Manchester Mummy that brought a tear of recognition to my eye. I was 'well-informed' I thought, and extremely pro-breastfeeding, and had not considered the possibility that it sometimes doesn't work for some women. I thought that was flakey, much as so many women who have successfully breastfed seem to do. However, my ds, despite a wonderful latch and persistent sucking, was not getting any milk. I didn't know it, and was so puzzled by his continuing weight loss over the first two weeks. Numerous health visitors handled me and tried to coax something out after this time, and it was established that I just wasn't producing milk. I took Fenugreek tablets and tried everything I could to make it start, but nothing helped. Eventually my concerned hv told me he needed a proper meal, I cried and cried and then gave him a bottle of formula and he was a changed (less desperate) baby.
My aunt, who is a retired midwife, told me what a shame it was that I'd given him a bottle, as did my cousin who is a midwife, saying that she doesn't know any right-minded midwife who'd recommend it. I felt like such a failure. 18 months down the line, my ds is the healthiest baby in his antenatal group (including compared to those breastfed). No asthma, exzema, infections, bugs, constipation, weight issues, all of which have been experienced by the others. I'm so grateful to the formula for rescuing my baby when he was in need! I find it really difficult when people who haven't experienced this write off non-breastfeeding mothers as lazy, stupid or ill-informed.