seeing thru the breastmilk propaganda

[thegauntlet]

Phew. It is really hard to see any impartial raw advice about the benefits or problems of weaning/ mixed feeding after 6 months.

Gorgeous girl is 5 and a half months, having a couple of teaspoons of baby rice now ( eek!) I am finding breastfeeding increasingly hard; since I had a horrid strep throat last week, and haven't actually slept for more than 4 hours at a stretch since she was born... my milk supply is duff. I am pumping like mad to try to get it better- and trying to get some rest and good food ( sod the diet for the time being!) so... I am thinking ( just thinking.... ) about follow on milk...

I dont want to feel guilty. Because once she has it I cant take it back....

My mum suggested cows milk ( i know!)
Im back to work when she is 7 months.I was planning on pumping.

So.... whats the evidence for the benefits of breast over anything else past 6 months please? ( be impartial.... breastfeeding milliants!)

tw well done. You have been eloquent and have said all I would wish to say in the context. Unfortunately you have been stonewalled, as is my experience on this particular topic.

I totally understand your point of view, but such is the doggedness of certain posters that your very reasonable POV will have no impact at all.

I think we all have to accept that the "I will only ever EBF" contingent will never have a meeting of minds with the rest of us who do the best we can.

Incidentally MC I thought you had said you would never feed your babies formula?

I can see Toddler's point, but I too doubt that in the middle of the night any information given verbally by the MW or HV would have been any help. In Scotland every pregnant mother is given the book Ready, Steady, Baby and this contains full instructions on formula feeding. Doesn't the NHS Pregnancy book in England have the same information?

Incidentally Toddler, I was in exactly the situation you describe with DS. I can't remember how he got his first formula feed - I think DH did it all. What I do remember is the sheer desperation of it all, so I really do sympathise with you.

I think though, for the reasons I gave earlier, that I do agree with people who say that information about combination feeding given as a matter of course is probably not the right way to go.

I said I won't be ff in the future and I won't. It's 12 years on and things are different. Doesn't mean I have forgotten though.

for medical reasons (breast disease on one side and no milk ducts after surgery to remove a lump on the other) i have had to mix feed, with heavy emphasis on formula. it's been very difficult for me to accept this and not feel i am letting my baby down. anyway - my point is that i had to struggle to get info on ff prior to giving birth, even though everyone i saw knew my circumstances. if i have to ff, i wanted to make sure before giving birth when my brain is less sleep deprived that i knew exactly how to do it safely. some guidance on amounts and types of bottle would have been useful too. eventually a mw gave me some leaflets on ff saying that it against all her natural instincts to do so. thanks - make me feel better about things why don't you!! i also had to struggle to get any support or information from bf specialists prior to the birth - again i wanted to be as prepared as possible. i'm pleased to say that post-birth people have been a hell of a lot more supportive, both in helping me to bf as far as possible, advising on ff and accepting the limitations i face. she's 6 weeks now and i am proud of my achievement to have got some breast milk into her every day - i'm trying to focus on those positives rather than what i have not been able to do for dd.

cardamonginger stupid, stupid midwife! I'm afraid there are a lot about who don't seem to be able to think about offering individualised support and care for individual mums. (Came across one such in labour this time - idiot). If someone plans to ff or mix feed they should be given timely information IMO. How does refusing to help mums promote healthy babies which is ultimately what it's all about. But a planned or actual bf mum doesn't need that information until/if she will be using formula. No one size fits all model works, ever. From what you've said, you're doing a great job and should be very proud of yourself

Tiktok said what I wanted to say, better, here: "What you can't have is someone with you at midnight, standing and confirming that what you are doing it fine and correct and safe."

I am wondering if you asked for information on ff and was told that the midwives couldn't give that information to you.

If that was the case, it is incorrect. Individual instruction, preferably in one's own kitchen, and leaving the mother with written instruction (the DOH has printed information on how to prepare ff at home and in nursery care) for health professionals and for mothers.

Many midwives seem to think that because they are to support breastfeeding they cannot provide relevant information about formula feeding.

cardamomginger what a tactless thing for a midwife to say. Giving the information and then commenting that it was against all her natural instincts? words fail me. her professional responsibility to you and her baby has nothing to do with how she may feel as a mother and to me those words are patronizing and undermining.

sorry, didn't complete my thoughts. I meant to say:

If that was the case, it is incorrect. Upon request, individual instruction, preferably in one's own kitchen, and leaving the mother with written instruction is what a MW or HV should do. The DOH has printed information on how to prepare ff at home and in nursery care for health professionals and for mothers.

yeah, i came to the conclusion that they were just stupid, especially when they kept arguing with me telling me that i might be able to bf on the side with no ducts, that i wouldn't know until i tried and that i should keep giving things a little squeeze to test?!?!?!! er - no. no ducts = no way for the milk to get out! are the people not taught basic anatomy of the breast and the mechanics of bf???

Thegauntlet - you have been astonishingly rude to those of us who breastfeed - I suspect because what you wanted was reassurance from FF mums that if you want to knock it on the head now, it won't make any difference.

But to knock out all the insults and answer your questions anyway...

Don't give her cow's milk until she is one - if it's between that and formula, clearly formula is the way to go.

Your milk supply cannot be duff if you've breastfed a baby for five and a half months. Are you judging that by how well you pump? Lots of people can BF brilliantly but never get on with pumping.

I BF until 13 months and had to give up because I'd like to TTC and my periods haven't come back yet. I also now have a shocking cold and am regretful that I cannot pass on the antibodies to this to my DD in breastmilk as I always had before. This is actually a really good reason to keep on breastfeeding when you go back to work - especially if your DD is going to a new nursery. It's extra support for her immune system and means you won't be returning to work and then immediately having to deal with a poorly baby who's dealing with nursery bugs solo for the first time.

Your DD will also love having her breastmilk after being without you in the day. She'll find it immensely reassuring.

But if you do change to follow-on milk (which is 6 months plus of course, so you'd probably want ordinary formula at first), you've still done a good thing BF her for her first five and a half months.