Breast feeding

[Danishgirl]

This made me think about everything. I know that sounds strange but I've never thought about our breastmilk being dairy now I feel like a 35 week pregnant cow ready to be milked

Your own breastmilk is still vegan. You don't exploit another species to get it.

 

[Duchesspink]

If fed is best then you may as well whizz up some haribo and a mcdonalds in a blender and start giving it to 16 week old infants.
Fed is the bare minimum, breastmilk is the biological norm. Formula is a substitute but it in now way matches breast milk.
My son had 90% breastmilk and 10%formula. I didnt think I was doing well enough just breastfeeding and turned to formula to help me out.
I was totally wrong and just didnt fully understand how breastfeeding works as once you leave the hospital, no one thinks to check how you are doing.
When I found a breastfeeding support group, they helped me get rid of the formula and get back to exclusively breastfeeding.

There is very definitely a difference in a breast fed and a formula fed child. The benefits will be with them their whole lives and of course the mother also has benefits for her health too. Just because you cant see it on the outside, doesn't mean it's not there.

Facts arent attacks.

 

[Toppsie]

I never had any milk..I tried to the point of exhaustion..I expressed every 2 hours and tried inbetween. I had a 4 nurses at one point prodding and poking! It is not an excuse, If I had chosen not to, I'd say so!! It is no business of anyone else! No-one should have to make up any excuse...ever! Must be great to sit on the moral high ground! 4 kids no milk... end of!!

This!

I was in a care unit after my child was born and a couple came back in with their daughter. I've never been so angry I don't think. Readmitted to hospital, taking up a bed, screaming all through the night with at least 2 midwives at a time with them. Why? Mum was determined to breastfeed and couldn't. The kid was miserable, and just needed feeding but she flat out refused any alternative. They were in for days, absolute waste of resources and money for the worlds most selfish mother. Purely disgusting.

 

[Thecatsmother]

I completely support formula feeding mums, but I’m annoyed Hinch is showing off that perfect prep machine. It’s so transparent that she’s only setting up for formula feeding because the industry is worth more money. Although it was ‘gifted’ so not a #ad, at this point doesn’t even showing it count as an ad

 

[AmberSpyglass]

I’m glad you know you own your opinion , good!

What I find really frustrating is the number of women I’ve met who seemingly just use “I didn’t produce enough milk” as an excuse. It’s supply and demand - the more you feed/express the more milk you make.

You write that as if we don’t know about what supply and demand actually means, I’m sure the majority of us do.

...and so what if a woman chooses to use an excuse for her reluctance to bf, it really is nothing to do with you or anyone else, however frustrating it may be.

 

[Oohthedrama]

Just my opinion.........
Nobody should be guilted into breastfeeding.
Nobody has the right to force their opinion on anyone.
What works for one mum, doesn’t necessarily work for all.

Unless this is your babies “diet”



You’re doing great. boobs in or out....
And shake them all about.

Literally got told in a Facebook group tonight that by formula feeding my son I gave him the leukemia that killed him when he was 4

The woman (or women) who said this to you have failed their own children, regardless of how they’re feeding them,
if they’re feeding them bull crap like this, they’re absolutely going to destroy them from birth with such a hatful, toxic attitude.
Lots of love to you and your little angel.

 

[F the dust.]

Last time I will say this...I had 0 milk..0 milk. You couldn't have made a weak tea with the amount! Not an excuse..I couldn't produce a drop..I didn't even know that,that was possible. I tried long and hard.. I've actually No idea why I feel the need to justify myself again.

 

[F the dust.]

Feed your baby, however you choose to!

 

[Bitofthebubbly]

My personal experience (I have 3 kids, i breastfed the elder 2 of over 2 years each, youngest still feeds now at 22months) and the experience of a lot of friends and family is that often midwives are not well trained about breastfeeding, and therefore are unable to really help, and give out useful information in the first days and weeks after birth. In hospital they are also stretched so thin that they often don’t have the proper time, as knowledge, to help a mum out.

Agree I had a shocking experience with a midwife on my first night on the maternity ward. Baby wouldn’t stop crying, I had been trying for hours to get her to latch with barely any luck. So eventually I was brave enough to press the button for help, after all that’s what it’s there for. Someone came, I explained in almost tears that I couldn’t get her to latch or stop crying bearing in mind I was a new young mum scared shitless. Her response, and I appreciate she may well have been rushed off her feet and not properly trained in breastfeeding, was to say “well you’d better get her latched otherwise we will have to give her a bottle” and then she walked off and left me! Hardly in keeping with the ‘breast is best’ mantra. It made me feel like I was doing something wrong to even consider asking for help and that I should have just formula fed from the start.

I didnt bother asking for help after that instead I went to YouTube to watch latch videos and we got it down eventually, after lots of crying and one rude mum on my ward basically telling me to shove a dummy in and be done with it. It really upset me, it’s actually made me a bit teary even thinking about that memory, don’t think I ever felt as alone and scared as I did on that ward that night. I would love for the government to put some proper money into investing in nhs breastfeeding training, doubt it’ll ever happen though.

 

[Fueislfs]

Imagine having an issue with a child being fed in a public space?? I can’t believe there are people out there who think that way and feel offended by it when it’s the most natural thing in the world.

Back to Zoella, she looks so much better in that screen capture before she started altering who she is to please Alfie!! I know her first lot of stennies were #gifted #ad so she was probably making money from it at first but surely they get on her nerves? Her shorter hair looks so much nicer

 

[leopsy]

So you think babies shouldn't eat in public?

Just look away.

I don't thing that's what was meant. We all know it's a matter of getting used to it. However, there are people who somehow cover it. If i'm feeling hot for some reason, I'm not gonna get naked, right? Even though I feel like it. And a baby being hungry is as legit as me not feeling well because it's too hot.

This said, I really don't have that much of a problem with breast feeding in public. But we should find a middle ground. My mom has told me she didn't have a problem breastfeeding me in public, but she always carried some sort of cloth to cover the boob, so she could have some privacy, even though she was in public.

 

[LauzD]

I don't thing that's what was meant. We all know it's a matter of getting used to it. However, there are people who somehow cover it. If i'm feeling hot for some reason, I'm not gonna get naked, right? Even though I feel like it. And a baby being hungry is as legit as me not feeling well because it's too hot.

This said, I really don't have that much of a problem with breast feeding in public. But we should find a middle ground. My mom has told me she didn't have a problem breastfeeding me in public, but she always carried some sort of cloth to cover the boob, so she could have some privacy, even though she was in public.

This is exactly what I meant. I think there’s nothing wrong with doing it in public as long as the breast is covered.

But if you ever say that you get ‘jumped on’.Which these comments prove.

Thanks for sticking up for me

 

[Eltonjohnsflorist]

I find this a really interesting subject, and it’s so emotive for some it’s hard to have a open and honest conversation about it.

Firstly I believe it’s misogynistic to tell a woman either directly and indirectly what they should do with their own body. If you believe in a woman’s right to chose then you must extend that to breastfeeding.

however, there is firm evidence that breast is best, at a population level, for mother and baby. What we do have though is many woman who try to breastfeed but aren’t given adequate help to succeed and Breast feed as long as they want.
A poster way back raised the issue of woman saying they don’t produce enough milk. And the reality is, it is rare for a woman not to be able to produce enough Milk. Women are not destined to either produce milk or not, your production is stimulated by the baby.
That does mean constant suckling at times and many woman mistake that for the baby not getting enough. There should be people Able to explain how it works in detail.

But for these women who don’t want to even try, they should just be left to it. Enough resources are needed to help the massive number of women who stop earlier than they want, we shouldn’t waste them on persuading women who don’t want to

 

[Notgonnalie]

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with breastfeeding a child to whatever age they wean. You’d think during a pandemic people would be more welcoming and supportive for breastfeeding seeing the benefits provide the child with antibodies as well as statistically putting less strain on the health service in general. Imagine getting annoyed at a child for feeding. Imagine getting annoyed at a mother for feeding her child.

Children who have been breastfed are far less likely to develop common childhood conditions and infections, as well as protective against vomiting and diarrhoea, childhood cancers like leukaemia, SIDS, obesity and even less likely to develop cardiovascular disease as an adult.

It doesn’t stop at the child either. Mum benefits too with it being statistically less likely she will develop ovarian and breast cancer, osteoporosis, obesity and also less likely to develop cardiovascular disease.


it’s not about fed being best. Fed is not an option. It’s a requirement of life.

Support is best. Support for all the mums whether they breastfeed for 1 feed, for 1 day, or as far as 7 years. Support for all the mums who chose not the breastfeed. Support for all the mums who wanted to breastfeed but couldn’t. It takes a village to raise a child, and if we don’t support the child’s primary care giver then we’re neglecting to support the child too.

Breastfeeding is much more than a nutritional fulfilment. Research shows us that breastfeeding actually helps relieve pain in babies, it encourages skin to skin, it supports the healthy development of the structures of the mouth. Breastfeeding is found to increase brain growth by 20-30%. It’s been found that breastfeeding has improved cognitive abilities, facilitated brain development, and a reduced risk for antisocial behaviors and atypical social development including ASD.The benefits of breastfeeding are still being researched - the funding is so few and far between that we’ll probably still be finding out new benefits to breastfeeding in years to come.

 

[Meelyd]

With my first baby, I really struggled as I have inverted nipples and she couldn’t latch. After the first week she’d lost so much weight the doctors told me I had to formula feed because she was so tiny. I was devastated and tried pumping for her for a month and hardly produced any milk.

My second baby I managed to breastfeed him for 2.5 months before I had to return to full time teaching - 7am - 5pm and I really struggled pumping for him while at work.

Both my kids are super healthy - they rarely even get a cold. I felt a lot of guilt for not being able to feed them both for longer but in the end it is what it is. It really upsets me people saying lack of milk is just an excuse. It was so real for me and I’m sure for many others.

 

[Definitelyme]

I know right??? Surely this stuff is well accepted!! Ive never seen such animosity to breastfeeding women

I don’t care if people want to not breastfeed, I don’t even really care if they hate breastfeeding (although I don’t understand that). But I just am BOGGLED by people who refuse to accept scientific fact about the benefits of breastfeeding!!

(And actually I don’t even like to refer to it as the benefits of breastfeeding since breastfeeding is the biological norm, it’s actually the drawbacks of not breastfeeding)

 

[AmberSpyglass]

Evening , good to see the debate has kept going all day .

First of all , I’m so sorry to you Kate for the loss of your precious child, I cannot even begin to understand your grief.

I just want to say that raising a happy ,healthy intelligent child isn’t down to breast or bottle .

It’s about talking to your baby , interacting with them , playing and reading with them and stimulating them and building that bond , regardless of bottle of breast .

I work in an early years setting , at no point is how they were fed as a small baby ever considered.

 

[Loiterer]

I generally read tattle with a boob out...

 

[KateESJ]

Fed is best.
I BF my oldest for almost a month before I stopped because he wasn’t gaining weight and it just wasn’t working. I felt so guilty but once I got over the guilt I felt so much better mentally and he was happy and was gaining weight.

Literally got told in a Facebook group tonight that by formula feeding my son I gave him the leukemia that killed him when he was 4. Because apparently FF increases risk of leukemia which is completely BS. So fucking over mum groups and mum shamers.

 

[Brigitjonesbuttcheek]

Totally agree with you. There isn’t enough support out there for mums who want to breastfeed. I volunteer as a breastfeeding peer supporting taking calls from women up and down the country and it’s a common theme that they aren’t getting the right support and they often hear when they do ask for help “just give him/her a bottle” “it’s ok you don’t need to breastfeed that’s what formulas for” which is fine if mum wants to choose formula but often she just needs help making breastfeeding work for her because it’s what she wants to do. Breastfeeding can be very sore, demanding and overwhelming the first few weeeks and months but when you get the right support it really does make all the difference!
I’m currently feeding my 2.5 year old and I never imagined I would feed this long but he is reaping the benefits, it’s convenient for us both and I’m ready to stop when he is.

With both my kids I was given incorrect advice by the midwives as well. They told me my perfectly healthy normal weight babies weren't gaining quick enough so I should either suppliment with formula or pump in-between feeds. Both of which would have fucked my supply and possibly the babies latch.

All I needed to do was put the baby on the breast more. Which I did and it was fine.

It boggles my mind that people can possibly believe that feeding your child the way nature intended, the way they were intended to be fed, is not the best way to feed a baby. How can you honestly believe that processed cows milk is just as good.

Its like saying squash is just as good for you as eating an orange.