Breast feeding, pros and cons

McCalls

I'm pleased you're taking such an interest Dan! I don't think anyone can be "persuaded"to breastfeed, but you can certainly provide your gf with the pro's and cons of bf vs ff so she can make her mind up...

Can I just add that it's not acutally breastfeeding that causes saggy boobs, it's the effect of being pregnant and the hormone Progesterone that causes things to head a bit south...

Just a bit of info about formula. Formula companies are very clever. Lovely, chubby happy babies and carefully branded milks with pre/probiotics included, maybe a bit of omega 3 in there too. All sounds good and makes some parents think that formula is comparable to breast-milk or maybe they're getting something extra from formula. They're not. Nobody is blaming parents who have to formula feed for a medical reason, it's just not for them or it's not working out. But midwives at the moment tend to have to push breastfeeding in a bit of a rudimentary way to ensure the message across,become a bit of a sales person for breastfeeding if you like. Some are good, some a brilliant and some are rubbish! Formula companies spend something like 17 p a second on advertising formula, the NHS spends about 100th of this on advertising.

Aswell as the barriers to breastfeeding successfully like sore nipples etc.. women also have to put up with possibly being chucked out of a cafe for feeding, poor public attitudes and poor support from midwives/health visitors. In my area you get one postnatal home visit now and after that you have to get yourself up to clinic! Our bf rate is the lowest its ever been, we physically cannot give the support to mums as much as we try and breastfeeding is hard for a lot of women.

Sorry this has turned into a bit of a ramble!Please don't feel bad if you havn't been able to successfully breastfeed, the system has failed you. Nobody is giving out medals for it. Whats more important to me is a happy mum, whether that baby is fed on the breast or the bottle. But if i didn't give you the information about the positives of breastfeedings I wouldnt be doing my job properly to start with.

From one sleepy midwife who has just woken up after her night shift!

surreysaver

And a pro for breastfeeding - you will avoid the critism and hostility from the pro breastfeeding camp.

surreysaver

McCalls wrote: »

Formula companies spend something like 17 p a second on advertising formula, the NHS spends about 100th of this on advertising.

Didn't think formula companies were allowed to advertise?

Also, the reason the NHS spends 1/100 on advertising is because they get you lot to go out and do it on their behalf!

facingthefuture

I am no earth mother BUT after having 3 children, I will tell you that when you breastfed a baby (takes a bit of getting used to sometimes) and you are actually doing it - there is NO better bonding feeling. The only drawback is when you stop it does make you rather sad (I really felt annoyed when people picked them up to give them formula afterwards). That said, if my daughter was pregnant I would really encourage her to try it for the sheer experience. It would be heart breaking if she missed those golden moments I really will carry them in my heart till my dying day.
However, if you girlfriend has doubts/worries - get her talk to the right people. It can be scary and believe it or not before I tried it I thought it was a bit weird.
Lastly my best friend didn't do it and her son now has lots of allergies. She is sorry she didn't try, just because she is always got this sense of guilt that it may have contributed.As she said, if she had of tried then she couldn't now blame herself for putting her child in danger......
Lastly, my daughter was very jaundiced initially and I had to spend two days in the childrens ward after she was born. Unortunately there were 6 other small children there with various diseases/conditions. The consultant came over to me and said "I see you are feeding baby yourself", I answered "yes, thats right" He then said "you are the only one in the ward, well done. It's unbelievable the ignorance at times."looking round the ward.

me_jane

The thought of breastfeeding (prior to giving birth) just wasn't on my agenda. However, once No 1 arrived it just seemed natural. Luckily I found it quite easy as did baby 1, and also No 2 and No 3.

PROs are: easy during night, closeness and bonding with baby, immunity and all the scientific stuff

CONs : can't hand over to someone else (unless expressing milk) when need a break, negative comments from people (mostly other women in my experience), leaking (very annoying)

I did find that milk dried up quicker with No 3, but probably because I was back at work 2 days after having him and rushing around.

Husband and I never really discussed it beforehand and I just did what felt right for me at the time whereas my sister decided not to having seen the 'state' of my boobs afterwards - three 9lb+ hungry babies!!!

I would certainly BF No 4 (except that there won't be a No 4 as husband will have me certified or divorce me;) ).

Keep an open mind would be my advice - I was completely surprised by my decision.

neverdespairgirl

surreysaver wrote: »

I think it is all you hippies doing the patronising. I do not have a problem with breastfeeding/breastfeeding in public. What I do have a problem with, as already stated, is all you hippies looking down on non-breastfeeders because they do not share your views / came to the same decision as you.

Interesting, that you consistently use "hippies" in a derogatory way. Why, I wonder, do you think that (a) BF mothers are all "hippies", and (b) that's a bad thing anyway?

neverdespairgirl

AnnieM wrote: »

I am shocked at the hostility some people show towards even the idea that a mother might not breastfeed -

Reading through this thread, the hostility really does seem to be directed more at BF mothers than those who choose to FF.

In real life, too - I've never, ever seen a woman being criticised or spoken to about FF a baby. I've seen several BF women subjected to it, though.

neverdespairgirl

surreysaver wrote: »

Didn't think formula companies were allowed to advertise?

They aren't allowed to advertise newborn milk.

That's the reason why, say, Aptimil have created pretty-near identical packets / cartons, and labelled them 1-2-3. They can, and do, advertise the "follow on" milks for older babies. And now, they just happen to look exactly like the newborn ones....

surreysaver

neverdespairgirl wrote: »

They aren't allowed to advertise newborn milk.

Due to you hippy types not wanting people to know their options or making an informed decision.

surreysaver

neverdespairgirl wrote: »

Interesting, that you consistently use "hippies" in a derogatory way. Why, I wonder, do you think that (a) BF mothers are all "hippies", and (b) that's a bad thing anyway?

I am not using it in a derog\tory way. I am just doing it because it winds you up!

Hippy, hippy, hippy, hippy, hippy, hippy, hippy, hippy, hippy, hippy. :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: