Pressure to breastfeed?

[Dav87]

Hi everyone!
I’m planning on bottle feeding my baby when he/she arrives - for a number of reasons, but have done lots of research and decided bottle feeding will be best for us.
I’ve been told by lots of people to be prepared for the midwives/nurses to put a lot of pressure on me after the birth to try breastfeeding, even if I’ve made it clear up until that point that I will be bottle feeding.
Does anyone who has bottle fed have any experience of this, and do you have any advice on how to deal with it? I feel like I will be quite vulnerable after the birth, and would like to be prepared beforehand on the best way to approach this.
Any advice would be appreciated! x

You’ll be in the majority very very quickly. Bottle feeding is the norm so I shouldn’t worry.

I knew I wanted to ff, I didn't even want to try bf. I put it in my birth plan and took a starter pack of formula to the hospital.
Luckily both the midwife and student midwife who delivered the baby were supportive and didn't try to force me. I said I wouldn't even be attempting to bf and they were fine.
My son was in NICU for 12 days and I got it from everyone. I'd say it's important to remain firm and say I'm not breastfeeding as I don't want to and that's the end of it. They can try to suggest that try but they can't force you.
Also if you have anyone with you, make sure they reinforce if necessary

Chances are they will ask your feeding choice at pre natal appointments. The first time they ask you just say that you are bottle feeding. If they even try to discuss breastfeeding at this point tell them you have made your own decision and don't engage in further discussion. It may be that it will be on your file then, so you may not be asked again, but if you are you just shut the conversation down and say you have made the decision to bottle feed - just repeat it as often as you need. Once baby arrives ask for a bottle. If anyone tries to pressure you at that point again just say no, you have made a choice. Nobody tried to force me and when I did try breastfeeding on my last child I stopped after 3 days - the midwives gave him bottles in between me trying to breastfeed if I requested. So I was lucky in that they didn't put any pressure on.

I think I had one midwife ask me and that was it, I didn't feel any pressure whatsoever!

This is all very reassuring! Thank you everyone 😊 Feel a lot better now, thought I’d be fighting them off from all angles 😂 x

Will you express colostrum for your baby even if you choose not to breastfeed? This is where your baby gets its early immunity from and is really important. You will start producing colostrum before your baby is born so you can express and store it.

I wouldn't worry about it at all, I chose not to breastfeed my 2 DDs and will not be this time around either with DC3. The midwives never said anything to me either time, were very supportive. I also never had any comments from other mums when out and about :)

I had absolutely no pressure put on me to breastfeed.

even if you choose not to breastfeed?

The op has already said she has chosen to bottle feed.

I did try to breastfeed as I wanted too but when I was really struggling after a 3 day, fairly traumatic birth, the midwives offered formula too me! Through my 3 day hospital stay, whenever my DD would not stop screaming, they would help me try breastfeed first and then go get formula so I could top her up.

I encountered one midwife who was clearly quite keen to get breastfeeding established with me & she really tried to block me going home on day3 as my milk still hadn’t come in & I wasn’t finding it easy. However, 3 nights on a ward of babies was so exhausting. I & my OH pushed & pushed and I was eventually discharged at 11pm.. which was a bit rediculous in hindsight!

Just be firm. It’s your choice. There are no prizes for how you feed. But there were some new guidelines that came out for midwives that says there must be support for all methods of feeding.

www.rcm.org.uk/news-views/news/rcm-publishes-new-position-statement-on-infant-feeding/