The Problem with Science Communication (as Demonstrated with 50mls of Breast Milk)

AKA: is breast really best?

Photo credit to writer, modified in Canva

Everyone knows that breast milk is beneficial for babies. But exactly how much does a child need to have to reap the benefits? 100% of their meals? 50%? Just a taste? How many antibodies live in an ounce of milk? Would it be OK to give my baby formula sometimes? All the time? 50/50?

These were the questions I asked myself shortly after my daughter was born, when I joined a pumping subreddit. (Pumping means using an electric or manual pump to extract breast milk for later use. The upside is that this bottled milk has all the health benefits, but with the added bonus that your partner or daycare can feed the baby.)

Pumping is hard, especially for those parents who struggle with “underproduction,” which is when your body doesn’t produce everything your baby needs to eat. So many parents will spend hours hooked up to a machine, trying their hardest to eke out just one more ounce for their baby. It’s thankless work and you’re never off the clock. Personally, even though I was not exclusively pumping, I still found it to be a drain. Every minute I was pumping was a minute I wasn't spending either resting, or with my baby.