Mothers Are Trading the Long-Term Resilience of Their Children for the Short-Term Convenience of Formula

Extended breastfeeding supports immunity, IQ, and emotional health—yet fewer than 26% of American babies are exclusively breastfed through six months.

Breast milk is the most perfect food ever designed for a human child, and we’re trading it for ease—with devastating consequences, writes Mollie Engelhart. Nastyaofly/Shutterstock

Commentary

I’m writing this on my porch, sipping coffee and nursing my two-year-old. I’ll be 47 this week, and no, I didn’t imagine I’d still be breastfeeding at this age—but I also didn’t imagine I’d become a regenerative farmer after a career as a vegan chef. Life has taught me to follow truth, not trends. And the truth is this: breast milk is the most perfect food ever designed for a human child, and we’re trading it for ease—with devastating consequences.