To think there is too much pressure to formula feed?

[daffodilsandprimroses]

I’ve been considering making this post for a while but was worried about being flamed - I probably will be.

I am definitely not speaking to or about the women who made a choice to formula feed, either from the start or after trying breastfeeding and deciding it wasn’t for them.

I am talking about the women like me who really wanted to breastfeed and tried.

I found the midwives were very quick to leap to pushing formula once breastfeeding wasn’t working. When ds lost weight after birth rather than helping support me to feed him we were put on a feeding plan involving formula.

Why is there no support for breastfeeding?

@Vursayles

Reading posts like the above (re long-term gut damage from FF) makes me feel like shit. Complete and utter shit. Thinking I may have damaged both my children’s long term health because I had the audacity to feed them formula to keep them alive. Because I was born with crappy non-functioning boobs.

If it’s proven through multiple studies to be the case, so be it, people need to know to make the right choices. But it fucking sucks if you don’t have a choice.

You didn't damage their long term health.

*less than desirable to formula feed I meant!

With my first we were in a breast feeding experienced hospital so when baby lost alot of weight on day 3 i was really supported. Got me pumping abd they then topped up with my expressed milk. They felt it was not required as milk had come in but wanted to be proactive. Baby started gaining weight and we continued breastfeeding.
With 2nd baby lost a bit but no where near the amount baby 1 lost. However midwife was scary and not pro breastfeeding. She told me i should switch to formula. When i quieried this and said what could be causing weightloss other than no milk and was told its always lack of milk. I was a confident BF and still feeding older sibling. Plenty of milk, and not concerned due to no where mear the weight loss the first time.

Needless to say midwife was shocked at weight gain on next visit.
But if that had been with my first I would have crumbled and switch to formula with the mistaken belief that my milk wasnt good enough.

I also had a health visitor tell me i meeded to switch to for ula at 4 months as milk runs out of goodness then.
So yes i totally believe that some professionals push formula because of personal view or because it easier than supporting BF.

My milk came in on the second day and I tried everything to BF until then. The midwives helped out a lot with it and I can't complain as they were really supportive. My son was obviously hungry and the colostrum wasn't enough for him where the midwives then advised me to feed him some formula until my milk came. I wouldn't say I was pushed to but was supported either way whichever I chose because the lady who was a patient next me was asked her feeding choice and if she considered bf, the mw then went on to say about the safe handling of formulas and never bothered her or pressured her to consider bf and supported her for that.

@JenerationH this article has links to 63 studies regarding breastfeeding and formula feeding www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3472256/

Goodness, no-I found the total opposite. The midwives I had pushed breastfeeding and didn’t seem to want to discuss formula at all.

@Vursayles I'm really sorry if it was my post that made you feel that way. You haven't damaged their health by formula feeding at all. No more than I've damaged mine by giving antibiotics as a baby or having a c section. We all just do our best for our babies with the circumstances we find ourselves in.
I just think people should be given more information to make more informed choices where they can. Obviously for many things (mode of delivery/feeding/illnesses etc) we don't always have choices and just do our best.

Pre birth- breastfeeding was pushed.

Post birth, i lost count of the amount of times i was asked if I wanted formula, in fact I got a stern telling off from one m/w for not bringing any. To start I didn’t need any as bf seemed to be going ok, and b, if you want people to bring formula maybe you should mention it in your prenatal classes instead of the breastfeeding obsession!

Formula was the solution to everything. Crying baby? Up feeding again? Not settling? Give some formula.

My first was also given formula as their first feed without my consent. I was post emcs and just asked if I was going to bf, and they’ll give formula off a spoon. I was too shell shocked to do anything.

@JenerationH are you saying that the benefits of breastfeeding are no more than a slightly reduced risk of ear infection and stomach upsets?
Sorry, I don't believe in demonising formula ether but that is just factually wrong.

@JenerationH I’m not going to spend my evening googling specific studies that you can google yourself if you were actually interested.

Women who breastfeed are allowed to discuss breastfeeding and it’s benefits without people jumping down their throats about the ‘guilt’.

Emily Oster is an economist, not a medical professional. I’ll stick to actual medical advice rather than someone selling books.

It’s 20 years almost since I had my first, (and not long after found myself here).

Many name-changes and another dc later (13 years ago) - Not One Thing has changed in the breastfeeding/ff narrative.

Success in bf most always comes down to support. I supported my dsis & dsis-in-law so they had help, advice & (a shoulder to cry on sometimes!) and both went on to bf longterm. For me, I had to pay for a lactation consultant because I was Determined to Bf 2nd time round. I was older then and I didn’t give a fuck what anyone thought.

I was lucky to be able afford private help but it shouldn’t have to come to that.

Thanks @JenerationH that makes for an interesting read. Much appreciated.

Emily Oster VS every reputable health organisation in the world. I think we should start a program of reeducation based on her expertise, which is none.

@JenerationH Ultimately we are ultimately disagreeing on interpretation of data. She has interpreted the data differently to the WHO, NHS and health organisations around the world. She has interpreted the data for her book, it makes good sales as it fits with her narrative but she has a bias. Her book also advocates crying it out from what I can see, something I’d personally never consider. Her controversial conclusions that don’t fit any medical advice clearly make for good book sales.

Maybe all medical professionals have interpreted the data incorrectly and this economist is right but I’m not willing to gamble. As I said in my original post that you apparently take issue with, women should be encouraged to make informed choices rather than just told by midwives to give formula without offering any sort of support.

Havent read the full thread, but I had the same experience too OP. I just couldn't get my dd to latch on to one side and dd was losing weight so midwife put us straight onto a ff plan. I basically combi fed , breastfed with one side and gave formula top up to make up for the other. I tried expressing but hardly anything came out. Many months later, I was chatting to another mummy in a park and she mentioned that she had to consult a breastfeeding consultant, and believe it or not, that was the first time I had ever heard of one. We should have been told about breastfeeding consultants at the antenatal classes. I wish my midwife was more helpful with encouraging breastfeeding.

well given i was ignored by midwives once they saw id started formula, i have to disagree, BF is pushed above all else. They didnt even want to tell me where i could make a bottle or get warm water from
If you BF in that hospital, you got the red carpet
if the midwives had their way, id have been bf my way to PND and starved baby

BUT id say its hospital dependant
Every women should feed how SHE wants and have the support she needs to help that happen, be that FF or BF

I think breast is always preferred by HCPs of possible, however a tiny baby can’t be left unfed so there’s not that long you can wait before it has to be formula. And I know you didn’t like to hear it but formula will not harm them. Starving will.

I would have said the opposite.