Why do I never find these discussions on the days when they are lively?
Anyway, it seems the debate got off-topic somewhat but I wanted to add my two cents worth and comment on some of the other issues which have been raised.
Firstly, why is it assumed by some people that women breastfeed because they feel pressurised to or feel guilted into it? I don?t believe this is the experience of most breast feeders, is it?
I have never berated anyone who chose to formula feed or made any negative comments towards any of my friends who gave up breastfeeding early. There are many choices we make as parents which affect the health and well-being of our children and choosing to breastfeed is just one of those.
However, I do think it is important for the health professionals to continue to promote it - even if that means they come across as very gung ho. The breastfeeding rate in this country is pretty poor so you?ve got to expect it to be a major issue and a major concern.
Breastfeeding does have health benefits over formula feeding. Why should that information not be shared with pregnant women? Whilst we all have anecdotal evidence which points to the contrary e.g. ?My breastfed child has allergies? ?I was formula fed and I am perfectly healthy? these stories don?t account for much in the scientific world. Many, many studies are carried out by the scientific community which reveal more and more about the potential benefits of breastfeeding, why would we want to live in a country where our health service chose not to share this information with us. Where is the informed choice?
You cannot stop promoting breastfeeding just so as not to make formula feeding mothers feel bad. How would it be if we applied the same logic to smoking during pregnancy. What if midwives stopped handing out those leaflets that tell pregnant women how they might harm their unborn child if they continue to smoke?
I was born during the formula feeding generation. I was formula fed. If breastfeeding hadn?t been promoted to me by the Health Service, no-one else would have been selling it to me. In this country, growing up, the visual images we see are babies being fed with a bottle. This is the norm. Until my SIL had her baby 5 years ago, I didn?t know that people still breastfed!
I breastfed my dd for about 9 months and had a good experience with it?. But I am still feel I need to seek support for my endeavour to breastfeed my second baby due in September. Since having my dd 3 people I know have had babies - people who I would have expected to breastfeed - and none of them lasted exclusively for more than a few weeks. Add to that my SIL, who was my role model for exclusively breastfeeding her first for so long, making the choice to supplement her second baby with formula from week 2, and I feel very on my own. I feel like the mug who has got it wrong and now I feel like I have to refresh my mind with why I thought breastfeeding was best in the first place.
I agree that continued support after the birth for those who want to breastfeed is so important. I?m really sorry to hear that people didn?t get the support they needed after they had their babies and encountered difficulties with breastfeeding. All the midwives I dealt with were wonderful and I got a lot of support. When my community midwife visited after the birth, she was concerned I wasn?t eating enough and tried to get me to go to a breastfeeding group in a Sure Start area where you get a free hot meal I guess I was lucky.