>Breastfeeding for nourishment is one thing, but that is obviously not the driving reason for the phenomenon in the United States, so why bring it up?<
Beside the fact that the way a mother feeds her child is a personal choice, it’s been shown that not only is human milk far more digestible for babies, it helps prevent allergies, plus babies are less likely to get sick because they get immunity from nursing. Breast feeding provides closer contact between mother and baby. Breastfed infants are far, far less likely to be victims of child abuse.
Mothers who breast feed are less likely to develop cancer.
But for you, it’s only nutritional. Nobody will ever hold a gun to your head and force you to toss that bottle away, I promise.
For one thing, many people in this country don't eat proper diets themselves. I told my doctor straight up that I ate my veggies and nutritious food, but liked to snack occasionally and didn't always eat salad, lean meat, etc. Occasionally I ate fast food. I preferred to bottle feed because I researched each ingredient in the formula I chose and knew it was healthier then what I was eating, although I am in shape and look healthy from the outside (or so I'm told).
Both daughter's have thrived and are at the top of their class, athletically and academically. About the same time I had my first, so did a friend, who's baby was colicky and cried all the time. This woman hounded me to death because I didn't breastfeed, and flipped out when I suggested the baby may me ingesting something they don't like from her breast milk. At her wits end, she mentioned this to her doctor and he cut out of her diet spicy and gassy foods and the baby calmed right down. Soon she went to formula and all was well. I'm not saying people shouldn't breastfeed, just be aware of what YOU are eating and drinking. That poor baby cried for months because of what her mother ate! Oh, and 3 is to darn old!
Hmm... seeing as this story is not about breastfeeding babies, why are you telling me all of this? I didn’t make any comment about bottle-feeding either. The alternative to breastfeeding for children of this age would be more like... hamburgers, hot dogs, mac & cheese, would it not?