Bottle feeding, why are we looked down on (sorry its long)

[jofeb04]

Hiya all,
My ds is now 10 months, but since he was born we fed him with a bottle. However, this wasnt by choice.
However, i noticed that other mums always looked down at me because of this.
The reason why we bottle fed him was because once he was born, a pediatrition had to look over him (for quite a while), we he didnt go stright to the beast. Due to the method that he was born under, he had a severe head ache, so bad that he wouldnt let you pick him up.
He then went to neonatel for 6 days, and i expressed for him, but it was extreamly hard, as he needed to be fed every hour on the hour to low blood suger, infection and possibly hyperthumia. The doctor asked if it was ok to bottle feed him, we said yes, as it was the best thing to do for him.
We carried on bottle feeding once we got him home, and he loved it.
However, once we were home, the midwife that visited always tried to latch him on, even though ny ds didnt want to. He got stressed, i got stressed. When my hv came, she was alot more understanding. However, I noticed that other mums were the wrost, saying all sorts of things, from "you should breast feed him, not bottle" to "you'r gonna injure your son, making him use a bottle".
Please breastfeeding mums (I dont mean any of you though!!), when you see a bottle fed baby, dont always assume its just because mum doesnt want to.

No, no quotes from any policemen. The inference that they were offended was only in the paper - a gossip column-type item. Just sneery and unpleasant in general.

The inference being of course, is that we should all be offended when a mother breast feeds her baby in public.

God, that rag.

Or that all breastfeeding mothers whip them out anywhere anytime, whether it's 'appropriate' or not . Imagine breastfeeding making news - can you imagine it being written about if she had bottle fed?

Actually,
I have read lots of things said about celeb mums who bottlefeed. 'You always see them in OK! Bottlefeeding their babies,they should be promoting breastfeeding...'
Anyway,how dare the Mail suggest that she was in the wrong in wanting to feed her hungry child!

Okay,I'm a bit behind here,is she back with him?
Last I saw she was saying how she was preparing for life as a single mum!

And Caligula, she was actually in her own home !!

!!! Blimey I missed that bit!

If the Mail wasn't so powerful, it would be hilarious.

Amazed that some mothers could be so insensitive but can sort of understand! When you finally "crack" breastfeeding (took me 3 babies) you get a bit evangelical about it!

No doubt at all that all other things considered , breast is best.
BUT sometimes when other, unusual things are considered (like in your case) breast aint an option, in which case, thank the Lord for formula!

Hope your litle babe is thriving.

I'm sure the poor embarassed copper went straight back to a canteen decked with Page 3 tear-outs and related his trauma to all and sundry. The Mail really does hate women...

Just scanned this thread - had to as it's soooo long! I'm b/f dd1 just now and am only one from ante natal and baby massage class to do so - have received all the comments about tits down to my knees etc. Also, I may be paranoid, but feel as if other mums think I'm smug hippy (which I'm not), I'm just choosing what I think works best for me and my baby. (I'm lazy and I don't have to sterilise my boobs)

It's already been said - but there is no right or wrong way to do it - just make the choice that suits your circumstances and best of luck to all - as if we've not got enough to worry about.

whisper I'm still in shock that aloha occasionally writes for the Mail And I took you to be such a sensible person too, aloha

They pay awfully well and very promptly ....and, more seriously, I wouldn't write something I thought was wrong...

weeboagie I am laughing at "smug hippie".
That is exactly what I turned into!
Did try to hide it though

Jasper, I am smug hippy now too (when think about how I am feeding ds). Am neurotic anti "BF MAFIA" (please note use of dbl quotation marks) when think about probs had w feeding dd

good on you Dinny.
Us smug hippies need to stand proud , well slouch because of course we will have our babies clinging around us

Yes, smug hippies don't stand proud, they stand (in sandals, natch) with one hip higher than the other, toddler held casually on lower hip, baby in sling, floppy skirt and flowers in long (mussed-up) hair.

Hospital thought I was an 'earth mother' as had DS in water with no pain relief. Wasn't, was just lucky I didn't need anything else. So was left on my own to work out breastfeeding for myself. Managed eventually but not without (many) tears. Am totally unsmug about it as I know how hard it can be without support.

exactly same here, HM, with both mine (except hated being in water both times, just wanted to stand up). so they thought I would't need help bfing either (did first time, didn't the second).

I wonder why they think that if you had an easy birth you won't need help with bf. Is there any particular medical reason for that (is there a correlation between easy labours and ease of bf)?

It's an odd assumption. I had nightmare emerg c-section but bf has gone ok. That said, I did plan a water birth at a birth centre, so perhaps my hippy credentials were still partially intact

oh FFS
if anybody reads the exchange where I mentioned BF mafia you will understand it was a bloody joke and anyone who takes it out of that context has not read the thread properly -honestly this place has got ridiculous of late.

I guess people just want to check that you had heard the message that 'breast is best'.

Its a bit unavoidable though isn't it.

Maybe they are not looking down on you, but feel a bit sorry for you as most mums who breast feed can't imagine why other mums would not want to and maybe don't think about every possible eventuality leading to bottle feeding.

Why does everyone in the world think other people are having a dig at them!! It seems to cause so many problems. Just ignore people, follow your own path in life.