AIBU to not breastfeed?

[Stephieee]

DD is yet to arrive, but I never breastfed with DS and my goodness, I was made to feel terrible about it! I've told people that I'm not going to, this time around, but their views haven't changed :(

Are we now denying that breastmilk is best for a human infant?

worra and nn I agree

culture I did try but I can fully understand why someone wouldn't want to. They might want their body back, they might want to share the feeds, they might not want leaky boobs, they might not like the idea of it, they might want to go out, they might not want to deal with cluster feeding...

I tried it and a combination of pain and latch difficulties and the above made me stop.

I don't like the word inferior to describe formula. It implies that there is something wrong with it, which of course there isn't. It is a perfectly acceptable food to give a baby. Breast milk has additional benefits, but it doesn't follow that formula is therefore bad. Breast milk isn't a superior choice for all babies or all mothers.

It is inferior to breastmilk. That's fact.

Breastmilk doesn't have additional benefits, it is the biological norm. Formula doesn't have the same components of breastmilk and therefore ff children do not get the same calibre of milk as breastfed ones. Again, fact.

Do I need to say it yet again? I have already said that ff may be the superior choice for some mothers. It is the product itself that is inferior to breastmilk.

Where did I say it matters?

Formula is not always inferior. Some babies thrive on formula when they have previously struggled on breast milk. And the problem is that women are made to feel terrible if they struggle to bf and that isn't helped by the constant banging on about how perfect breast milk is, when the reality for most of us is that we, and our dc, have turned out fine whether we were bf or ff.

Well if it doesn't matter why post it on a thread about a woman who is already having a hard time?

Don't you think it's probably unkind?

Or does that not matter if it's a fact?

Because my original statement has been completely misquoted by people, you included.

It is inferior to breastmilk. As a product.

As a lifestyle choice, it is superior to some.

The OP ran away...

You can't blame them Puffles.

Like this one, Iris?

Why are you so defensive about it iris? I haven't criticised formula feeding or those who choose to do it. In fact I have said that formula feeding is a better choice for some mothers.

Why are you even having this conversation with them? It's no ones business except yours. You need to detach and stop discussing it

What, that formula is inferior? It is. It's not poison, it is perfectly acceptable for babies to drink, many babies thrive on it.

But it is inferior to breastmilk. Any issues you have with that are yours alone.

I formula fed all three of mine right from the word go virtually.

I simply had no wish to breastfeed at all. I wanted my body back and I was bloody well going to have it.

I do have one regret about breastfeeding though. That is that I was ever daft enough to let myself be talked into trying it with DD1. It was as bad as I thought it might be and worse. I should have stuck to my guns. I gave up after 3 or 4 days and never looked back.

You just do what suits best and sod what anyone else thinks, whether they are family or not.