In a powerful episode of Children’s Health Defense TV’s Doctors and Scientists, host Brian Hooker, PhD, brings together two experts, Romy Karz Rapoport and Jessica Isles, to discuss the often underestimated but surprising benefits of breastfeeding.1
Rapoport and Isles, advocates for maternal and infant health, shared their insights on the need for parenting practices that honor the body’s innate wisdom and natural design.
This episode explores the fact that breastfeeding is not just a feeding option, but a support system for both mother and child. Unfortunately, as industrial marketing has increased our culture’s dependence on formulas, this ancient practice has become undervalued.
Why breastfeeding is important – more than just nutrition
Breastfeeding is more than just sustenance. Rapoport and Isles emphasize that breast milk provides infants with a complete support system that cannot be replicated. Rapoport explains that breastfeeding is not an additional activity like taking vitamins. It is a baseline, a natural standard.
Unlike formula, breast milk contains a unique blend of antibodies, immune factors, hormones, and stem cells tailored to your child’s needs. It is a dynamic function that adjusts its components in response to signals from the baby’s saliva and feeding frequency.
Breastfed infants have a better immune response, a lower risk of respiratory infections, and better cognitive development. Studies have shown that breastfed babies often score higher on IQ tests. “Breastfed babies have improved intelligence and cognitive development, allowing them to thrive,” Rapoport added.2
It also benefits breastfeeding mothers, lowering their risk of postpartum depression, premenopausal cancer, osteoporosis and other diseases. Breastfeeding also plays an important role in building a bond between mother and child. Rapoport described it as a “unique dance.”3 This is where the bodies of mother and baby communicate through hormones and physical contact.
This bond not only helps your baby regulate his or her emotions, but also fosters a sense of security that has lasting psychological benefits. Far more than just breastfeeding, breastfeeding provides a profound emotional and physiological connection.
A Spin on the Formula Industry – Marketing Formulas as Standards
One of the major challenges to breastfeeding is the powerful influence of the formula industry. Over the past few decades, baby formula has become deeply entrenched in the public consciousness and is often considered equal, if not superior, to breast milk. This change is mainly due to strategic marketing. Isles pointed out that this is not a conspiracy theory. It’s just business. The baby formula industry is in direct competition with every woman’s milk-producing breasts.4
The industry’s tactics go beyond advertising. Manufacturing companies fund medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, and lobby against policies that support breastfeeding, such as paid maternity leave. Hospitals hand out free formula samples to give the impression that it is not only safe but also approved by the medical community.
Isles emphasized that the formula industry has created a cultural equivalency between formula and breast milk, a normalization that undermines breastfeeding.5 The formula industry also capitalizes on our societal obsession with convenience. Mothers have been told that formula milk gives them more freedom and allows their baby to sleep through the night, disrupting the breastfeeding cycle.
Isles said sleep training is a big industry and formula companies promote it knowing it undermines breastfeeding.6 This may mislead mothers into thinking that formula is a more viable option, making them less likely to try breastfeeding.
Oxytocin and the biology of breastfeeding
Breastfeeding is perfectly aligned with our biological design. At the heart of this connection is oxytocin, also called the “love hormone,” which plays a critical role in bonding, birth, and breastfeeding. This hormone promotes lactation and fosters a deeper connection between mother and baby.
Oxytocin also supports maternal health by reducing the risk of postpartum hemorrhage. Additionally, women who breastfeed have a lower risk of developing premenopausal cancer, diabetes, and osteoporosis, and babies benefit from breast milk’s immune-boosting and brain-development properties. The episode depicts breastfeeding as nature’s way of supporting the mental and physical health of both mother and child.
The emotional benefits of oxytocin extend to babies, helping them regulate emotions and develop a sense of security. Breastfed babies are less stressed and cry less, which strengthens the bond between mother and child.
How modern childbirth creates barriers to breastfeeding
The episode also highlighted how current medical practices hinder breastfeeding. Many interventions during labor and delivery, including IV fluids, epidurals, and induced labor, affect breastfeeding success. When childbirth is overly medicalized, the natural flow of hormones that promote breastfeeding is disrupted.
Formula samples handed out at hospitals further complicate matters. Many moms receive formula samples and brand weight charts that show formula-fed babies grow at a faster rate than breast-fed babies. Isles noted that breastfeeding mothers may feel pressured to supplement with formula if their baby appears underweight compared to this chart. However, this chart does not take into account the natural growth patterns of breastfed babies.7
Another issue is how to deal with early weight loss in breastfed newborns. Isles explained that it is normal for breastfed babies to lose up to 10 percent of their weight in the first week as they adjust to feeding.
However, some health care providers are quick to suggest supplements if your baby loses weight, creating unnecessary alarm. As a result, many new mothers become convinced that something is wrong and end up supplementing with formula, which interferes with breastfeeding.
Re-establishing breastfeeding as the norm
Rapoport and Isles emphasized the importance of reframing breastfeeding as the natural norm for infant feeding, saying breastfeeding needs to be viewed as a benchmark of human health. Our current culture, influenced by formula marketing, often views breastfeeding as a lifestyle choice rather than a biological norm.
To counter these stories, Isles and Rapoport advocate for more community support. Organizations like La Leche League, a global network that provides free, peer-led breastfeeding support, play an important role. Lactation consultants and doulas are also valuable resources, providing guidance and reassurance during the first few weeks of breastfeeding.
Expectations must also change. Rapoport recommends that new moms expect the first four to six weeks of breastfeeding to be challenging.8 Breastfeeding may take some time to become established, and it is normal for both mother and baby to need an adjustment period.
Addressing cultural stigma around extended breastfeeding
Another barrier to successful breastfeeding is the cultural stigma surrounding long-term breastfeeding. In cultures that do not use artificial weaning, natural weaning age may be between 2.5 and 7 years. However, in the West, mothers often feel pressured to stop breastfeeding when their child turns one year old.
Moreover, social expectations undermine breastfeeding, often viewing it as inconvenient or unnecessary once babies reach a certain age. Women who breastfeed for more than a year are often seen as “weirdos” or overly attached, Isles explained.9 But long-term breastfeeding offers enormous benefits, especially when it comes to strengthening your child’s immune system, supporting brain development and building emotional resilience.
Formula companies fuel this cultural stigma by marketing formula as the standard and perpetuating the idea that extended breastfeeding is unnecessary or excessive. If more women learn about the benefits of extended breastfeeding, they will be more motivated to continue breastfeeding.
Practical steps to support breastfeeding mothers
Isles and Rapoport shared some practical solutions for creating a breastfeeding-friendly culture. From policy changes to increased community support, these next steps can bring meaningful change.
Policy changes — Paid maternity leave and financial incentives for breastfeeding give mothers the time and resources to breastfeed without financial burden. |
Medical training — This episode highlights the importance of breastfeeding education in medical school, explaining that doctors and nurses need breastfeeding fundamentals to support, rather than hinder, mothers during this critical time. |
Cultural Expressions — Normalizing breastfeeding in public places, workplaces and the media will help break down social barriers and make breastfeeding an accepted part of life. |
Financial Assistance — Formula companies are lobbying against paid maternity leave, knowing that economic pressures are causing many women to stop breastfeeding earlier than they would like. |
Empowering Partners and Families — Support from family, especially fathers, greatly increases breastfeeding success. Educating the whole family about breastfeeding makes a meaningful difference. |
Change in expectations — Rapoport and Isles emphasize setting realistic expectations for breastfeeding, especially in the early weeks. While anticipating a difficult few weeks, women should seek support if they need it. |
Embrace the innate abilities of the female body
Isles and Rapoport explained that supporting breastfeeding is essential to what Isles calls “biological feminism.”10 This concept honors women’s innate ability and celebrates the amazing biology of breastfeeding. By embracing biological feminism, society fosters healthier relationships between mothers and children, supports women’s health, and even improves public health.
Breastfeeding is a powerful feminist act in many ways. This highlights that women’s bodies are unique in that they are not only equal to men’s, but also deserve respect and support. “Celebrating the miracle of the female body will bring humanity closer together and help us all thrive,” says Isles.11
Unfortunately, breastfeeding is an important practice in our culture that is often seen as optional or burdensome. By providing education, support and policy reform, we can return breastfeeding to the norm and recognize it as an essential part of health and wellbeing. Isles and Rapoport’s insights highlight the unique abilities and strength of women’s bodies in ways that should be celebrated and supported.
As Isles said, “We are so strong. We can rule the world. Women are great, but they can’t breastfeed. They shouldn’t even try. That’s the message portrayed in the media.”12 This episode challenges the forces that have shaped modern motherhood and calls for a return to natural health practices that respect both mother and child.
However, we understand that not all mothers can breastfeed. People who have never breastfed in the first place or who have stopped breastfeeding for several weeks or months may find it difficult to start breastfeeding again because they cannot do so on their own. In these cases, formula may be the only option. However, instead of buying commercial infant formula, you may want to consider using this recipe to make your own infant formula.
It’s time to acknowledge that breastfeeding is the cornerstone of infant and maternal health. Let’s support and celebrate this connection so that breastfeeding is an accepted and valued choice for families.
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