when i had my last baby a year ago, i honestly thught formula was almost as good as breastmilk

[codhotbod]

didn't realise there was all these risks involved in giving formula, if i had i would of percivered more with the bf.

i bet theeres lots of women that think formulas almost as good.

Lulumama can you email me the posters to msrlmoss @ hotmail . com? (Take out the spaces!)

Have to speak to NSF actually have been up the wall.

thanks for that. and agree with your post about post natal support for b/f. felt quite adrift and that they weren't all that bothered about it at the hosp.

ok, but does that mean that we cannot discuss it AT ALL on this board in case it upsets anyone who has not breastfed for medical reasons? that would hide the information from everyone.

i see what you are saying, but do not see how it is practical

the amount of women who cannot breastfeed due to medical reasons is most likely a lot smaller than those who choose not to breastfeed , possibly due to lack of information about issues such as this

I do see the need for more support though as where I live, there isn't any really.

i can;t , RTP , as the hospital did them, so i have the paper copies... sorry! don;t worry

Finallypregnant, I disagree-plenty of people don't know that breast is best. Lots of people I know think that it is just a message trotted out by the midwives and don't put any thought into what is behind it.

I myself mix fed my dd from very early on, partly because for some reason I felt that formula contained more nutrients and vitamins! Never mind almost as good, I thought formula was better!

I also know plenty of people, even those that have breastfed, that don't have the first idea about it. One woman, who breastfed her son for 9 months still thinks that you have 3 different types of milk that are produced independently of each other. She also doesn't believe the supply and demand process and thinks if your baby is feeding frequently you must not have enough milk.

I was lucky in that I had mumsnet and from here was able to source other information about breastfeeding-plenty of people don't use parenting sites and only have the little information given to them by the midwife. Of course they could find more information if they tried but I think a lot of the time it just doesn't occur to them to do so, particularly as that often means challenging their own beliefs as well as those of friends and family. If someone is struggling with frequent breastfeeds and is told by their mum/sister/auntie/friend that they don't have enough milk and the baby would be happier on a bottle they are likely to believe that rather than seeking out further information on breastfeeding.

finallypregnant, i deeply regret not breastfeeding, especially as it is only NOW , that i know that formula was not all i thought it was , so if i am upsetting anyone or scaring anyone, i feel pretty crapola about the whole thing too.

women are told all sorts of reasons they cannot breastfeed

i.e breasts too big/small/ saggy

nipples inverted/ too big / too small

not enough milk/ too much milk/ wrong sort of milk

and told to top up which can stymie succesful breastfeeding...

so i bet a lot of those women could have fed with the right support and info, me being one of them

finallypregnant, i deeply regret not breastfeeding, especially as it is only NOW , that i know that formula was not all i thought it was , so if i am upsetting anyone or scaring anyone, i feel pretty crapola about the whole thing too.

women are told all sorts of reasons they cannot breastfeed

i.e breasts too big/small/ saggy

nipples inverted/ too big / too small

not enough milk/ too much milk/ wrong sort of milk

and told to top up which can stymie succesful breastfeeding...

so i bet a lot of those women could have fed with the right support and info, me being one of them

Is there a website, or anything with these risks on?
Im due ds2 in a few weeks, and would like to read it.
Thanks

finallypregnant, as this is a public forum, there isn't really any such thing as an unnecessary thread. The OP has an issue she feels stongly enough about to post on it, so who are we to judge that it's unnecessary.

As lulu says, pretending that formula is as good as breast milk really doesn't help raise BFing awareness in this country. I alo FF my DS, after five miserable weeks of poorly supported Bfing. I realise that with adequate support i might have gone on longer. Yes I'm upset about it, yes I wish I'd had the gumption to carry on a bit longer, and yes I wish someone had told me what the cons of FF were (rather than use Falrey's it's closest to BM of all the formulas), but I don't think that the subject shouldn't be discussed just to avoid offending my (or anyone elses) sensibilities.

Having now BF my DD for 9mo the guilt at not feeding DS is even worse; I can't change what's been done, but I can do all I can to support other women in their wish to BF, and I should be able to do that without feeling like I'm offending a huge proportion of the childbearing population.

I am possibly being overly sensitive. I have only recently been told that I won't be able to bf due to things that went on in my childhood. Not a subject to be discussed on a forum.

BF has almost been dictated to me since day one but only as a "breast is best" sort of way not with anything that has been discussed above. Plus from other mums that I know in the area, once you have left hospital there isn't much support to new mums.

It is something that I dearly would like to have tried by physically it is impossible for me and seeing articles about "risks" basically scares the crap out of me and makes me feel a bit of a failure even before baby is here.

i am sure there are but most of my info is from books about breastfeeding....

if you google,there will be lots of good stuff

www.kellymom.com

www.howbreastfeedingworks.com

www.laleche.org.uk

www.NCT.org.uk

are all good places to start

I have found that support for breastfeeding is very poor. Reading the posts on this board it's obvious that others feel the same. Please, if you feel this, write to your MP and tell them about it! I'm happy to email copies of the letter I've sent mine if anyone wants to see it - CAT me and let me know.

sorry that sounded a bit ranty , but I hate the whole "don't mention BFing or you'll upset the women who can't/couldn't/chose not to do it school of thought"

i am sorry that something happened to you in your childhood that makes it impossible for you to breastfeed. that must be

as i said earlier, i formula fed both my children, they are well and happy and had no health problems. some babies will become ill due to formula feeding, you can reduce the risks

good hygiene and sterilising

making up formula according to the new guidelines

making up the feeds according to the 1 scoop per oz of water method and not ever adding anything or reducing the amount of formula powder in each bottle

lackadaisy - don't worry. it's just a bit raw for me at the moment and I don't think I worded my original post very well.

Please don't feel a failure finallypregnant - you will do the best for your baby in so many ways.