Any mums out there who simply chose not to breastfeed??

[YummyorSlummy]

For the reason that they didn't really want to? I bottlefed from the offset as I wanted my dh to do his share and had a bad pregnancy so wanted to give my body a rest after giving birth. Just wondering if any other women simply decided not to bf from the start??

You must have known Yummy that any thread with the subject you raised would be a heated one - especially since I noticed you posting on another bf post earlier today which got pretty nasty.....

LOL I never once stated that 'breastfeeding is a load of rubbish' I may even bf my next child. I was just saying that I made the decision that was right for me at the time and that it hasn't done any harm to my child. Happy mum= happy babt

*baby I meant lol

In my area 50% of mothers choose to bottle feed from birth. You are not alone.

I don't think it is necessarily informed choice - it is because they don't want to. If informed, why would you not want to at least try?

BTW - I have no problemn with women choosing not to, especially when they say it is because they don't want to. That is really honest. It saves hiding behind other untrue reasons which clouds number of actual breastfeeding problems that there are.

Ok, was going to reply properly, but

happy mum = happy baby

gets right on my tits (pun intended)

I don't care how other people feed thier kids.

Thier baby, their body, thier perogative.

I just don't see how, for someone who went straight to FF without ever trying breastfeeding (without a medical problem like HIV or some epliepsy etc) it can be held up as anything other than a selfish decision!

Making other mums feel bad???

What is the point of this thread?? Its been done before, over and over.

Of course some people choose to ff and not bf, of course they do. What a pointless, certain to cause bad-feeling post.

I breastfed all my children. DH got pneumococcal meningitis at 6 months old - he nearly died and I am confident that the antibodies in breastmilk saved him. My consultant paediatrician told me that too.

That is why I wish women would at least try.

I bottle fed all 3 of my dc's. During my first pregnancy I was adamant i was going to breast feed, but when it came to the crunch I felt really squeamish about it - sorry being honest here. I then had a hideous first labour and a baby that wouldn't latch on after all the pethidine I'd had and no support from the hosp (dd1 was given her first milk from a bottle by the mw while I was recovering). After a month of having my boobs squished by hv's me and dd1 had had enough so I went to the bottle. Second preg I decided I didn't want all the guilt so just put ds straight onto bottle. Same with dd2, although really wished I'd given it a chance - apart from health benefits, it would have been so much easier than lugging bottles around with 2 more lo's in tow.

I have been made to feel guilty at toddler groups when getting out my bottle and have had snide remarks from 'friends' about my decision. But, it was my decision, it doesn't make me a bad mum and I have 3 happy healthy kids!

makemineamagnum has a very good point.

This has been done to death and is unlikely to achieve anything but starting a slanging match.

I'm off - have fun!

How many times is this silly argument going to continue over which is best. Yes breast is best.But not the only option. Sometimes for particular reasons, only the mother can know what is the best thing for her and the baby. I would rather be a happy bottlefeeding mum than one being forced to breastfeed by people who get off on thinking they are better than others for doing it.

I've noticed that these threads go nowhere....

ff mummies will agree as will bf mummies.

I have bf both my babies - DD1 until she was 3 and am still feeding DD2 who is 2.

I love bf and would always recommend it to new mothers.

Having said that, I don't give two hoots what other mothers choose to do, as long as they are comfortable with their choice and have made an informed decision.

I think what riles bf supporters so much is the manipulated info supplied by new mothers by formula companies. New mums are so vulnerable, and no-one for a minute would ever suggest that a mother would risk the health of their precious new born. Just be aware that not everything published is accurate and as has already been mentioned there is a lot of money to be made....how sad.

Like I said Yummy who cares what other people think? I know what I'm doing is the best I can do....sounds like you feel the same...

Jay11 this is exactly my point. I never implied that ff is better than bf but it was my decision, I am a good mum and think its very unsisterley the way that other mums look down on bottlefeeders and judge them. If I bf with my next baby (which will depend on circumstances at the time) I will certainly not think mums who ff are somehow not as good!

Well, I have ff DD1, bf to 6months DD2, bf to 1yr DS1 and will bf this one until he gives up.

I never got comments while ff, always when bf, from family and friends and strangers. "Still doing that, are you?"

Nobody has said mums are bad for ff, just that with proper support and advice, most mums can bf. Problem is, mums don't often get that support so end up feeling like they've failed, when really it's hcps that have failed them!

Oh, and I had pnd with all 3, not happy mum at all so comments like that rile me. It's like saying my babies are unhappy because I have pnd!

But I don't see why I shouldnt start a thread about bottlefeeding for fear of some people who seem to be 'angry' at my personal choice. There are lots of threads on breastfeeding! I just wanted to here whether there were other mums on here who'd made similar choices. I think its very wrong to make anyone feel inadequete for or like a bad mum simply because they chose to ff their child. We should all be supportive of other mums!

Not at all Stretch, PND is a different thing all together. I simply meant that I should be happy about my feeding decisions as I wanted to enjoy motherhood.

'I think its very wrong to make anyone feel inadequete for or like a bad mum simply because they chose to ff their child. We should all be supportive of other mums!'

I fully agree, Yummy. But that isn't what an OP like yours will achieve. Like I said, it has been done, ad infinitum and then some. All it does is cause bad feeling.

just wanted to ask if anyone knew if it was right that if you bf baby then you shouldnt give them a dummy?