why is there so much pressure to breast feed??

[blondebaby111]

Just that really??!!! At my first midwife app it was thrown In my face abit when I said I wasn't sure yet if I would but I'd feel more comftable doing both. Why are you made to feel like its such a crime. I'm only 12 weeks so have alot more appointments where this will be brought up.

I have friends who have breastfed and have had miserable babies that rarely settle, they are completely flustered with it and some verge on pnt because of all the pressure. Yet the friends that haven't breastfed or done both seem to have happy babies, they are a lot more happier in themselves and generally just so relaxed. So my views are mixed on this.

I don't want to start a debate but I just wish we could all make our minds up without midwives frowning or thinking its bad if we choose not too....just saying!!!

[StealthPolarBear]

If you do some research youll see why it is recommended. Lower risk of hospitalisation from gastroenteritis, lower risk of bronchiolitis, some longer term benefitss for mother and baby. Free and in some ways easier.

[StealthPolarBear]

Ilove do you not get that a lower risk does not equal no risk? That one negative "result" does not disprove the theory. Some people who have never smoked get lung cancer and some people who smoke don't. Does that mean smoking doesn't cause lung cancer?

[MrsHuxtable]

Ilove you just make yourself sound more stupid than you probably are. You're repeating again that you're talking about your own experience, not proven statistics. You might be right in your case but one anecdote does not equal evidence.

Breastfeeding is right for some mothers and wrong for others. Statistically though, it does offer mothers and children some protection from a lot of health issues. And that's a fact!

Unless HCP and scientists in the whole world are in on some sort of conspiracy because they want women to breastfeed.

[SugarandSpice126]

Blondebaby that's because breastingfeeding can be extremely difficult, but that doesn't mean you should stop straight away. So in that way, of course it's a lot harder than getting a bottle of formula.

Anecdotes (eg I wasn't and I'm never ill, or I was and I'm always ill) are never a good means of measuring, because there is no way of comparing how the same child would cope with AND without, because you only have one life! Every child is different, and might be more prone to some illnesses or have a particularly good immune system anyway. And there is no great conspiracy of "made up statistics"...

[meditrina]

In UK, the water supply is safe; electricity generally works; and most people are literate enough to read the instructions to make up formula feeds of modified cows' milk safely. We are therefore lucky that the differences are slight, indeed outliers are overlapping.

But if you want to play the odds, breast is healthier and cheaper; and it's a heck of a lot less faff.

[TotallyBursar]

Really?

We all know anecdotes beat the shit out of science.
Seriously I don't care what you do but you have a lot of choices to make from now on for the health and wellbeing of your child.
You can't make an informed choice if you can't understand the studies and information that build the argument on each side - the hcps you speak to are valuable in delivering the information and NICE guidelines to people that can't be arsed or aren't able to educate themselves about their choices.

Also 'you never see' yes you do, if you look. The hcp will be giving information based on clinical study - their agenda is increasing health outcomes and quality of life which, adjunctively, will save the NHS millions of pounds leading to better investment in other areas, ergo more positive outcomes.
You said in your op you don't understand - did you ask the MW to expand on her position so you could? No. Just came here and moaned about agendas.

[mamapants]

Why would you want it deleted because people have only answered your question telling you their personal experience.

I've breastfed for 11months and counting and my baby is famous for being smiley and happy.
I would always advocate giving it a go because after the first 3 days it has been so easy and convenient and lovely as well as being the healthier option so well worth a go in my opinion.
Its worth knowing the benefits and a bit about the difficulties you might experience at the beginning.

[MoominsYonisAreScary]

I absolutely hated it for the first 8 weeks this time around, I have never been so miserable than I was at times, it's only because I'm so bloody stubborn that I carried on. He actually started sleeping rthrough and feeding less at that point but he was my most demanding unsettled baby up until that point.

My ff ds was the most content happy newborn, although he didn't sleepthrough until 2, he's also the least sick so far.

You just never know, they are all different

[eragon]

WHY not breastfeed? before formula was invented it was the only safe way to feed a baby.

its true your baby will live and grow on both, but formula isnt always needed for the vast majority that are given it.

[meditrina]

Oh, and breastfeeding reduces your breast cancer risk. The studies vary in what reduction can be expected, but a conservative estimate would be about 5% reduction per year bf - an optimistic one is 10% after 6 months.

[WinkyWinkola]

Ilove, I've not read research about breastfeeding preventing colds.

Reducing the risk of cancer, cot death, gastroenteritis yes. But not colds.

[OliviaYouCannotBSeriousMumsnet]

Hello everyone
Just spreading a little peace and love around this thread
And reminding folk of the guidelines

[Exhaustipated]

OP- they do give you the statistics for FF babies- the stats you read are comparisons between BF and FF babies.

I know this subject has been done to death but I just wanted to let you know that I have breastfed both my babies and they have settled easily and slept well as very young babies. So your friends' experiences are not universal.

Anyway, it's to to you. But if I had the choice between the two, even if BF wasn't healthier for the baby, I would choose BF every time. Once you're in the swing of it it's just so easy :)

[Talkinpeace]

Such a first world question.

Go back 200 years or move to another continent and then realise how mollycoddled we are

[4athomeand1cooking]

I didn't breast feed DC4 not because I thought it would e better to bottle feed them.( I know breast is best) but because the afterpa

[Exhaustipated]

By that I mean if they were equally as healthy... !

[WinkyWinkola]

And I feel pressure from the formula adverts that are everywhere, the products in the supermarkets every time I go to the baby bit etc.

Honestly, there really isn't much out there about breastfeeding to feel "pressured" about.

It's bollocks. Just make your decision and stick with it and don't bleat about guilt etc because it is your decision.

[Ashoething]

I really wanted to bf but couldn't due to inverted nipples-sorry tmi!-but actually in defence of the op every single one of my friends who have bf have kids who are sleep refusers at age 3 and are constantly ill! My ff kids are never ill and are great sleepers.

Now am aware this is anecdotal but it IS my experience...

[4athomeand1cooking]

I didn't breast feed DC4 not because I thought it would e better to bottle feed them.( I know breast is best) but because the afterpains were so terrible and I couldn't cope with the additional pain of feeding. I decided that a happy mummy on stronger medication was better than a sad frustrated mum.

I personally have never felt pressurised by anyone but myself. And that has been a lot in the past

[Exhaustipated]

Oh, and I have never ever ever been made to feel under pressure to breastfeed. Ever. I wonder how common this experience really is? Did your midwife bring this up with you? At 12 weeks pregnant?

[PurplePidjin]

For the same reason it's better to cook your own food from scratcg.

It's possible to eat only microwaveable ready-made food and be strong and healthy. But there are more nutrients and fewer chemicals in homemade even though it might be more of a struggle to make.

Oh, and golden rule - never compare someone else's outside to your inside

[mrscog]

Well if we're going on anecdotes, my DS was EBF for 6Mo, and I'm still feeding him now at 16 months. He was very settled and content, slept through from 5 months and didn't get a cold until he started nursery at 12mo and started being exposed to bugs that I wasn't.

Obviously proves everything

Just feed your baby however you like - due to the UK being very clean FF is much safer here than in a poorer country, but the reason there's 'pressure' (I never experienced any) is because it is the norm for nature and therefore gives the best health outcomes for mother and baby across a population.

[Ilovemydogandmydoglovesme]

Ilove, I've not read research about breastfeeding preventing colds.

Reducing the risk of cancer, cot death, gastroenteritis yes. But not colds.

So dd1 probably has more chance of having the breast cancer gene that killed both her grandmothers but dd2 has less chance. Riiight. Think there might be a bit more to it than what milk she drank for the first few months of her life.

[Meringue33]

Just curious but before formula was invented were all babies miserable and unsettled, ill and bad sleepers?

[ouryve]

Why breast feed?

Because that's what they're for, isn't it?