why dont younger mums breas feed

[codswallop]

on the whole?
18 year ikd nighbour has just had a baby !) musch to her parents horror.. and isnt even trying to b feeed.
why is this?

I didn't know there were any benefits of early weaning

This conversation is boggling to me. There are many studies showing that breast milk is better. They work to make formula milk as close to breast milk as possible. As they find new great things about breast milk (e.g. different fats that help the brain grow) they work to copy those new great things in formula, where possible. That's a fairly clear sign that breast milk is the ideal and formula is a (reasonably good) copy.

But they can't put antibodies in formula, targetted to whatever bugs your baby faces, as we put in breast milk (in response to whatever bugs are in our environment). And no doubt there are plenty of interesting things in breast milk that they don't yet understand and haven't yet copied.

And yeah, if you use formula carefully, the risk to your baby is minimal. It's not really matter of, without formula your baby would be perfect, and without it, it's dead! I think it's more a question of, your baby gets an extra ear infection because of formula. Or they get a cold, which lasts a few days longer than it would have if you were breastfeeding. It's not anything obvious you can point to and say, "aha, formula!". It's a tiny tiny risk.

OK. I don't think that this discussion is really about risk of death, I think that's a "useful" red herring that's been picked up as something to argue against. The idea that "bottlefeeding must be OK because my children are OK" doesn't make much sense to me- the decision has already been taken before you know what the outcome will be. My thoughts on MMR have absolutely nothing to do with this discussion. And there I will leave it except to say excellent post, NotQuiteCockney.

Tiktok, I like your running across the street analogy. I was going to suggest that saying "my bottle fed baby is perfectly healthy" is a bit like saying "my gran smoked 40 a day and lived till she was 100".

First let me emphatically state that I'm not comparing the "risks" of bottle feeding with the risks of smoking. But maybe because smoking is such an extreme example it can illustrate how anecdotal evidence really is irrelevant.

We've all heard stories of heavy smokers living into ripe old age, but I don't think anyone would argue that smoking isn't harmful just because of those examples.

I don't believe that in the developed world any individual baby is more likely to die because they are bottle fed. On the other hand, I think it has been proven that formula fed babies have more illnesses and a greater incidence of allergies (in general) than breastfed babies.

In my opinion it's another factor to consider when making the choice of whether to breast or formula feed. It's a plus for breastfeeding, jsut as there are plusses for bottlefeeding, such as someone else being able to feed the baby. Each woman has to weigh the factors for herself and her family.

Gobledigook decided that in her case the plusses for bottle feeding outweighed the plusses for breastfeeding, and she shouldn't need to justify herself, nor is she putting her baby at risk.

I know there are people who "prop" bottles, so in some cases I'm sure bottle fed babies aren't held as often as breastfed babies. My oldest who was bottle fed was always held when feeding.

for me, the decision to breastfeed wasn't so much about any negative aspects of formula, but more about the positives of breastfeeding (eg research from Dundee showing even at age 7, children who'd been breastfed as babies had half the number of admissions to hospital for respiratory infections, taking into account other variables)

some little girls (aged about 8) visitng their aunt (who bottle fed from the start) when i was having dd2 looked completely goggle eyed when they saw me breastfeeding, so i let them come closer to see what i was doing. I don't think they'd ever seen anyone breastfeeding before, so it would never have been an option for them.

In my case as a (middle-class) teenage mother to dd1 I breasfed for 6 weeks because it was normal, even desirable, in those days to bottlefeed. All advice from health workers (and my mother) was to change to the bottle as soon as possible. The doctor gave you tablets "to dry up your milk". Breastfeeding was not done in public (even in front of people in your house) and there were no mother and baby rooms at all. It was socially inconvenient to breastfeed, basically you were trapped at home, and this was not appealing to a young mother who wanted to go out a lot.

I think this is about education, confidence and support. If you know enough about the benefits of education and understand enough to see this in a statistical and fact-based way, rather than in a "I was breastfed and I am fine"-way, then you will give your baby breastmilk. Of course breastmilk is better. I don't even think there is a point in arguing about it.

breasts are for breastfeeding. that is their main purpose of existence. human babies deserve human milk. anyone who chooses to give their baby formula should do so with this knowledge, and then just get on with it. theres no point in going on and on about which is better. species specific milk is always better, but there are sometimes very good reasons not to give it, this whole argument is very tiring.

I had my first child at 18 14 years ago and it never occured to me not to breastfeed, I put her to the breast as soon as she was born and breastfed her until she was 9 months old , my 2 sons were also both breast fed frombirth.my dd who was born in july this year was breast fed from birth but sadly I was rushed to hospital after 7 weeks with a suspected blood clot to the lung, I was put on a high dose of warfarin and had to stop b/f which broke my heart and Im sure led to me delevoping pnd along with other things.I felt like my bond had been severed and still havent got over it, by the time I came off thr warfarin she wouldnt breast feed anymore which was soul destroying, but in my case if it werent for formula I wouldnt have been able to feed her at all, however I cant really understand why people dont at least try breastfeeding, after all thats what they are for at the end of the day

Very good points, imho, NQC. X

aloha - I think you have a point. It seems clear that there are not many who have made a clear cut decision to bottle-feed (if you have then fine that is good if you are happy with your decision). There is a sort of grey area between the intention to b/feed prior to birth and sometime after when it fails and women give up (usually around 6 weeks). I'd say that most women aren't at all happy with their decision, hence the regrets and guilt... I'd say it wasn?t even a ?decision? in a lot of cases. I mean it's pretty hard to decide against formula if you are struggling after a difficult birth and the nurses are waving bottles in your face, pulling your boobs left, right and centre and you've maybe got a partner who isn't supportive? then you go onto have problems at home and it all turns bad. If the formula hadn?t been offered and the feeding sorted out within the first day or so then it could have been different. I know that the formula my son had in hospital and the refusal for a breastpump seriously interfered with my supply..

I think that time just after birth is crucial and you can?t be wishy-washy about it ? like ?oh well give it a go but if it doesn?t work then just put him on formula? I mean that is almost inviting failure before you even start. Unfortunately you have to be quite militant about it at that time and maybe that is why the Norway models work, they just get on with it and then fine they can always decide to give up afterwards but at least then you?ve got a choice. Again I stress this is only the case for women who want to breastfeed but it seems that nearly all do, or are at least open to the idea of it.

If I had my time again with my ds I would have gone to a breastfeeding support group before the birth, not after, bought my La Leche Book months before and done lots of research, taken a pump into hospital with me and refused the formula. Fortunately we did succeed but it took 6 weeks of hard work to get there, and ALL of those problems could have been avoided.

Whoops sorry wrong thread, let me just cut and paste....

I have read a great deal of medical research on BF and not surprisingly found that older women (i.e. over 30) who are well-educated (i.e university degrees) tend to BF for the longest period. I was horrified to find out that only around 22% of UK women BF at 6 months. my personal view (if that matters ) is that younger women want to be out and about and it is very easy to hand a bottle of formula to their mothers or friends while they nip out for a few hours every day. Plus, judging from the looks I get from people (including other women!!)when I breast feed in public (I am 36 and have a 5 month old exclusively BF baby boy) I wouldn't be surprised that teenage mums would be considered "uncool" by peers if they BF. In conclusion, without wanting to sound like a snob, I think that BF is a matter of education (or rather lack of), and I don't think the NHS is doing enough about it. My own female GP knows absolutely nothing about BF and I would never even consider going to her or a HV for help. Everything I know about BF has been obtained through books and from the internet.

In conclusion, without wanting to sound like a snob,

Well, you do......

Sorry that you feel I sound like a snob. What I have said here is based on scientific/sociological data. Please refer to UNICEF statistics on BF in the UK (you can find these on the net) which divide BF mothers into various social classes.

thought this arguement had been dropped.

I found the comment that I am a snob offensive, especially as I was simply stating a scientific/sociological fact about BF in the UK.

I'm a snob and I don't care what anyone thinks about it!

I did bottlefeed though and ds1 starting off saying 'ta' so perhaps that's just my perception and really I'm in the gutter (along with my degree and other post-grad qualifications)

Message withdrawn

NOOOOooooo!! I thought this thread had died a death!!!

I promise I will shut from now on - this is my last word ! Apologies to anyone I have offended as I am new to this website and came to it with an open mind. Instead of the word "education" I should have said "information". My personal, often extremely difficult experience trying to get to grips with BF, indicates that there are many myths out there about BF and the only way to get rid of these myths is through accurate, scientific info. provided to first-time mothers when and where they need it most - during pregnancy and in hospitals.

sheesh, I go away for 2 weeks and look at all the scandal I've missed out on

In no way do I want to start more arguements but reigniting an old thread but i learnt something today and wanted to share.
A young girl over the road from me (about 16) gave birth a couple of weeks ago, when this thread originally took place I thought of her and immediately assumed she wouldn't breastfeed. I spoke to her incredibly supportive mum today who informed me that she is breastfeeding succesfully, had no intention of doing so but whilst left alone after the birth thought she would try it. Apparently she hasn't looked back, and is shocked at what a wonderful experience it has been for her.
I have to admit I feel thoroughly ashamed for being so judgemntal, but very warmed by the fact that it has been positive for her, perhaps less pressure is the key, she didn't feel pressured and was more prepared to give it a try. Much love to all and no arguements please!! xx

you are brave reviving this again...............

just thought i'd add... I was 20 when i fell pregnant with ds, 21 when i gave birth. i was always going to bf and did. He is now three and i am going to bf this baby due in jan. I think that perhaps the question this thread based on is a little unfair.