To hope that I can ask about FF without being shot down in flames?

[Darksideofthemoon88]

I'm interested in WHY people choose to FF if not for medical reasons (ie they can't because of medication they have to take, or because their baby was very premature and is unable to suckle) - I've seen a lot of threads where people assert that FF was best for them/their family/their baby or that they chose to FF without trying BF, and I'm curious as to why. Genuinely curious I'm not interested in fighting with anyone about what's best or right; I'd just like to read about why people FF because I honestly don't know. In the interests of full disclosure though (I know how MNs feel about this! ), I am a breastfeeding mother.

silver best stealth boast ever

Worra, I've got my shoes on and I'm headed to the pub. You might want to hurry as I've left the baby on the floor and he tends to get himself half - wedged under the sofa.

Why is everyone belittling the benefits of bfing? It is proven to have a great many benefits for both mother and baby. Of course not everyone can bf but I think its unfortnate when defensive ffers bash bfing all the time :k

silver - not an odd notion at all, babies pick up on you dreading feeding them. You sound like your baby was almost irrelevant in your determination to "achieve" at breastfeeding. It's such a shame you couldn't put your baby first.

Silver if you didn't mean to offend anyone can you explain your last post? Or was that meant to as unpleasant as it appears.
You can judge yourself if you want, but stop judging other women. I'm assuming 'your boy' isn't that old. Not is my daughter in the scheme of things but none of this really matters as much as you think it does. In a few months/years time you will realise that

Lol Hollie what a crappy attempt at reversing my argument, In any case i grew to enjoy bfing and it became a lovely bonding experience for us both so no I have not damaged my baby.

Even though you probably don't mean to silver, you are saying that if you really wanted to bf you would have tried harder. I dident have as bad experience as Frankie, or others on here, but dd is Autistic, and as a baby found it very difficult to feed from the breast. As a result she was loosing weight fast, hcp very concerned, so I did what I had to do and switched to ff and never looked back. I couldent express enough for her and that was it. With ds he had to be hospitalised for a few days due to jaundice and that was it. But I was recommended a fantastic electric breast pump which I expressed for ds with formula top ups fir 9 months until my supply went. Each woman and baby is different. To me it makes no difference to tge health of the overall child. Short term but not long.

Defensive FFers. I wondered how long it would be until that phrase was dragged out. Silver, this was a perfectly nice chat about FF until you barged in with your halo and your insults. Maybe you'd be more at home over on the Alpha Parent forums...?

No-one is belittling the benefits of breastfeeding.

However, one or two people have tried their hardest to belittle the benefits FF can bring to Mothers and therefore their babies.

Im bored of this thread now its just going around in circles

I found BFing really easy.
I am pretty sure I would have FF if I had found it a nightmare.
I mixed fed all the DCs and introduced bottles ASAP.

I can get a bit irritated at people who get squeaky when anyone suggests a mother can use FF AND BF. Like the moment the baby tastes that rubber teat they will NEVER suck a nipple again.

It just piles the pressure on.

I hate the way FFers and BFers are split into FF V BF.

It really isn't like that for the vast majority. Most of us just get on with it without thinking people are selfish or smug or lazy or martyrs.

As long as no one is telling me I am dicusting (sic) for BFing I don't give a rat's.

Still hated FF though. Booooooring

I hope not silver, I guess only time will tell...

"I do really hate these phrases like people who genuinely can't BF... or that it's okay to FF if you really have serious problems..."

I've never quite 'got' that logic either dreaming.

Either formula's crap, second rate and significantly less beneficial than breast milk or it isn't. It doesn't stop being those things because the feeder can't breastfeed!

BTW Silver
Benefits or not.
I EBF my DD and it was a bit tough at the beginning (like it is for most new mums) but I carried on and it got easy after a week or three.

It didn't stop her getting cancer exactly 10 years ago today. FF or BF wouldn't have made a damn bit of difference.

So when I see feeding threads descend into madness can you see why they seem particularly ridiculous to me?

Devere for you and for your beautful girl. xxx

Devere

(( )) MrsDevere

defensive ffers

Now that is really offensive.

How about all those extreme pro-bfers who bash mothers choosing formula on a constant basis. It works both ways.

I defend FF, as a mother's choice. I bf both of mine.

And while bf may have benefits, there are always many factors involved so it's never so simple as bf v ff.

Exactly hooby, it's silly

I'm so sorry MrsD

MrsD

I'm exclusively breastfeeding but my sister-in-law formula fed both her hers because of supply issues and because it was really important to her to have them in a routine. It's really difficult to get a breastfed baby into a routine. I'm a very habitual person so I've found it really difficult to not be able to predict what my day or night will look like. Sometimes feeds take 20 minutes, sometimes they take an hour depending on how much milk I have, how hungry she is, etc. I can't stand sitting still and breastfeeding - IME - has meant a fair amount of being shackled to my couch. It can be boring and time-consuming. I like it at times and really find it oppressive at others. I'm able to do it now - have time off work, no supply problems, no latch problems, she's been gaining weight well, etc - but I'm not sure if I'll keep doing it exclusively when I return to work in 6 weeks and I'm not sure if I'll be able to do it when I have other children. Even with expressing so my partner can give her a feed or two a day it's pretty much all I do at the moment. I don't know how I'd be able to if I had a small child running around!

MrsD, every time I see a butterfly I think of you and your girl x

I think we should take a moment to remind ourselves that in RL, nobody cares what other people feed their babies.

In fact I can only every recall one mildly passive aggressive comment from an old fashioned Aunt of mine, about giving a baby the 'best start in life'.

She was a good 4 stone overweight when she conceived both her kids, so I dismissed her comment with an eye roll.