Breastfeeding

mucklebones

Welcome to parenting, everyone has an opinion. I have to say though I have faced much negativety and critisism for breastfeeding, not so much at first but now my daughter is 3.5 and breastfeeding, wow any support goes out the window. I must say though alot of that critisism is from uneducated "health professionals" and some judgemental uneducated randoms and family members.

Breastfeeding is tough, whatever stage your at, the key is pure stubborness and perseverance. Breastmilk is absorbed fast, its designed to. Breastfed babies are generally always hungry and feeding constantly untill your milk becomes more fatty. Its always changing to be consistent with your child. Clever thing the body. As for the iron someone mentioned, it is in small amounts in breastmilk but its highly absorbable meaning a child will get enough from just breastmilk alone. My daughter didnt start solids till 18 months and fed exclusively from me till then. I dont believe in guilt tripping, I do wish however these people promoting breastfeeding are equipped with the best information and can actively help in those hard early stages and throughout. Help with latching, understanding and informing women with whats normal and whats not, providing info on the benefits of breastmilk and the potential dangers of formula. And just being realistic about breastfeeding in general, its exhausting, it requires alot of patience, it can bloody hurt, and be extremely frustrating. However it comes with many benefits, its free, its the best, the colostrum is the best vaccine your baby will get, it reduces the risk of sids, it has long term benefits..and many more. Not to mention the health benefits to the mothers and the reduced risk of breast and uterine cancers.

When I weigh it up its worth going through some really tough first few months, the benefits are too big not too. Not to mention the fact I never had to get out of bed to make or sterilize bottles

Anyway OP, you cant be made to feel guilty if you feel you made the right decision. People are only trying to help, shame they go the wrong way about it.

Mupette

Dave101t wrote: »

a woman has breasts to provide milk for her baby, if she cant or wont, she deserves the guilt. survival of the fittest.

what a joke...

Mupette

http://www.closeronline.co.uk/RealLife/Reallifestories/i-will-breastfeed-my-son-into-his-teens.aspx


breastfeeding your child.....

mucklebones wrote: »

Welcome to parenting, everyone has an opinion. I have to say though I have faced much negativety and critisism for breastfeeding, not so much at first but now my daughter is 3.5 and breastfeeding, wow any support goes out the window. I must say though alot of that critisism is from uneducated "health professionals" and some judgemental uneducated randoms and family members.

Breastfeeding is tough, whatever stage your at, the key is pure stubborness and perseverance. Breastmilk is absorbed fast, its designed to. Breastfed babies are generally always hungry and feeding constantly untill your milk becomes more fatty. Its always changing to be consistent with your child. Clever thing the body. As for the iron someone mentioned, it is in small amounts in breastmilk but its highly absorbable meaning a child will get enough from just breastmilk alone. My daughter didnt start solids till 18 months and fed exclusively from me till then. I dont believe in guilt tripping, I do wish however these people promoting breastfeeding are equipped with the best information and can actively help in those hard early stages and throughout. Help with latching, understanding and informing women with whats normal and whats not, providing info on the benefits of breastmilk and the potential dangers of formula. And just being realistic about breastfeeding in general, its exhausting, it requires alot of patience, it can bloody hurt, and be extremely frustrating. However it comes with many benefits, its free, its the best, the colostrum is the best vaccine your baby will get, it reduces the risk of sids, it has long term benefits..and many more. Not to mention the health benefits to the mothers and the reduced risk of breast and uterine cancers.

When I weigh it up its worth going through some really tough first few months, the benefits are too big not too. Not to mention the fact I never had to get out of bed to make or sterilize bottles

Anyway OP, you cant be made to feel guilty if you feel you made the right decision. People are only trying to help, shame they go the wrong way about it.

I think the OP was going on about how forceful the HV is with the issue of breatfeeding..

I tried i failled, baby was happier with a bottle,

I thought the whole point is the baby's hapiness..

cord123

The thing that I dont understand is the lack of informtion on bottle feeding.... where are the classes or info on the best way to do it - make feeds up beginnin og the day, at every feed? Best steriliser etc....
I breast fed my LO exclusively for only 3 weeks ( i was dead against bottle feeding and thought it was only lazy chav mothers that did!) he just wasnt satifisfied and my sister in law who has breastfed all four of hers with no problems, said that he is still hungry top him up on formula... and it worked... then at 10 weeks he had to have an op at GOSH and because I couldnt express (just didnt work for me!) and they needed to monitor what he was taking he had to go on formula, i eventually stopped producing.
This doesnt make me a bad mum - the hospital staff said that in their veiw although breast is best, the best thing is a relxed mum so bottle feeding should be promoted in the right circumstances.

I felt like an absolute failure as a mum when i gave him a bottle and just cried.... now I realise that he was in distress because he was hungry... what is worse? Keeping him hungry for my selfsih views or giving him a completely safe alternative.

I think a new approach should be given to bottle feeding - I am yet to meet a child damaged from it!

debsue

barbiedoll wrote: »

At my hospital, we were finding that many mums were getting distressed by the insistence of the birth centre midwives that all mums breastfeed before they were "allowed" to leave the hospital after the birth. Many of them would have been happy to breastfeed but they would have liked to keep formula on hand, "just in case" and they resented the implication that if they found BF difficult, it was because they weren't trying hard enough or that they were just being awkward.

I have to quote Gabrielle Palmer from her book "The Politics of Breastfeeding" she akins this to having a vibrator at the side of the bed during sex "just in case". LOL Whilst im not sure I agree it did make me laugh.:o

barbiedoll

debsue wrote: »

I have to quote Gabrielle Palmer from her book "The Politics of Breastfeeding" she akins this to having a vibrator at the side of the bed during sex "just in case". LOL Whilst im not sure I agree it did make me laugh.:o

Surely that's the point though....satisfaction!

:rotfl:

darkpool

mucklebones wrote: »

Welcome to parenting, everyone has an opinion. I have to say though I have faced much negativety and critisism for breastfeeding, not so much at first but now my daughter is 3.5 and breastfeeding, wow any support goes out the window. I must say though alot of that critisism is from uneducated "health professionals" and some judgemental uneducated randoms and family members.

you breast feed a 3.5 year old?

sarahg1969

darkpool wrote: »

you breast feed a 3.5 year old?

Why not? Lots of 3.5 year-olds drink cow's milk.

Marisco

So do 6 year olds, 10 year olds, 20 year olds etc etc!!!

shellsuit

mucklebones wrote: »

Welcome to parenting, everyone has an opinion. I have to say though I have faced much negativety and critisism for breastfeeding, not so much at first but now my daughter is 3.5 and breastfeeding, wow any support goes out the window. I must say though alot of that critisism is from uneducated "health professionals" and some judgemental uneducated randoms and family members.

Breastfeeding is tough, whatever stage your at, the key is pure stubborness and perseverance. Breastmilk is absorbed fast, its designed to. Breastfed babies are generally always hungry and feeding constantly untill your milk becomes more fatty. Its always changing to be consistent with your child. Clever thing the body. As for the iron someone mentioned, it is in small amounts in breastmilk but its highly absorbable meaning a child will get enough from just breastmilk alone. My daughter didnt start solids till 18 months and fed exclusively from me till then. I dont believe in guilt tripping, I do wish however these people promoting breastfeeding are equipped with the best information and can actively help in those hard early stages and throughout. Help with latching, understanding and informing women with whats normal and whats not, providing info on the benefits of breastmilk and the potential dangers of formula. And just being realistic about breastfeeding in general, its exhausting, it requires alot of patience, it can bloody hurt, and be extremely frustrating. However it comes with many benefits, its free, its the best, the colostrum is the best vaccine your baby will get, it reduces the risk of sids, it has long term benefits..and many more. Not to mention the health benefits to the mothers and the reduced risk of breast and uterine cancers.

When I weigh it up its worth going through some really tough first few months, the benefits are too big not too. Not to mention the fact I never had to get out of bed to make or sterilize bottles

Anyway OP, you cant be made to feel guilty if you feel you made the right decision. People are only trying to help, shame they go the wrong way about it.

Was there a medical reason for that?