When does extended breastfeeding become weird....

PurpleJay

I fed my son now 5 until he was 3.5.

After 4 months my boobs stopped leaking and after 6 months they felt normal again unless I had gone an unusually long time between feeds. The longer I did it the easier it got. When I went back to work when he was 11 months I expressed once a day for a few months to keep my supply up but when I stopped it seemed there was still milk there when he needed it.

Somewhere between 2 and 3 he used to only feed at bed time and the early morning unless he was poorly. I stopped offering and left it to him. Later he had the one at bedtime only. He just stopped asking after a while and when he had gone a week without any and asked again I told him there wasn't any left which was probably true as it had been dropping off for a while. He was fine about it. I didn't expect to bf that long but am happy I did.

Person_one

poet123 wrote: »

It is not a solution for a medical problem though, so why should it be categorised as a medical product? The other areas you detail are on prescription because they are products for illnessess which are not self diagnosed.

Its only seen as a lifestyle choice because we've allowed that to happen, mainly driven by the manufacturers that profit from it!

Formula is a wonderful invention and an invaluable resource to lots of women who can't breastfeed, but there is no denying that its a second best after breastmilk.

I'm saying it should be seen as the solution to a medical problem, even if that medical problem is that the woman's mental health is suffering. Then they can get it for free on prescription.

poet123

Person_one wrote: »

Its only seen as a lifestyle choice because we've allowed that to happen, mainly driven by the manufacturers that profit from it!

Formula is a wonderful invention and an invaluable resource to lots of women who can't breastfeed, but there is no denying that its a second best after breastmilk.

I'm saying it should be seen as the solution to a medical problem, even if that medical problem is that the woman's mental health is suffering. Then they can get it for free on prescription.

How can it be seen as the solution to a medical problem when there are those who make a choice not to breastfeed? Are women not entitled to choose whether they do so or not? A medical problem is something you have no control over, not a choice you can make.

Shepherd1

Person_one wrote: »

Its only seen as a lifestyle choice because we've allowed that to happen, mainly driven by the manufacturers that profit from it!

Formula is a wonderful invention and an invaluable resource to lots of women who can't breastfeed, but there is no denying that its a second best after breastmilk.

I'm saying it should be seen as the solution to a medical problem, even if that medical problem is that the woman's mental health is suffering. Then they can get it for free on prescription.

Do you really think the nhs has the funds to do this when there is no detrimental effect to bottle feeding and I am sure a lot of midwives would not agree to forcing a woman to breast feed.

Person_one

Shepherd1 wrote: »

Do you really think the nhs has the funds to do this when there is no detrimental effect to bottle feeding and I am sure a lot of midwives would not agree to forcing a woman to breast feed.

Its just my opinion, in a perfect world, its obviously never going to happen.

There are many many reasons why breastfeeding is better than bottle feeding, for both mother and baby, when it works. Formula should be there for when it doesn't.

poet123

Person_one wrote: »

Its just my opinion, in a perfect world, its obviously never going to happen.

There are many many reasons why breastfeeding is better than bottle feeding, for both mother and baby, when it works. Formula should be there for when it doesn't.

So, you don't believe a woman should be allowed to choose not to breastfeed? That is the obvious extrapolation from your comments. If formula was not freely available that would be the end result.

And that would be your perfect world?

Gingham_R

poet123 wrote: »

So, you don't believe a woman should be allowed to choose not to breastfeed? That is the obvious extrapolation from your comments. If formula was not freely available that would be the end result.

And that would be your perfect world?

Or one could assume that the post implied an ideal situation where women simply didn't choose not to breastfeed because there were no societal pressures acting on them to use formula?

I'm assuming that most mothers wouldn't choose to have their babies grow in an incubator from conception yet if it was there for medical reasons many would jump at the chance. But if it was marketed effectively and society made women feel that the natural way was embarrassing/disgusting/sexually inappropriate/painful or something they probably couldn't do even if they tried, the uptake would be high.

None of that suggests that women shouldn't have the choice.

poet123

Gingham_R wrote: »

Or one could assume that the post implied an ideal situation where women simply didn't choose not to breastfeed because there were no societal pressures acting on them to use formula?

I'm assuming that most mothers wouldn't choose to have their babies grow in an incubator from conception yet if it was there for medical reasons many would jump at the chance. But if it was marketed effectively and society made women feel that the natural way was embarrassing/disgusting/sexually inappropriate/painful or something they probably couldn't do even if they tried, the uptake would be high.

None of that suggests that women shouldn't have the choice.

I don't agree that there are societal pressures to use formula, quite the reverse. Nor do I agree that breastfeeding is seen by the majority as you describe. The absence of the availability of formula would be a definite indicator of both pressure and disapproval.

Person One is very definitely suggesting the removal of choice by what she advocates.

Person_one

Gingham_R wrote: »

Or one could assume that the post implied an ideal situation where women simply didn't choose not to breastfeed because there were no societal pressures acting on them to use formula?

Exactly.

I'm imagining a world where formula had never become a commercial product but a medical one, much like tube feed for adults who can't eat, or like glasses for people who can't see without them.

Like eating and seeing, we'd consider breastfeeding so absolutely normal and 'status quo' that it would never occur to anyone to choose not to do it, but for the women and babies that can't, there is a suitable alternative in formula, and an appropriate one can be prescribed.

I do think that if you deliberately have a child, you owe it to them to do your best for them, so not even attempting to breastfeed at all and deciding on formula while the kid's still in the womb, well, I just don't understand it. I have every sympathy for woman who try and struggle, or who can't breastfeed for medical reasons, but in my world there is help first and an alternative second for them.

poet123

Person_one wrote: »

Exactly.

I'm imagining a world where formula had never become a commercial product but a medical one, much like tube feed for adults who can't eat, or like glasses for people who can't see without them.

Like eating and seeing, we'd consider breastfeeding so absolutely normal and 'status quo' that it would never occur to anyone to choose not to do it, but for the women and babies that can't, there is a suitable alternative in formula, and an appropriate one can be prescribed.

I do think that if you deliberately have a child, you owe it to them to do your best for them, so not even attempting to breastfeed at all and deciding on formula while the kid's still in the womb, well, I just don't understand it. I have every sympathy for woman who try and struggle, or who can't breastfeed for medical reasons, but in my world there is help first and an alternative second for them.

It is comments like these which really polarise the feeding debate, and do mothers no favours. Those who understand the birthing process know that a happy mother means a happy baby, anything forced onto a new mother is likely to result in exactly the opposite.

Breastfeeding may have initial advantages but there is no proof of long term differences between those who are breast or bottle fed and certainly no proof of damage or detriment from the latter. So, mothers can choose their feeding method safe in the knowledge that happy, healthy children and adults result from both methods, and that those who work in the field will happily acknowledge this.