Why would you NOT breastfeed?

[Jen & Her Men]

Back!
Sorry for losing my rag before....I hope I havent upset you Magic Markers. I just get a bit frustrated cos it seems as though anything i say is construed quite negatively or what I write isnt being read as it should...major points are being overlooked or taken out of context.. but maybe i need to go back to Uni cos my english degree doesnt seem to be serving me too well at the mo!

And if anyone is trying to wind me up on purpose (not you MM)...don't bother cos i learnt my lesson months ago and won't rise to it again.

Im not going to keep going on about how i admire BF's etc, because i think i have said that enough and if i havent got through to people by now i never will.

Just wanted to stress again however that for me is all about personal choice and i think we are lucky to be able to have that choice and to have so many options open to us to be able to bring our kids up in the way we wish to.

 

[AnnaR2B]

Just to put that into context...Breast is deffo best...BUT the reason that we have these debates is that we are lucky enough to have a CHOICE and the reason we have that choice is because formula milk does a bloody good job of mimicking breast milk and giving our LO's the nutrients needed to be healthy and happy...

Put it another way...if it was a more obvious destinction between f and b - such as ff babies life expectancy dramatically reduced, illnesses much more pronounced, stand 2 kids together and can quite clearly tell the difference between a bf and ff baby..then i think a lot more women WOULD battle through all the crapness of bf in the early stages to ensure their child was given that fundementally different quality of life.

HOWEVER that isnt the case...

So for me, when I look at BF and FF, I take into consideration all the other elements of motherhood and what i want to provide my children - emotional stability, safety, social interaction, education, etc etc etc. IF I feel that BF complements these areas or doesnt intrude on them in a massive way then i continue to BF....IF however (as in my case) I feel that by continuing to BF all the other areas are affected detrimentally, and that the gulf between where i want to be in those areas and where i am, is greater than the difference in quality of BF v FF....then I switch to Formula....

I agree Jen

 

[DebbieM]

Okay, I'm back now and have been thinking about this all day and did wonder if I'd been shot down in flames yet after some of the responses this morning.

Firstly, I do not look down on formula feeders. How can I? Two of the people I love most on this board are formula feeders, albeit, not through choice (Gem - Leland being prem caused issues and it didn't work for her and Bex - having had a breast reduction some years before, she was led to believe that there was no chance of her breast feeding Connie). If I looked down on FF's, I would not be friends with these two women and I adore them both more than anyone else here.

As far as breast feeding and formula go, my thoughts are that breast milk is superior to formula milk. It's been scientifically proven. That does NOT mean that I think BF'ing Mummies are superior to FF'ing Mummies. Far from it. I think the majority of people on this board are great Mums and I have the utmost respect for most members here too.

All I was saying in my statement about a week not being long enough to say you "gave it a go" is that it is well known that it takes at least 6 weeks to establish breast feeding, that's when everything settles down and you slip into more of a routine - I use the term routine loosely. (We still, at 7 months do NOT have a routine). I don't think FF'ing Mums are lazy. Quite the opposite. I really couldn't be arsed with having to get up in the middle of the night to make or heat a bottle up so maybe I'm lazy, eh? Maybe being able to drag Luke into bed with me, stick him on my boob and then stick him back into his cot makes me a lazy cow? (Cow, haha... milk - get it?) OK, moving on....

I just want to make a point of saying that I do not have an issue with formula or formula feeding Mum's. I chose to breastfeed Luke. I chose to put myself through hell and I chose to persevere. I'm glad I did because it paid off in the end for me.

The fact is, that there is not enough support out there for new Mum's. I had no support and a lot of my friend's didn't have the support they needed in order to BF their little one's too and I find that really sad. This, and based on my own hellish experiences of BF'ing in the early days, is what has made me become so determined to get out there and help other people. No-one should have to go through what I have been through and that's why I am training to be a Peer Supporter.

 

[purple13]

As far as breast feeding and formula go, my thoughts are that breast milk is superior to formula milk. It's been scientifically proven. That does NOT mean that I think BF'ing Mummies are superior to FF'ing Mummies. Far from it. I think the majority of people on this board are great Mums and I have the utmost respect for most members here too.

good post debbie. just what i've been saying all along too.

just a couple of further thoughts from me:

connor was one of those babies who lost a lot of weight in his first couple of months and i was one of those mothers who persevered with bf-ing regardless. i was told to give him formula, so i mixed fed but i desperately didn't want to. those HV's who were telling me to move to formula were the very people who should have been supporting me in my bf choice but they didn't. i had to come here for that, and to this day am grateful to all the ladies here who reassured me that i was doing the right thing. formula is all to readily seen as an 'easy' solution to problems such as mine - whilst its right for some people, it certainly wasn't right for me. my famine victim baby slowly gained weight and today is happy & healthy.

i breast feed not just for the sake of connor's health, but for my own too. evidence shows a reduction in breast cancer for those who extended breast feed - the statistic is something like 40% fewer cases for women who have bf-ed past one year. my mum died from breast cancer and her mum had it 3 times; even without my family history, 1 in 3 women will get breast cancer (which is one of the few cancers that is incurable), and i like to know that i've done something to help reduce my risk.

i very nearly didn't breastfeed connor and can only do it to this day with the help of nipple shields. i am under no illusion that i will be able to breastfeed any future children. but in that case i will do my damndest to make sure that my LO drinks my expressed milk (kalia, i think you're an inspiration ) and formula will always be my very last resort.

 

[Sammystar]

So yes, I am part of the "Happy Mummy - Happy Baby Brigade" as DebbieM put it! But I'm proud to be!

Me too. I can safely say, as a mum of three, that when Mummy ain't happy, ain't nooooooobody happy! And that applies as much to older kids as it does to babies!

 

[dannii87]

i breast feed not just for the sake of connor's health, but for my own too. evidence shows a reduction in breast cancer for those who extended breast feed - the statistic is something like 40% fewer cases for women who have bf-ed past one year. my mum died from breast cancer and her mum had it 3 times; even without my family history, 1 in 3 women will get breast cancer (which is one of the few cancers that is incurable), and i like to know that i've done something to help reduce my risk.

I think that's a really good point and one that should be highlighted in antenatal classes!! That was one of the reasons I wanted to breastfeed, but I never planned to breastfeed past 6 months so I guess it wouldn't have helped me anyway

I think it's great though Purple, after what happened with your Mum (sorry about that )

Wouldn't it be great if we could allocate a breastfeeder to Tri3 ladies who are serious about breastfeeding like we have Text Buddies! xx

 

[Jen & Her Men]

i breast feed not just for the sake of connor's health, but for my own too. evidence shows a reduction in breast cancer for those who extended breast feed - the statistic is something like 40% fewer cases for women who have bf-ed past one year. my mum died from breast cancer and her mum had it 3 times; even without my family history, 1 in 3 women will get breast cancer (which is one of the few cancers that is incurable), and i like to know that i've done something to help reduce my risk.

I think that's a really good point and one that should be highlighted in antenatal classes!! That was one of the reasons I wanted to breastfeed, but I never planned to breastfeed past 6 months so I guess it wouldn't have helped me anyway

I think it's great though Purple, after what happened with your Mum (sorry about that )

Wouldn't it be great if we could allocate a breastfeeder to Tri3 ladies who are serious about breastfeeding like we have Text Buddies! xx

Thats an ace iea Dannii!! I have mine already - Happy Chick

 

[purple13]

Wouldn't it be great if we could allocate a breastfeeder to Tri3 ladies who are serious about breastfeeding like we have Text Buddies! xx

that's an awesome idea dannii

 

[beanie]

Purple13 it also reduces the risk of ovarian cancer too, which was part of the reason I wanted to carry on for so long.

 

[purple13]

Purple13 it also reduces the risk of ovarian cancer too, which was part of the reason I wanted to carry on for so long.

i had a feeling it did, but wasn't sure - thanks beanie

interestingly, approximately 90% of women in japan breastfeed and japan also has one of the lowest rates of breast cancer in the world.

 

[Steelgoddess]

Wow this post has grown lol!

Just wanted to say i have deleted a few of my posts (Not all as they some other ppls posts wouldn't make sense).

And with the mention of cancer cropping up it is becoming a bit more sensitive (for ME so don't anyone take i personally or think they have said something wrong) so I will bow out.

Some good debate here though girlies...

hugs and kisses
x

 

[Minxy]

Purple13 it also reduces the risk of ovarian cancer too, which was part of the reason I wanted to carry on for so long.

i had a feeling it did, but wasn't sure - thanks beanie

interestingly, approximately 90% of women in japan breastfeed and japan also has one of the lowest rates of breast cancer in the world.

Yeah and they drink a lot of green tea too.

Not to say b/f not a factor, but info can always be massaged to say what you want it to. The internet can be used to prove just about any case you want it to. What's the saying 'There's lies, damn lies and statistics'?

I'm not denying that 'breast is best' though.

 

[Squiglet]

Totally off topic here.. but...

Bloody Hell Minxy when did you get pregnant (I know approximately 4 weeks ago ) but omg...

 

[Minxy]

Totally off topic here.. but...

Bloody Hell Minxy when did you get pregnant (I know approximately 4 weeks ago ) but omg...

hahah this is excellent, every time I post some seems to say 'are you PREGNANT!?' I blame the forum; it makes us all so broody!!!

 

[kelsey]

Wouldn't it be great if we could allocate a breastfeeder to Tri3 ladies who are serious about breastfeeding like we have Text Buddies! xx

that's an awesome idea dannii

Yeah i think thats great too. I'm up for it

 

[purplebluered]

Wouldn't it be great if we could allocate a breastfeeder to Tri3 ladies who are serious about breastfeeding like we have Text Buddies! xx

that's an awesome idea dannii

Yeah i think thats great too. I'm up for it

That would have really helped me in the early days I reckon. I'd be up for that too!

 

[purple13]

Purple13 it also reduces the risk of ovarian cancer too, which was part of the reason I wanted to carry on for so long.

i had a feeling it did, but wasn't sure - thanks beanie

interestingly, approximately 90% of women in japan breastfeed and japan also has one of the lowest rates of breast cancer in the world.

Yeah and they drink a lot of green tea too.

Not to say b/f not a factor, but info can always be massaged to say what you want it to. The internet can be used to prove just about any case you want it to. What's the saying 'There's lies, damn lies and statistics'?

I'm not denying that 'breast is best' though.

congrats on your BFP minxy!! have i missed that elsewhere??!

too true about stats saying what we want them to say. but there have been studies into the link though, with the theory that the suppression of oestrogen whilst bf-ing (and also changes in breast tissue from bf-ing) leads to a reduction in oestrogen driven cancers, which would also explain the apparent reduction in ovarian cancer, as beanie said.

 

[Bloom]

I never knew about reducing the risk of cancer thats really good im glad im still bf then as we have a family history of it.

 

[NickyB]

Awesome idea Dannii. I don't know why but I research LOADS of things about being pregnant, but NOTHING about how to breastfeed, which was stupid bearing in mind how much I wanted to do it.

I went to one class, the MW said if it hurt you weren't doing it right. Thank God I have the advice of everyone on here because that just isn't true (it is now, some six weeks in).

I had absolutely NO idea how hard I was going to find it, but am pleased to say it all just clicked yesterday so if we could give some info to the ladies about to have their babies if they want it, it would help. I knew this forum was here, but I didn't even look in it

 

[KJ]

I'd definitely be up for being a buddy to one of the tri 3 ladies with regards to breastfeeding.

I'd love to know I'd helped someone else.

K.x