When I was in hospital with DS1 trying desparately to breastfeed, the midwives sat me down and said that they could picture me on my sofa at home crying as my son wouldn't latch on. They said to me that in the 3rd world countries infant mortality is high and one of the reasons for that is when a baby will not latch on for some reason. If the mother can't breastfeed there is normally a sister, mother or aunt or someone who can wet nurse the baby. When the baby can't latch on, the babies dies. I was told that there has been research which the government have held back on these figures.
I for one come from a highly educated background and by income standards an upper middle class background, both as a child and now. However, whilst my attitudes BC (before children) were that breastfeeding was the only way and that those that bottle fed must be common, thick, lazy and all other negative opinions, my opinion changed when I actually tried breastfeeding.
If someone asked me if they should breastfeed I would say try by all means. I would be ubber honest and say that the greatest likelihood is that for practically 2 months it will be almost constant day and night and it is very hard. If they can do it easily and quickly they should thank God for it. However, being a mum is NOT about breastfeeding. If you formula feed you are just as good a mum as someone who breastfeeds.
A mum who sits on the sofa for 2 months as her youngest child is left to get on with it and not able to go to the park or out for a walk etc because the mum is struggling to breastfeed. Or has its mum who is getting Post Natal Depression because of extreme tiredness etc is not doing the best for her other children.
Spudulika - it is opinions like yours on breastfeeding that make me angry. I have read soooooooo many breastfeeding threads on this site and this is the first one I have commented on because you are so way off reality it is just not funny.