Paid to Breastfeed: would it have encouraged you to do it?

MoneySavingMamma

I do/have breastfed - I would have carried on whether the money was offered or not

peachyprice wrote: »

!!!!!!, you're comparing to formula feeding to drugs and alcohol? That's just insane.

Formula feeding isn't the best way to feed a baby, very true, but it's still an acceptable way to feed a baby, it's nothing like using drugs or alcohol in pregnancy, it's not going to harm a baby, it's just not going to as good.

It's a bit like not choosing to have properly fitted shoes, which plenty of earth mothers don't. I've known fair few people who bang on and non about breast feeding, but have ruined their child's feet by putting cheap crap on them, or haven't bothered to look after their children's teeth properly, that's worse than not breastfeeding, ruined feed and teeth are for life.

You wouldn't be able to tell which of my children were BF or FF or for how long, they're all the same, none of them have lesser intelligence, none of them have worse health, none of them have weight issues, they're all the bloody same.

I am trying to point out that decisions made by a mother effects the baby. Why shouldn't a mum TRY, thats just being lazy & selfish!

I HATE breastfeeding! I just don't get on well with it.
First time I had cracked sore nipple, plus after a c-sec it was trying to position etc on my painful belly, my positioning & babies positioning was wrong. I lasted 10wks, but I know know stopping/cutting down earlier (6-8wks) would have ctually been better for me and my baby as the stress & upset on both of us outweighed the benefits.
But at least I tried, and got a few weeks in.

Second time I hated aswell! I could never get myself comfy, found being stuck for 30-40mins & not being able to reposition for fear of baby coming off & trying forever to latch again, I found it so frustrating! I'm obviously not a very patient person. I had blood blisters on my nipples, and would often cry while feeding. But every now & again, maybe just 1 in 10 feeds, I would look down and see my baby feeding happily, no pain for me, and felt amazing at what I was giving, and the experience I was sharing with my baby!!
I lasted maybe 6-8wks, with mixed feeding, and I would have gone longer if my milk supply had been better. I know I made a good EFFORT and I can be proud of that.

No.3 is arriving any day now, I have formula in the cupboard, but I will try BF again, and I hope to do longer than previous times, but if I can't, I can't, but just like everything with being a parent, I will give it my best, and be the best parent I can be, which is never perfect, perfect is impossible!

And I'm not a stay at home/hippy/earth mother with nothing better to do than faf about with my boobs, I run a major business, so within a week I will be running my office from home, I have 2 children, no family help/support/babysitters, and an OH who is about as useful at home/with kids as a chocolate fireguard!

But I wil TRY/ATTEMPT for as long as it feels right, and doesn't have a negative effect on the relationship with my baby, then I will stop/cut down.

I have no bad word to say for those who can't, for medical reasons etc, or those who TRY but only last a day. My opinion is of those who don't try one feed, just one attempt, and see how it feels, if it can work.

This time I may last a day, I may last 6 months!

arachne

Just to put a bit of a different slant on things, I believe the logic behind the payouts is to show that the NHS values breastfeeding enough to financially reward those who do it. In a world where the formula companies are constantly spending massive budgets pumping out messages that formula is more or less as good as breastmilk (I know it's technically illegal but they still manage it through promoting follow on milk and targeting health workers with their promotional materials), I can believe that maybe this will make some mums question their assumption it doesn't matter how you feed your baby because why would the NHS spend their limited resources like this if it wasn't important?

I agree with others that good breastfeeding support and good training of the staff in the postnatal wards is more important but maybe Sheffield are already good at these things and this is the next step. Personally, the way I got through the agonising torture that was the first 6 weeks of breastfeeding was having small milestones - getting through to the next breastfeeding clinic (there were 2 a week) and a factsheet I had which showed the extra health benefits gained after 1 day, 3 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month etc. of breastfeeding to keep me going till the next milestone so I can see a benefit in the milestone method of payments. I was lucky to live in an area with good breastfeeding support as well though.

MadDogWoman_2

I do/have breastfed - I would have carried on whether the money was offered or not

The vouchers wouldn't have made a difference to me as I wanted to give BF a go anyway. But I was also not going to beat myself up if I didn't manage it.

I had 4 nights in hospital following the birth of my daughter, which was valuable as there was a Healthcare Assistant who spent a lot of time with me during those nights helping me; positioning was difficult due to c-section incision.

I'm for what's best for mum and baby, if it's bf great, if it's formula great.

pukkamum

MoneySavingMamma wrote: »

Why should I be ashamed? Trying is THE RIGHT THING TO DO as is not smoking or drinking when pregnant!

Perhaps we should not judge the mothers of those poor babies that are born addicted to drugs?!

I hardly think bottle feeding is akin to drug use during pregnancy, it's this kind of attitude that sickens me.
Women have enough guilt heaped on their shoulders without other women bashing them even more.
Breastfeeding is great yes but I would challenge you to pick out any bottle fed adult or child from a breastfed one.
What happened to supporting each other and each others choices, as long as the baby is fed, loved and kept safe then mum is doing great regardless of what she feeds it.

pukkamum

Also just to add it makes me mad when the old every woman can breastfeed argument is rolled out, yes every woman can breastfeed but not every baby can.
This is why infant mortality rates were so much higher before formula was invented, it's why you get runts in litters of animals, not every baby can suckle efficiently enough.
I breastfed 2 babies very successfully but baby number 3 just could not do it, after weeks and weeks of crying from both of us I accepted that fact and put her on bottles, my only regret was that I didn't do it sooner as those first couple of months were the worst of my life and completely ruined my first months with my last baby.
Even then I felt masses of guilt, mothers pile enough guilt on themselves without others making it worse.

sams247

I couldn't breastfeed for medical/personal reasons

I had a nightmare time with no.1 I was unwell and tried for three days to breastfeed, in end no. 1 became jaundiced and had to be taken of in SCBU. I felt a complete failure, was treated like a failure and midwives had awful comments. I had depression for months. When no. 2 arrived I didnt even consider trying again. No way! I do not feel guilt or shame, just anger at those who judge people like me.

Payment offered would have made situation no. 1 worse, and situation no.2 no different. Breast feeding should not be open to payment or bribery. Nor should those who can ever judge those who cant.

mycatstealschicken

I do/have breastfed - I would have carried on whether the money was offered or not

Worst idea I've seen in some time.

I nearly gave up feeding DD when she was 4 days old because it hurt, she obviously wasn't getting milk, my nipples were bleeding and I had awful baby blues.

My midwife sent someone round to help who gave me half an hour of her time, establlised that baby wasn't latching on properly and showed me and baby how to do it and I fed her until she was 23 months. I'm also still feeding my son who is now 15 months.

No way would £200 have induced me to carry on putting myself and my baby through pain and misery but half an hour with an experienced support worker did the job perfectly. if there's money to spare put it into support not John Lewis.

MoneySavingMamma

I do/have breastfed - I would have carried on whether the money was offered or not

I stand by what I say, as the posts after mine show mothers who TRIED, but couldn't. That I have no problem with.

I didn't feed for long, but again I TRIED.

I am referring to those who flat out refuse to TRY with first baby.

nodiscount

I couldn't breastfeed for medical/personal reasons

pukkamum wrote: »

I hardly think bottle feeding is akin to drug use during pregnancy, it's this kind of attitude that sickens me.
Women have enough guilt heaped on their shoulders without other women bashing them even more.
Breastfeeding is great yes but I would challenge you to pick out any bottle fed adult or child from a breastfed one.
What happened to supporting each other and each others choices, as long as the baby is fed, loved and kept safe then mum is doing great regardless of what she feeds it.

I must admit I felt very guilty when I failed to carry on bf after 3 weeks but at least I tried. It is not mothers like me who should feel guilty it's the ones can haven't even bothered trying who should feel guilt.

kathrynha

I couldn't breastfeed for medical/personal reasons

pukkamum wrote: »

Also just to add it makes me mad when the old every woman can breastfeed argument is rolled out, yes every woman can breastfeed but not every baby can.

No not every woman can.

I desperately wanted to.
I tried really hard to despite no support at all.
My baby ended up in intensive care because of me trying to BF her, and her managing to do a good enough impression of a baby feeding well to fool doctors and midwifes.

Formula feeding saved my babies life, and I am now the mother of a little girl that is top of her year group at school, has a reading age over 2 years above her actual age and has had 100% attendance for the last 2 years, so it definately hasn't effect her intelligence or health.