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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

why dont younger mums breas feed

590 replies

codswallop · 14/11/2004 14:39

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?

OP posts:
baggybear · 14/11/2004 21:43

codswallop - i'm really sorry but i did say i am new tonight so i'm afraid i haven't read about the terrible trouble you had with b/fing. I'm sorry you had problems - i have been there with thrush and wot-not so i do understand. Please accept my apology. Have i made an enemy already???????

moomina · 14/11/2004 21:45
blossomhill · 14/11/2004 21:45

Buka - you obviously haven't been reading this thread. Lots of us have tried and for reasons beyond our control have not been able to continue.
I really do not have to justify my decision to you anyway.

baggybear · 14/11/2004 21:46

BANG yep 1 explosion here!!!

beansmum · 14/11/2004 21:46

buka - you are so right (and much braver than me). everyone knows breast is best and it's a personal choice to give your baby a poor substitute. Fair enough if you really can't bf but give it a go at least.

JoolsToo · 14/11/2004 21:47

buka - I think you'll find that I, at least, have NEVER tried to defend the fact that I didn't breastfeed - why would I? couldn't really give a stuff what anyone else thinks tbh. Personally I think the single most important thing you can do for your child is to love it.

fairydust · 14/11/2004 21:47

i think your way out of order there buka - i do what i think is right for my child regardless of my background.

you could provide with endless information on bf and my decison would be the same - so get off your high horse and respect other people.

At the end of the day we all do what we think is right for our children wether that be bf or bottle and nither is superior than the other.

baggybear · 14/11/2004 21:49

beansmum - in a ideal world every mum should at least give it a go. These ladies that says they can't stand the thought of baby sucking at their nipple might feel differently if only they gave it a go. what have they got to loose?

JoolsToo · 14/11/2004 21:49

beansmum - think what all those Biafran babies would give for that 'poor substitute'

MummyToSteven · 14/11/2004 21:50

yes, breast milk is good for a baby, and has health advantages that formula hasn't re:immunities etc, but bfing is only a relatively small part of motherhood. encouraging your children to eat healthily, exercise regularly, have good values is IMHO even more important than bfing for 6 or so months.

thanks for your post, BH

baggybear · 14/11/2004 21:51

sorry beansmum- i was agreeing with you, forgot to put that!!

blossomhill · 14/11/2004 21:51

You're welcome mts
Yet again I agree 100% with what you say mts

nutcracker · 14/11/2004 21:52

Buka - That is a terrible thing to say, how dare you suggest that people who don't breast feed are not well educated and don't know how to use their brains.

If you are so brainy and well educated surely you should know that you can't judge people on one thing that they did or didn't do.

baggybear · 14/11/2004 21:52

Joolstoo -those poor babies would be fine with the "poor substitute" as long as they have clean water, which most have not

lockets · 14/11/2004 21:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

JoolsToo · 14/11/2004 21:55

baggy so does that mean as we have clean water OUR babies are 'fine' with a 'poor substitute'?

beansmum · 14/11/2004 21:56

lockets - that was said as someone who was definitely too stupid and lazy to use contraception, luckily or I wouldn't have bean. but not stupid enough to bottle feed

hunkermunker · 14/11/2004 21:56

In an ideal world everyone would have a wonderful breastfeeding experience. In this country, lack of support and proper information, both to new mums and a lot of the healthcare professionals who are supposed to be doing the educating and supporting means that not as many who would be able to actually manage to breastfeed.

What we should be doing, instead of getting irate about other people's choices, is supporting other women. I will post more later, but am expressing as I type this one-handed and dinner's nearly ready. Btw Coddy, I can type like this one-handed...

baggybear · 14/11/2004 21:56

well, i'm off now. thanx for a wonderful first night on mn. what a heated discussion - are they all like that. apologies to anyone i may have upset. hope to have many chats with you all in the future. goodnight

fairydust · 14/11/2004 21:57

night baggybear

emkana · 14/11/2004 21:57

I'll be brave and enter the ring...
yes, because we have clean water our babies can thrive on the poor substitute!
The thing is, fairydust - breastmilk is vastly superior to formula. If you are fully aware of the fact and still choose to bottlefeed then that's your prerogative.
But it's just not true that it's basically the same.

JoolsToo · 14/11/2004 21:58

whoa there! stupid now is it? - that's not on bm!

emkana · 14/11/2004 21:59

And I was bottlefed and I am very happy and healthy and intelligent
So I do agree with whoever said that the most important thing is to love your child.

baggybear · 14/11/2004 22:00

sorry joolstoo. thats not wot i meant. i will tell you my honest oppinion - breastfeeding is the best thing you can do for your baby. if you can't then bottle is next best thing. i am NOT anti-bottle feeding just pro b/f. and about the biafrens and formula , more bottlefed babies in those countries die than b/f because they do not have the clean water to mix the formula with and get v ill.

JoolsToo · 14/11/2004 22:00

bm - to use your argument I would say that someone who was too stupid to use contraception and got pregnant could have far more telling problems than someone who was 'too stupid' to breastfeed wouldn't you?