Why can't we just all breatsfeed?

[pupuce]

Seeing the recent debates on breastfeeding, I didn't want to take part in the discussion as I didn't feel I could add to the debate but I was reading this and thought.... why is it that so many women who ended up bottlefeeding have stories of "not enough milk", "baby not thriving", etc.... so we have a BF rate in this country of barely 1 in 2 babies breastfed after 1 week (that's not impressive if you do know that breast is best)... why is it that the Swedes have 98%....
I am sure it's a combination of factors.... but it does mean that too many people in this country have a "wrong reason" for not BF.... surely many women have not enough information about milk production to feel that they truly didn't have enough milk....

OK - am I starting world war 3 ??? hope not

BTW, Moondog, I chose my favoured brand of formula (Babynat) because it was was organic, had LCPs and came in a really cute tin.
You see - I don't think it is poison! And OF COURSE I would NEVER tell someone they weren't a great mother because they didn't or couldn't breastfeed.
Sorry Legle, got mixed up with who I was replying to there!

Leglebegle I used the phrase "bottlefeeding terrorists" as a tongue in cheek phrase. There are so many references to the breastfeeding terrorists/mafia/brigade which people seem to find acceptable. I used it to make this point. Do you not think that there are certainly some bottlefeeding fans who are as passionate about bottle feeding as bf-ers are about bf-ing? If the description fits one it fits the other. It is definitely not a description I would use and mean it. I don't give a flying $$$$ how people choose to feed their baby. I do care about not being allowed to have a rational discussion about a subject though.

Hear hear Aloha.

As a bottle and breastfeeding terrorist, my reason for bottlefeeding is that I didn't get any support and in the great scheme of things, it was the least of my worries. At the time it was a terrible disappointment (especially as I'd had such problems with the first one but eventually succeeded) but hey, I got over it, as so many people have said, motherhood is about so much more than breastfeeding, but that doesn't mean I want future mothers to be left as abandoned and unsupported as I was - I want real choice for ALL mothers, not just those with fantastic MWs, HV's and DP's and who have read all the books before birth. And I think this thread is a real attempt to examine why it is that mothers in the UK are left with no choice but to bottlefeed. I haven't once felt condemned or judged by anything anyone has said on this thread - most people have made it very plain that they don't condemn anyone for bottlefeeding, they condemn a system which leaves us no choice. And who could be against more choice for women?

Maria, It was more of a "don't get it" to be honest, but thank you. Your right sterilising isn't exaclty taxing. I was thiking more of measuring bottles, water temperature, making up the powder, that sort of thing v's just pulling out a breast. (i still stand that there is nothing wrong with bottle feeding!) I have experienced both and breast was just totally hassel free.

We were very lazy and just made up a big jug and then poured into separate bottles...

And for the record, my comments on this thread (and the other) were genuine attempts to answer the questions peple asked...Now, the fact that some people didn't like my genuine responses and felt the need to argue the point is fine. TBH work is very quiet at the moment. As for the babe in question, she's 3.5y old so the time to change my views is long past!

Maria, one question for you. (and this is a genuine question) Purely out of curiostity for someone who sees it differently to the way i do. What was it about breast feeding that you found harder? (again V. genuine question)

Did i kill the thread? Is anyone still there?

PocketTasha, I think it'll take more than that to kill this thread!

lol i thought so, but i was begining to wonder! good point earlier by the way.. It what i was trying to say earlier too.

i dont like being lumped with people as in " terrorist" or brigade - although terrorist is quite appealing. especially as its turned into a them and us argument after many mums on both sides have tried to make each side consider the other in terms of personal stories.

i think this thread is a fucking disgrace and am pissed off with the title of it to and think more consideration should have been taken like " how could we further encourage breastfeeding"

hind sight is a wonderful thing! just so many people with so many opinions, it has gotten out of hand a bit.

Gobbledigook - I am sorry you feel so angry.

Thank goodness, Caligula - you and just a few others seem to have actually got into the spirit of the thread. Hooray!

Custardo - titles of threads can be provocative, the question in the 1st post wasn't.... don't tell me you never read past a provocative headline.... and this title wasn't that provocative anyway (and wasn't meant to stir such worfs as the one you jsut used).... if it was to provocative to you, I apologise...
Thank you to those who have understood it and answered

Don't need anyone to feel sorry for me but thanks anyway!

Ha ha ha ha!! This is hilarious!

Eulalia doesn't feel sorry for you - she is sorry you feel angry... not quite the same.

Moondog - "(as I note does my old sparring partner Gobbledigook! She's getting a bit of hammering next door too! Feel almost sorry for her..)"

See, she feels sorry for me!

Which other post am I getting a slating on?? I'm not on another post and have been out all afternoon!!

I was wondering that too, GDG.

Moondog thinks I'm quite funny .

pupuce i agree that your first post was not - therefore that wasnt mentioned by me at least. apology accepted in reference to the title of this thread

Yeah sorry Gobbledigook, head whirring now with all this stuff, and I suppose by now every time I see your name I just assume that you are p***g someone else off.

Yes, Puff is a laugh, and I like the sound of motherinferior who pops up all over the place.
Can't she come over and play?

Someone made a comment about b/feeding being so hard in the early stages when you are half deadafterbirth that they almost wished you could bottle feed for the first week or so while you recover. I must sat that even I with my Pavlovian response to all mention of bottles and formula (eyes glow green, head swivels through 360 degrees and sound like Darth Vader)have often thought that but never voiced it for fear of inducing a heart attack in family and friends!!

Maybe it's God's way of saying
'Woman, if you can handle this you can handle ANYTHING!!!'

Certainly how I felt afterwards anyway.

Damn it damn it damn it, just can't keep away can I??
Probably a direct result of living in a country where hardly anyone speaks my language and vice versa. (I am slowly going quite quite mad..)

Where do you live moondog and where did you have your baby(ies?). Just looking for country comparisons.

Actually I had a nice fat juicy insult but I thought nah why lower myself. Moderator you are right, don't let the bad eggs spoil it.

Merely in retaliation. I don't know you so wouldn't be unprovoked would it?