Breast feeding, pros and cons

JimmyTheWig

thatgirlsam wrote: »

is jimmythewig a man?

Yes, of course I am.

JimmyTheWig

surreysaver wrote: »

Because they choose not to. It is about choice, not forcing people to do things. The same argument could be used about the way women treat their bodies, what they eat etc during pregnancy. Would you be able to accept people critisising everything you did while pregnant?

This is a brilliant analogy.

While pregnant you should eat a good, varied diet.
It is good for you and good for the baby.

If you have a diet based around fast food, that would be an inferior diet. Such a diet would be harmful to you and the baby.

Now, who's going to disagree with that?

But what about the woman who is allergic to broccoli? I might have just made her feel guilty.
What about the family who don't have time to cook every night and get a few take-aways? Maybe I've u.pset them, too.
What about the woman who knows the facts but, having seen a McDonalds advert on leaving the tube station, can't resist popping in when she's walking past?

So was I wrong to say what I said about diet? No, I don't think so.
If we refused to say that fast food was inferior (for fear of upsetting the people above) then I would suspect that more people would eat it.

[I know it's not a perfect analogy, as it is easier to mix fast food with wholesome food than it is to mix breastfeeding with formula feeding, but I think the point still stands.]

JimmyTheWig

PeskyPenguin wrote: »

I do, however, think that BFing does damage to ones hearing as it seems to fall on deaf BF's ears that 'most FF's know breast is best'.

As much as I disagree with the post, this did make me smile...

nadnad

oh i cant be bothered any more.
breast is best we all know it
mothers who FF seem to get annoyed at anyone who dares to say they BF because breast is best and if they say they are proud for doing it (which i am). People here have been saying BF mothers are self righteous and look down on FF mothers, thats not true, but I'm not going to pretend that i am not proud of myself for continuing to give my baby the best I can just to make FF mothers feel bettre about themselves. If you have a problem with a BF mother saying this its because you may sub consciously feel a tad bad that you didnt BF, because if you were 100% happy with FF then anyone saying breast is best etc shouldnt annoy you. I dont care how anyone else feeds their child, its not my look out. I did pose a question earlier as to the reasons why perfectly healthy women wouldnt even try to BF but nobody really answered me. I'm not asking this to feel superior I am genuinely interested in the reasons. I am aware its personal choice but you make your choices based on a reason and I just wanted to know what that could be.

i feel that there have been some pro bf people on this thread who have added fuel to the fire by repeatedly saying FF is "bad" for your child, I don't agree with that, the truth is that BF is better but FF is obviously a reasonable (the only!) alternative and saying that it does damage is obviously going to infuriate mothers who FF.

ParadiseKidd

BF is natural.

FF is a fantastic, life saving alternative for those unable to feed naturally.

FF is not as good for baby as BF. Nobody can replicate Breast Milk.

FF mothers should not be made to feel guilty if they cannot BF.

FF mothers who have not tried to BF for reasons of personal choice (rather than an inability to BF) have to face the fact that some people will see this as selfish - CHOOSING to offer a supplement which is not as good for your baby. People can do what they want, but it doesn't stop the choice being perceived as selfish if you are putting the benefit to your baby anywhere but the top of your priority list. For mothers who think baby should come first, they can't see why anyone would CHOOSE to FF when breast is much, much better.

However, it's nobody elses business what anyone else does (unless actual harm is coming to a child) and everyone should keep their noses out of everyone elses business, unless information is directly asked for! That includes BF mothers lecturing people on the benefits or BF'ing AND FF mothers encouraging other women to FF. Let them look at the government literature they get and make up their own minds.

Nodbody can tell by looking if a FF mother is doing so out of choice or necessity. Therefore BF mothers shouldn't look down on any FF mother.

BF mothers should be able to do so anywhere and in public without prejudice. After all, BF is natural and FF isn't - shouldn't the unnatural behaviour draw attention more readily?

Really this thread has become a viscous cycle and its just not necessary. One cannot avoid the actual and evidential fact that BF is better, and really that should be that.

For some women FF is the only option, so what? If you get annoyed by FF mothers who didn't try to BF, fair enough, but really you've no more right to say anything to them than you have to somebody who does something else with their children that you disagree with.

FF mothers who think all BF mothers are pushy and hippies and think they are better than you... why such defensiveness? What ever the reason all you are doing is sound like you DO think BF is better and feel guilty that you didn't do it.

thatgirlsam

i don't feel bad because i didn't bf.. once i was too ill, and the other time it just wasn't an option for me for personal reasons..

as parents we want to do the best for our babies (most of us, anyway)
and all the mums who bf should rightly feel very proud.. but this doesn't take away from the proud parents who ff

im sorry if i have offended anyone or upset anyone on this thread, that really wasn't my intention..

it just seems to me that some people cannot get it, they still find it hard to beleive any mum , given the right information , would still choose to ff

well they do.. and in my job i am there to support ANY mum, and i am proud to do that.

good luck all..
sam x

neverdespairgirl

JimmyTheWig wrote: »

While pregnant you should eat a good, varied diet.
It is good for you and good for the baby.

It is a good example. And some people eat a bad diet when pregnant, through no fault of their own.

I suffered from hyperemesis when pregnant - I was sick every day, all day, all the way through. I was even throwing up in labour!

So I didn't eat a varied enough diet - mine was inferior. Too many foods made me throw up. I ate a world's supply of raw carrots and peppers, drank lots of milk, and took vitamin tablets. Certainly second best, but I don't expect people to fudge that just because I couldn't help it.

JimmyTheWig

nadnad wrote: »

i feel that there have been some pro bf people on this thread who have added fuel to the fire by repeatedly saying FF is "bad" for your child, I don't agree with that, the truth is that BF is better but FF is obviously a reasonable (the only!) alternative and saying that it does damage is obviously going to infuriate mothers who FF.

It's a matter of language and defining a norm.
If breastfeeding is better, then formula feeding is, by definition, worse.
If breastfeeding is superior then formula feeding is inferior.

Which way round you state it depends on which you are taking as the norm. As breastfeeding is the biological norm, I will continue to compare formula feeding to it, not the other way around.


And formula isn't the only alternative that should be available.
The next best thing to breastfeeding is a mother's own milk fed in a different way.
The third best is another human's milk.
Only then is formula the next best.

I think that it is terrible that there is not a more established system of collection and distribution of human milk. Then the people who were unable to feed wouldn't have to feel so guilty.

galvanizersbaby

nadnad wrote: »

oh i cant be bothered any more.
breast is best we all know it
mothers who FF seem to get annoyed at anyone who dares to say they BF because breast is best and if they say they are proud for doing it (which i am). People here have been saying BF mothers are self righteous and look down on FF mothers, thats not true, but I'm not going to pretend that i am not proud of myself for continuing to give my baby the best I can just to make FF mothers feel bettre about themselves. If you have a problem with a BF mother saying this its because you may sub consciously feel a tad bad that you didnt BF, because if you were 100% happy with FF then anyone saying breast is best etc shouldnt annoy you. I dont care how anyone else feeds their child, its not my look out. I did pose a question earlier as to the reasons why perfectly healthy women wouldnt even try to BF but nobody really answered me. I'm not asking this to feel superior I am genuinely interested in the reasons. I am aware its personal choice but you make your choices based on a reason and I just wanted to know what that could be.

i feel that there have been some pro bf people on this thread who have added fuel to the fire by repeatedly saying FF is "bad" for your child, I don't agree with that, the truth is that BF is better but FF is obviously a reasonable (the only!) alternative and saying that it does damage is obviously going to infuriate mothers who FF.

I tried to give you an example nadnad perhaps it was disappointing- I think all B/F mothers should feel rightly proud of themselves - it's not always easy to continue to give your baby the best.
I'm not sure that it is often the case that F/Fing mothers feel that you are looking down on them or feel a tad bad that they didn't B/F themselves.
I think the annoyance as you point out is mainly down to those minority (I have to say minority) that are pushing the FFing is bad for your baby and you are doing them as much harm as smoking a bit too far in my opinion.

I do not know why b/f mum's are they are being referred to as hippies ?!! though I have to say?!

I do hope that there aren't pregnant mums on here that have been put off breastfeeding their babies by this thread - it really is worth giving it your best shot in my opinion - but if you can't continue or even don't want to try in the first place I for one will not be judging you

JimmyTheWig

neverdespairgirl wrote: »

So I didn't eat a varied enough diet - mine was inferior... Certainly second best, but I don't expect people to fudge that just because I couldn't help it.

Glad I didn't offend you.