fault of their own. Mothers who can’t or won’t breastfeed have often been made to feel they are worthless providers. Research has been throwing them shade for years. Their bottle-fed babies will more likely be sicker and more stupid than their small, breastfed peers.
Until now.
Exhale.
Recently, scientists who conducted a study of 11,000 British children found no reliable association between breastfeeding and a higher IQ.
Dr Sophie von Stumm from Goldsmiths, University of London, was co-leader of the study published in online journal Public Library of Science ONE.
Mothers around the world will want to give her a big cuddle because she gives common sense a scientific spin.
Top Comments
Thanks to formula my three babies are all still alive. Can you imagine? I made them bottles and gave them to them every time they were hungry? If it were up to my useless, empty breasts all three would have starved to death and judging by Mr 12's awful experience, pretty quickly.
You are yet another person who is creating a divide between breastfeeding and bottle feeding. Stop instigating a 'war' between mothers for things done differently - I am personally sick of reading/hearing about it all!
Well don't read the articles then!
I will read them and I will still state that she is trying to perpetrate a divide! I am a proud breastfeeding mum - I have fed my 4 children and am still feeding my fourth who is 20months. But I am sick if seeing articles that try to niggle at all mums and cause responses like the ones below! Some people (maybe you?) get off on the high and mighty breast/bottle competition but I am truly sick of it!
I love the pictures sooo much of the breastfeeding mums - maybe because I know I'm going to be one of the long term feeders myself. I want to celebrate breastfeeding and be proud but not at the expense of other mothers who bottle feed, it's gone on long enough I think!