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Breastfeeding tip-toeing

LegacyUser

I have a 5 month old boy with my fabulous wife. Breastfeeding didn't come easy to her....it took several weeks of trial and error before it began to work.

My question is gonna cause offence, I am sure. I have been called a "breastfeeding Nazi", but I am very curious.

Why is it considered ok to stop/refuse to begin to breastfeed? When did that become the norm?

I see so many problems with formula feeding among people I work with and my own friends. So many have confused growth spurts with the baby "needing solids", without realising that they are not lab mice and cannot be fed X ounces per day.

The amount of laxatives, painkillers and God knows what they throw down their children's throats is astonishing, just to get the elusive all-night sleep and to counteract the effects of this feeding by timetables rather than hunger.

I cannot understand any of it, really and truly. It all seems to be made for the parents and nothing in the child's benefit at all.

It makes me so sad to see this is the modern way and we have been made to feel like relics from the 3rd World, rather than parents prepared to rough it to give our boy what he deserves.

If by any chance this is actually published here, thoughts please?

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Little My

I'm feeding my 3 month old and will continue as long as it is working for both of us. I love doing it and so far it is all going well.

A friend I caught up with today had a baby a week after me. She told me that a midwife in the hospital started telling her about 8 hours after giving birth that she hadn't enough milk and needed to give the baby a bottle, and continued to tell her repeatedly through the evening and night.

If women aren't getting the support in hospital how can they be expected to carry on with it? Both me and my friend are first time mums - if a medical professional had told me on the same day as having my baby I couldn't feed him I would have given up too.

beachbabe

I really wanted to breastfeed my son, but it just did not happen. He would not stay latched on. We tried everything, and all the professionals we encountered were bemused entirely. He started to get jaundiced and his urine output decreased as he was not getting enough fluid. As a new mum in this horrific situation, bottle feeding was the only way to stop him becoming severly ill.
I tried expressing but I was producing little or no milk.
Once he started on the formula the improvment was anazing.
I have heard there are strict laws that prevent the formula producing companies from making formula as "good " as brest milk. This angers me so much, I still feel guilty I could not feed him as I wanted to, and the only available option was to give him formula that could have been as good as breast milk, but is not.
He is 2 now, and very healthy, has never been on antibiotics.
We also thought he might have to be delivered early, I realise midwives are trained to deliver the breast is best message, but when you are 30 weeks pregnant and your consultant has just informed you your baby might have to be delivered soon, the midwife shoving the breast is best message down your throat is really very upsetting.
I guess the point I am making here is that it is not always the parent's choice to not breastfeed.

lonestargirl

implausible wrote: »

This is probably going to come out wrong, but can I ask about your social group and if they are in general middle-class, educated professionals?

I ask because of a statistic someone posted here ages back about class/education and breastfeeding and there seems to be a direct correlation between the two. I teach and of the other 3 colleagues pregnant around the same time, all three started off breastfeeding, a currently pregnant colleague is planning to and the only two friends I could turn to for first-hand advice when I was breastfeeding were a third-level educated friend and another friend whose mother had done it.

This would be my experience too. I never really considered forumla feeding as breast was the norm in my family. My mother and all my aunts breast fed, at almost every point over the last 20 years there has been a breast fed baby around my grandparent's house. Similarly all the girls that I work with (allied health in the HSE) breast fed their babies. Even now my mother-in-law tells me that I'm 'great for having kept it up so long' but she has no experience to relate too. I was lucky in having a husband who was pro-breast feeding (he's a doctor) but also very supportive. My son was born in the US where all my professional friends breast fed - most of them returned to work when their babies were 8-10 weeks old but expressing in work is very common. There were a number of shops in my area where you could rent hospital grade pumps.

LegacyUser

beachbabe wrote: »

There are strict laws that prevent the formula producing companies from making formula as "good " as brest milk. This angers me so much, I still feel guilty I could not feed him as I wanted to, and the only available option was to give him formula that could have been as good as brest milk, but is not.

Have you got any source for these laws? That sounds highly dubious to say the very least. It would be in nobody's interest to deliberately subdue the "quality" of powdered milk.

To my knowledge breastmilk cannot be matched or equalled in any way, as it is tailored to your child. Even the calorie content of breastmilk changes as per your child's requirement, it is that good.

Can you clarify these laws you mention? These urban myth, in my opinion, are designed to appease mothers who don't breastfeed for whatever reason and are very unhelpful.

Moonbeam

I don't think I know anyone that did not at least attempt to breastfeed, In my circle of friends and acquaintances breast feeding is the norm no one would bat an eyelid.
Not all of us successfully did it long term,I only managed 3 months with each of mine but I persevered for those months.

It can be a very painful and nerve wrecking experience.

LegacyUser

beachbabe wrote: »

I really wanted to breastfeed my son, but it just did not happen. He would not stay latched on. We tried everything, and all the professionals we encountered were bemused entirely. He started to get jaundiced and his urine output decreased as he was not getting enough fluid. As a new mum in this horrific situation, bottle feeding was the only way to stop him becoming severly ill.
I tried expressing but I was producing little or no milk.
Once he started on the formula the improvment was anazing.

As I mentioned, we used formula at the start too. Our boy was jaundiced too, as many, many babies are. It was not a "horrific" situation. Jaundice is very common and easily cured.

Did you try and breastfeed your boy after this initial difficulty? If not, why not?

You say you wanted to?

LegacyUser

Moonbeam wrote: »

It can be a very painful and nerve wrecking experience.

I agree completely with this. I had thought it would be easy, but I was wrong. If done right it shouldn't be painful or nerve wracking.

My wife found that after persevering for about three months it became easy and rewarding.

It is such a shame people give up before this happens because they, and their baby, are really missing out.

beachbabe

OutOfStep Dad wrote: »

Have you got any source for these laws? That sounds highly dubious to say the very least. It would be in nobody's interest to deliberately subdue the "quality" of powdered milk.

To my knowledge breastmilk cannot be matched or equalled in any way, as it is tailored to your child. Even the calorie content of breastmilk changes as per your child's requirement, it is that good.

Can you clarify these laws you mention? These urban myth, in my opinion, are designed to appease mothers who don't breastfeed for whatever reason and are very unhelpful.

I cant clarify them, but I heard this from many midwives, and consultants. I will try and find the clarification, but not now, it's bedtime.
I belive these laws are the same ones that have stopped the formula companys advertising baby formula, I am sure many people have noticed the current huge ammount of advertising for "follow on" milk, and the total lack of advertising for baby formula. The companys are not allowed advertise baby formula anymore.

Back to the point I was making. Breast is best, but not always possible.

LegacyUser

beachbabe wrote: »

I cant clarify them, but I heard this from many midwives, and consultants. I will try and find the clarification, but not now, it's bedtime.
I belive these laws are the same ones that have stopped the formula companys advertising baby formula, I am sure many people have noticed the current huge ammount of advertising for "follow on" milk, and the total lack of advertising for baby formula. The companys are not allowed advertise baby formula anymore.

Back to the point I was making. Breast is best, but not always possible.

This is total rubbish. If there's been any decrease in advertising formula milk, it is because of the Nestlé scandal

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nestl%C3%A9_boycott

Because of that, Nestlé use a brand called SMA in Europe (still Nestlé in other parts of the world).

"Follow-on" milk is formula milk. It is artificially-enhanced powdered cow's milk, same as infant formula.

With the greatest respect, there's an awful lot of hearsay going on here. Also, your point wasn't "Breast is best, but not always possible"....it was that formula milk could be as good and that you are angry with some laws because it is these laws that denied your baby quality milk.

All of which brings me back to my original question - after this bout of jaundice, did you ever try and breastfeed your boy or did you blame "the laws" and give up?

Moonbeam

Out of interest was it your wife that felt strongly about breastfeeding or did you put pressure on her?

"There are strict laws that prevent the formula producing companies from making formula as "good " as brest milk."

This is completely untrue.

LegacyUser

Moonbeam wrote: »

Out of interest was it your wife that felt strongly about breastfeeding or did you put pressure on her?

Being totally honest, I really hoped she would breastfeed and she probably knew this. But I can honestly say I never put pressure on her. Christ, those first few weeks were so chaotic I would have done anything to help her.

I am not on a crusade, but I am just sick of people making up excuses why they didn't breastfeed rather than being honest about it.

I would have more respect for someone saying "it was too sore" or "too tying" or even "I couldn't be bothered" than making up lies to absolve them from any responsibility.

That probably sounds really harsh, but I hope you can see what I mean.

implausible

beachbabe wrote: »

There are strict laws that prevent the formula producing companies from making formula as "good " as brest milk.

I'm sorry beachbabe, but you have been badly misinformed if this is what you believe. The idea that formula companies are not "allowed" to make formula as good as breastmilk is laughable. Formula is as good as it can be, but it cannot be as good as breastmilk, because scientists have yet to discover and reproduce every single component of breastmilk or figure out how these elements interact, in the same way that they can't reproduce an apple or even cow's milk. Why on earth would formula companies be prevented from making a perfect substitute to breastmilk if it was in their power? It would be deliberately discriminating against women who can't feed and orphaned and abandoned children. As a conspiracy theory, it's up there with the CIA knocking the Twin Towers.

I know it must have been upsetting and disappointing to not have been able to breastfeed, but clinging to a myth like this one is pointless. As you have said yourself, he is thriving and healthy, so your fears were unfounded.

beachbabe wrote: »

I believe these laws are the same ones that have stopped the formula companys advertising baby formula

The laws on advertising are completely different to the other laws you mention. You are not allowed market formula, sell it below cost or offer 'points' on it, so there isn't a financial incentive to formula-feed. There have been EU laws governing the promotion of formula in force since 1998, but the relevant one is here.

No mention of banning them from making formula as good as breastmilk.

daenerysstormborn3

Not breastfeeding, nor am I a mother but came across this topic on the home page and find the whole thing quite amusing.

That anyone thinks it is their right to preach to others on how they raise their child is laughable. And to be honest outofstepdad I think you are over-stepping the mark with some of your comments on other poster's experiences, implying that some just didn't try hard enough. If another poster describes an experience as "horrific" then I'm afraid unless you were in the room with her, holding her hand, then you are not in a position to say "it was not horrific".

My mother breastfed my brother, my sister and I, and my granny breastfed all 11 of her children, my grandma also breastfed all 11 of her children and weren't they just fantastic for doing so. They were lucky, very lucky because unfortunately breastfeeding doesn't come with a handy guide and a set of instructions. Every mother is different, every child is different, every pregnancy is different and every birth is different. There are many different reasons why a mother could find herself unable to breastfeed (sometimes it's choice and sometimes it's not).

I intend to breastfeed any baby that I may bring into this world but if it doesn't work out, it doesn't work out and I will instead find the most nutritious source of food for my baby.

I did find it interesting, however, when told recently by women I work with that advertising milk for under 6 month old babies is not allowed in Ireland. One of them pointed out that Boots don't allow points on your Boots card when you purchase milk for under 6 month old babies so much so is their commitment to the no promoting rule - I know that is just something trivial with Boots.

lynski

The problem with artificial feeding is that once you make that decision, you know that there is better choice and noone likes to be reminded that they have compromised. There is not a single study that shows that formula is even comparable to breastfeeding on any level. People who breastfeed have to constantly defend their decision against the what harm, nights out, sleeping, get a break comments. We have to see undermining ads on tv, in papers, on websites. So called support website run by formula companies. Information leaflets from hse representatives supporting breastfeeding again from formula companies.
But we dare question feeding an inferior, less healthy, artificial product we are lactivists, nazis, push, etc.
I do not want to annoy, belittle, or alienate anyone, but I will never say that a diet of mcdonalds is the same as a healthy one like I will never say that artificial feeding as the same or as good ad breastfeeding.

LegacyUser

lynski wrote: »

The problem with artificial feeding is that once you make that decision, you know that there is better choice and noone likes to be reminded that they have compromised. There is not a single study that shows that formula is even comparable to breastfeeding on any level. People who breastfeed have to constantly defend their decision against the what harm, nights out, sleeping, get a break comments. We have to see undermining ads on tv, in papers, on websites. So called support website run by formula companies. Information leaflets from hse representatives supporting breastfeeding again from formula companies.
But we dare question feeding an inferior, less healthy, artificial product we are lactivists, nazis, push, etc.
I do not want to annoy, belittle, or alienate anyone, but I will never say that a diet of mcdonalds is the same as a healthy one like I will never say that artificial feeding as the same or as good ad breastfeeding.

Well you have articulated everything I wanted to say here.

I know I'm a man, I'll never understand, etc. etc., but I really wish that women as a group could cut through the bullsh*t and be open and honest with each other about this.

This guilt of not breastfeeding manifests itself in excuses and myth and ultimately dodgy feeding and profits for corporations. I think if a woman could say to a friend, I'd like to breastfeed but I'm scared or I'm sore or I don't know how, things might move in a positive way.

None of us are perfect and I'm not gonna be feeding my boy organic carrots I grew myself, but I think breastfeeding is right and is good and I know it can be beautiful. I'm gonna make it my mission to talk about it with my male friends. They are fairly powerless in many ways, but it's something positive I can do and I will do it.

Sittingpretty

lynski wrote: »

The problem with artificial feeding is that once you make that decision, you know that there is better choice and noone likes to be reminded that they have compromised. There is not a single study that shows that formula is even comparable to breastfeeding on any level. People who breastfeed have to constantly defend their decision against the what harm, nights out, sleeping, get a break comments. We have to see undermining ads on tv, in papers, on websites. So called support website run by formula companies. Information leaflets from hse representatives supporting breastfeeding again from formula companies.
But we dare question feeding an inferior, less healthy, artificial product we are lactivists, nazis, push, etc.
I do not want to annoy, belittle, or alienate anyone, but I will never say that a diet of mcdonalds is the same as a healthy one like I will never say that artificial feeding as the same or as good ad breastfeeding.

Are you equating formula feeding with feeding mac Donalds to a child?

The condescension in this thread is unbelievable.

Out if step dad, really? Who are you to question how hard anyone has or has not tried? Frankly a a man, you will never know how easy or hard it is to breastfeed.

For what it is worth, I both formula and breast fed, that was my choice, neither better nor worse than anyone else's decision.

Christ above it is hard enough to be a new mom to begin with without this breast is best army descending on you to hammer it home no matter what your personal decision.

Your wife chose to breastfeed? Great, wonderful for you and your son but Jesus try a little but harder not to look down from your high horse on those that dont.

I'm bowing out before this gets nasty as breastfeeding threads nearly always do.

Enjoy your third level well educated highground. I'll keep my phd in my pocket along with my empathy for others.

beachbabe

OutOfStep Dad wrote: »

As I mentioned, we used formula at the start too. Our boy was jaundiced too, as many, many babies are. It was not a "horrific" situation. Jaundice is very common and easily cured.

Did you try and breastfeed your boy after this initial difficulty? If not, why not?

You say you wanted to?

Maybe you should re read my post. He was Jaundiced due to lack of adequate fluid intake, and his urine output dropped also. He was in danger of becoming seriously ill. I was not describing the jaundice as horrific, the whole situation was. You were not there, so I don't think you can make judgements on what peoples preceptions of horrific are.

As stated in original post I was producing little or no milk.

I put him on formula on consultant insistance.

beachbabe

I guess I need to clarify a few things.
I can not find any evidence about the laws I mentioned. I am probbably wrong, but I was told by a lactation consultant they exist and had no reason to doubt them.

I did not blame the laws and give up. If I had continued to try and breast feed him he would have become seriously ill.

No matter how hard you try if you are not producing milk, you can't feed your baby. It was not a case of my milk had not " come in", it never arrived! I did everything I was advised to try and stimulate milk production but even after 6 weeks of trying and expressing I was only producing 1 to 1.5 oz in a 24 hr period, nowhere near enough for babs.

I found it very irritating that as a new mum who was giving her baby the second best option in feeding the support and information available is sub standard compared to that available for breast feeding.

The negativity towards bottle feeding is overwhelming, and I just want people to realise that bottle feeding baby is not always a parents first choice.

beachbabe

OutOfStep Dad wrote: »

This is total rubbish. If there's been any decrease in advertising formula milk, it is because of the Nestlé scandal

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nestl%C3%A9_boycott

Because of that, Nestlé use a brand called SMA in Europe (still Nestlé in other parts of the world).

"Follow-on" milk is formula milk. It is artificially-enhanced powdered cow's milk, same as infant formula.

With the greatest respect, there's an awful lot of hearsay going on here. Also, your point wasn't "Breast is best, but not always possible"....it was that formula milk could be as good and that you are angry with some laws because it is these laws that denied your baby quality milk.

All of which brings me back to my original question - after this bout of jaundice, did you ever try and breastfeed your boy or did you blame "the laws" and give up?

The ban on formula advertising for children under 6 months is not only due to the nestle scandal.

International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes (http://www.who.int/nutrition/publications/code_

http://www.food.gov.uk/news/pressreleases/2007/nov/babymilkpress

ceadaoin.

beachbabe wrote: »

I have heard there are strict laws that prevent the formula producing companies from making formula as "good " as brest milk. This angers me so much, I still feel guilty I could not feed him as I wanted to, and the only available option was to give him formula that could have been as good as breast milk, but is not.

I am sorry you had a bad experience but this bit is untrue. I can't believe that health professionals are telling people this.

I am pregnant now and fully intend to breast feed. I am reading up on it as much as I can and the midwives here are all very pro breastfeeding so hopefully all goes well. I know there is a chance that I will be unable to and have to use formula and I will probably feel guilty if that is the case.

Honestly it seems to me that the 'nazis' are the people who go on about formula feeding being better, not the pro breast feeding people. They are the ones who constantly try to get women to bottle feed by telling them what a hassle BFing is or tell them they won't be able to do it before they have even tried!

How Strange

I think a lot of women give up on breast feeding as soon as problems are encountered because the public health professionals (gp's, public health nurses, midwives etc) actually know very little about breast feeding and pass on their own opinions, half truths etc rather than admitting they don't know and referring the mother to ciudiu (sp?), la Leche league or websites such as jack Newman or kellymom.

I read somewhere there is almost always a breastfeeding solution to a breastfeeding problem but Irish society has virtually no breastfeeding culture so if a mother has a problem she listens to those she trusts-a public health nurse or gp.

That slogan 'breast is best' that the hse puts out is terrible. Firstly it's an empty vessel making a lot of noise because almost certainly as soon as a new mother experiences a problem after birth or if the baby won't latch or has some problem the formula will be brought out as the solution. It's rare than a woman in this scenario would be encouraged to continue breastfeeding so effectively the hse dont support breastfeeding.

Secondly the slogan is horrible. It alienates women who formula feed by making them feel their not doing the best thing for their babies and it skirts around the real point that human breast milk is the normal biological food for an infant.

Orion

I suspect an element of trolling by the OP here. At the very least soap-boxing. Please bear this in mind when responding to posts.

Some anonymous inflammatory posts have already been deleted. I hope not to have to so that for registered regulars too.

implausible

pixiebean22 wrote: »

One of them pointed out that Boots don't allow points on your Boots card when you purchase milk for under 6 month old babies so much so is their commitment to the no promoting rule - I know that is just something trivial with Boots.

It's not just Boots. The law I quoted earlier forbids all shops to offer points on formula.

beachbabe wrote: »

I found it very irritating that as a new mum who was giving her baby the second best option in feeding the support and information available is sub standard compared to that available for breast feeding.

The negativity towards bottle feeding is overwhelming, and I just want people to realise that bottle feeding baby is not always a parents first choice.

I really have to disagree with you on this. Formula comes with instructions, a massive amount of products from powder dispensers to hundreds or teat/bottle combinations and generations of experienced mothers, midwives and healthcare professionals in this country to aid mothers who are bottle-feeding.

Breastfeeding mothers are given some leaflets by the HSE and anyone who has tried to breastfeed knows that you cannot learn from a leaflet. You learn by watching and doing and in my own case, I had only ever seen one person breastfeed before my wee man was born. My mother and mother-in-law had no idea and if it wasn't for a friend of mine who, over the phone, told me that the pain I was experiencing would only last two days or so, I can't say for certain that I would have continued with it. The health profession's solution to any breastfeeding problem is to give the child a bottle.

deisemum

implausible wrote: »

It's not just Boots. The law I quoted earlier forbids all shops to offer points on formula.

I really have to disagree with you on this. Formula comes with instructions, a massive amount of products from powder dispensers to hundreds or teat/bottle combinations and generations of experienced mothers, midwives and healthcare professionals in this country to aid mothers who are bottle-feeding.

Breastfeeding mothers are given some leaflets by the HSE and anyone who has tried to breastfeed knows that you cannot learn from a leaflet. You learn by watching and doing and in my own case, I had only ever seen one person breastfeed before my wee man was born. My mother and mother-in-law had no idea and if it wasn't for a friend of mine who, over the phone, told me that the pain I was experiencing would only last two days or so, I can't say for certain that I would have continued with it. The health profession's solution to any breastfeeding problem is to give the child a bottle.

That's not the case with a lot of midwives, there are plenty who will help new mums and some will even get someone experienced in breastfeeding to come in to offer assistance to a new mum if they're particularly busy on the ward. In my local hospital the midwives gave out the ward telephone number when you were being discharged so that you could phone them anytime day or night if you ran into a breastfeeding problem and I phoned up once in the middle of the night and the midwife was very helpful and encouraging.

They also advise pregnant women in ante-natal classes to go along to the like of LLL, Cuidiu or the HSE's breastfeeding support meetings and have someone who's breastfed/feeding to come along to one of the ante-natal classes to share their experience of breastfeeding so the pregnant women have information before their baby is born.

I've come across plenty of mums who wanted to quit breastfeeding or didn't want to try it but felt they were being pushed into doing it or to keep going with breastfeeding.

lynski

deisemum wrote: »

That's not the case with a lot of midwives, there are plenty who will help new mums and some will even get someone experienced in breastfeeding to come in to offer assistance to a new mum if they're particularly busy on the ward. In my local hospital the midwives gave out the ward telephone number when you were being discharged so that you could phone them anytime day or night if you ran into a breastfeeding problem and I phoned up once in the middle of the night and the midwife was very helpful and encouraging.

They also advise pregnant women in ante-natal classes to go along to the like of LLL, Cuidiu or the HSE's breastfeeding support meetings and have someone who's breastfed/feeding to come along to one of the ante-natal classes to share their experience of breastfeeding so the pregnant women have information before their baby is born.

I've come across plenty of mums who wanted to quit breastfeeding or didn't want to try it but felt they were being pushed into doing it or to keep going with breastfeeding.

Deise, this is certainly true when it comes to newborns, not always there is still a lot of misinformation, misdirection and lack of interest. If you try to get support for feeding a 6mth old, 8 mth old, 1 yr old or beyond there is none or very little from Gps, HSE, PHN etc. There is only lip-service given to the WHO guidelines and culturally the support does not exist either. 52% of Irish women NEVER breastfeed. pressure me ar**

ThisRegard

Little My wrote: »

I'm feeding my 3 month old and will continue as long as it is working for both of us. I love doing it and so far it is all going well.

A friend I caught up with today had a baby a week after me. She told me that a midwife in the hospital started telling her about 8 hours after giving birth that she hadn't enough milk and needed to give the baby a bottle, and continued to tell her repeatedly through the evening and night.

If women aren't getting the support in hospital how can they be expected to carry on with it? Both me and my friend are first time mums - if a medical professional had told me on the same day as having my baby I couldn't feed him I would have given up too.

What hospital ? Some are very pro breast feeding such as The Rotunda in Dublin, it's all about breast in there.

ThisRegard

OutOfStep Dad wrote: »

This is total rubbish. If there's been any decrease in advertising formula milk, it is because of the Nestlé scandal?

Not true, the advertisement of formula was banned to help promote breast feeding, nothing to do with Nestle.

deisemum

lynski wrote: »

Deise, this is certainly true when it comes to newborns, not always there is still a lot of misinformation, misdirection and lack of interest. If you try to get support for feeding a 6mth old, 8 mth old, 1 yr old or beyond there is none or very little from Gps, HSE, PHN etc. There is only lip-service given to the WHO guidelines and culturally the support does not exist either. 52% of Irish women NEVER breastfeed. pressure me ar**

Well my area must be different as I breastfed up to 15 months and I wasn't the only long term breastfeeder 13 - 14 years ago and the HSE had a number of breastfeeding support meetings run by the PHNs and midwives in the hospital and they loved to see those of us who were breastfeeding older babies/toddlers coming to the meetings to encourage those with new or younger babies as well as discuss the issues longer term breastfeeding mothers may encounter.

They were very proactive and supportive. Maybe the difference was that the PHNs that I had were experienced in breastfeeding their own babies but then again those that I had at a later date didn't have children but were also supportive.

holidaygirl

Wasn't going to get involved here but just in case someone is hoping to breastfeed I'd like to add my experience. I had always wanted to breastfeed our son. Both myself and my husband came from families where there was no one breastfed. From listening to the girls I work with, whom would had attended a few different hospital only one succeeded with it. It got me thinking there is something not quiet right here, from the outside it seems like there is encouragement and support but the reality can be something quiet different.

I read loads of information in advance but also saw so many failure stories, so decided we would do a breastfeeding preparation course. We both found it brilliant and learned so much form it and the reality of the potential frequency of feeds. It is one of the main reasons that I fought and continued to breastfeed our son. Breastfeeding was covered in my ante natal classes but even the person giving the information said she had to look up YouTube to get the latch right. And the information was very limited. You see they ask do you intend to breastfeed and you see the leaflets but in many cases I know thats really where the support ends, not ideal and certainly not if there isn't anyone in your circle of friends already breastfeeding.

My son ended up been born by emergency section a long way off the birth I had hoped for. He wasn't allowed in recovery with me and due to minor complications I was longer than normal in recovery. On returning to the ward I was told a midwife would be back to assist me, no one returned to help. So I latched him on myself (well my husband handed him to me) We did call for assistance and were told they would come but they were just too busy. Anyway my milk hadn't came in but I knew that it can take a few days but I also knew the importance to latch him on as often as possible. There was colostrum, and I understood the quality of that. When he was checked out by doctor the next morning he noticed him jittery and they checked his blood sugars and they were very low. So he was taken to special care baby unit. I was told he needed formula, I was almost been forced to stop breastfeeding by both midwives and doctors. I was so upset I cried - I had no objection to formula since my son needed it but I requested that he be offered the breast first and then topped up. This was agreed but not always honoured. I found them twice trying to give him formula first when I went to special care baby unit. I told them I would go down as often as needed. It was day 3 nearly 4 before my milk came in and luckily he took to the breast no problem.

It wasn't an easy journey but I was determind. Luckily I had a public health nurse that was supportive she had breastfed two of her own, that's where her experience came from. Some of my problems she just didn't have answers for but she got another public health nurse to ring me with help.

Sorry I know I went on a bit, but basically I think if you really genuinely want to succeed you need to have as much information and understanding of breastfeeding in advance. Don't make the assumption that there is all this help and support at your doorstep, there maybe but there may also not be. I found in the hospital that the little help I eventually got was from midwives whom had their own personal experience of breastfeeding.

But I can say hand on my heart if I hadn't the information myself I would have failed, probably the moment when medical professionals told me to give him formula. There was no suggestion on their part to try carry on with breastfeeding which really shocked me. I would highly recommend doing some sort of prep course in advance. Check out if there are support groups in your area beforehand. My closest is not really an option it's just too far away but we did attend once. Breastfeeding isn't always easy but is possible in much more cases than those whom want to and end up not been able.

cynder

lynski wrote: »

The problem with artificial feeding is that once you make that decision, you know that there is better choice and noone likes to be reminded that they have compromised. There is not a single study that shows that formula is even comparable to breastfeeding on any level. People who breastfeed have to constantly defend their decision against the what harm, nights out, sleeping, get a break comments. We have to see undermining ads on tv, in papers, on websites. So called support website run by formula companies. Information leaflets from hse representatives supporting breastfeeding again from formula companies.
But we dare question feeding an inferior, less healthy, artificial product we are lactivists, nazis, push, etc.
I do not want to annoy, belittle, or alienate anyone, but I will never say that a diet of mcdonalds is the same as a healthy one like I will never say that artificial feeding as the same or as good ad breastfeeding.

My daughters now 12 I breast fed her till she was 2 and a half, I was 19 when I had her and my mother breast fed me, it was completely natural, i did read up a little before hand on how to encourage the baby to latch on and how to release baby from breast, and that's all there is to it, simple, she took to it straight away ( that much so I couldn't get her off it). My son was born 5 weeks premature and couldn't latch on so I bottle fed him and boy am I glad I did, it was way easier, I then bottle fed my 3rd. There is way too much focus on breast is best, I don't believe that for a min ( from my own experiences anyway). My daughter always had chest infections and was the weight of a 9 month old at 20 weeks and the weight of a 2 year old at 9 months(given she was 9lb at birth at 39 weeks). She also ended up a diabetic at 7 years of age and had chronic tooth decay, she had 8 teeth removed at age 3 and 3 more at age 6. My sons are rarely sick, healthy teeth and no sign of diabetes yet.... She also had the asthmatic cough till she was 6.

There not a hope in hell anyone could convince me breast is better than bottle, I've seen it with my own kids. Whatever a mother decides to feed her kids it's up to her, to be made feel like they are giving second best to those kids is ridiculous. Whatever suits......