Why do health professionals say 'You shouldn't be made to feel guilty if you bottlefeed'?

Question

If you smoke or drink while pregnant, you should feel guilty, because this can affect your baby's health.
But it is also well known that bottlefeeding affects your babys health too, increase of infections and diseases, no antibodies from the mother, and lower cognitive and sensory development COMPARED to breastfeeding. These are facts shown by scientific studies and yet health professionals say women shouldn't be made to feel guilty for choosing ot to breastfeed. Why not?
Choosing not to breastfeed is choosing to give your baby second best. Why is that ok? There really shouldn't be a choice it should be breastfeed and if you are phsyically incapable to do so then you can have formula prescribed.
Why is it so easy for mothers to just say whatever, It doesnt matter? Actually the same goes for those mums who choose to sit in mcdonalds and buy their kids sweets and artificial flavoured drinks and food. Why would people want to do this to their children?

Ok I can see that I'm going to get a lot of answers just saying 'bottled feeding mothers shouldnt be made to feel ashamed' WITHOUT giving a reason.
I'm asking why shouldn't they?

To mummy_to_liam: Of course I have a child and have breastfed or how would I have any right to ask this question? That is a stupid thing to assume.

Answer 1

I saw your later question apologising for your rant ;-)

Now, having put in a good few hours working on a postnatal ward, plus having breastfed both my kids for 18 months each, I have the following observations to offer.

If a woman really doesn't want to breastfeed, it's pretty pointless to a) try and make her do it or b) make her feel guilty. Don't forget that feeding isn't the only thing which affects a baby's wellbeing. Having a miserable mum doesn't do much for infant development either! Also, many new mothers want to breastfeed but don't get the right help and support. They already feel guilty enough, and don't need anyone else making it worse.

However, I do believe that healthcare professionals have a duty to make women aware of the superior benefits of breastfeeding. Otherwise, the woman is not making a fully informed choice. Bottlefeeding is *not* just as a good as breastfeeding. Formulas are a lot better these days, but they are never going to be as good as breastmilk.

Midwives who don't fully support breastfeeding women because bottlefeeding was "good enough for them" really get my goat. It's not about their choices, it's about their client.

Answer 2

First I am a Mom of a 3 month old and i breast feed, but i would never mock a mother who whiches not to breast feed their child either by choice or because she was unable to. Luckily I have no problem with my child but some women do. There are plenty of reasons why women can not or will not breast feed, I don't think you need an answer for that. Yes it is the best for them but giving formula is not like sitting at Mc Donalds and eating french fries. I agree women should not be made to feel quilty about bottle feeding. By the way some women are looked down upon for breastfeeding, yes it is stupid but some people think it is gross and disgusting

Answer 3

I breastfed my son for three days and hated every minute of it. He was born by emergency c- section so it took a while to actually get any milk.Before he was born I swore I wasn't gong to breastfeed but after he as born I thought I would give it a go.He was a big baby and the fact that there was hardly any milk coming through was distressing for us both. I had to practically beg the midwives to get me formula once I had decided that breastfeeding was not working for me. Once he started on it everyone was much happier, especially him. He is now a very healthy 20 month old who is taller than average for his age and far more advanced in some areas than some of his friends who were breastfed.

When my daughter was born 14 weeks ago I had already decided not to bother with breastfeeding as I find bottle is convenient and works for me.At least with a bottlefed baby you know they will feed every 3 - 4 hours and you know how much they will take. The midwife kept trying to encourage me to breastfeed, saying it would be better this time but she was wasting her time and just ended up annoying the hell out of me!

I do not want a baby hanging off my breast for most of the day, which I know does happen as I have friends who breastfeed and they can't get anything done as they are forever feeding the baby.
I was on a ward with 5 other moms at any one time and as I had another section I was there 5 days and saw a lot of them try to braestfeed only to give up when they worked out that the babies were starving.

Breastfeeding does not work for everyone,no matter how long some moms try and I personally think it is only fair to give the baby a bottle in such instances.

I think breastfeeding is personal choice and moms should not be made to feel guilty if they choose not to do it for whatever reason.

I was bottlefed and I have o'levels, a'levels, a ba(hons) degree and a very well paid job in a bank. I am healthy and suffered from no more childhood ailments than every other child! My sister was breastfed and is no more intelligent than I am.

There is also nothing wrong with going to McDonalds once in a while or giving the kids sweets, my god, they deserve a treat now and again. My son has chocolate buttons maybe once or twice a week but he would much prefer raisins(which he thinks are sweets) or a banana, orange, grapes etc.

As far as I am concerned breast is not best so get off your high horse and leave us bottlefeeders alone you condescending, sanctimonious cow!

Answer 4

I didn't breastfeed my son who is now 8 and is very healthy. I now have a 7 month old daughter that I wanted to breastfeed. Sometimes there are problems with baby's latch on ect. In my case however things were a little different than the normal..... My daughter was 1 month premature. She was only 5 lbs 3 ozs. 4 lbs 13 ozs when she came home from the hospital. She was put on a high calorie preemie formula to help her gain weight faster. In that situation, breastfeeding was almost impossible. I wanted to breastfeed, the dr wanted her on high calorie preemie formula. SOOO I pumped all of my breast milk and mixed her formula in my breast milk instead of water. That way she got the benefits of both. But, it was difficult. I couldn't breast feed her from me and because of that there were a line of problems. I was depressed because I couldn't feed her from me, I lived my life attached to the breast pump for two months, and then when she was 2 months old her need for milk exceeded what I pumped. I had to take her off my breast milk and give her just formula because I started to dry up. I dried up because I couldn't breast feed her from me. As for the reason why... each situation is different and sometimes breastfeeding is not able to be done. Most formulas that you can buy now have the DHA and ARA nutrients in it that are found in breastmilk that promote eye and brain developments.

Answer 5

The health implications you mention from not breastfeeding are only minor compared to smoking and drinking, I agree breast is better than bottle but only because it gives a slight boost to the child's immune system, but if your child is taken care of and things are sterilise properly in the first few weeks problems need not occur. My partner and I have hed 2 children in the past 2 years, the first was breast fed until my partner could not do it any longer as she found it extremely painful and uncomfortable. Our son is healthy and has had no real health implications apart from the odd cold our second went on the bottle from birth, he is now 4 months and fighting fit, both children sleep through and have done since 2 weeks so in my opinion making a mother feel ashamed for not breast feeding is ridiculous, a new mother should bring her child up how she wants not how you or anyone want, bottle or breast as long as the infant is cared for correctly and loved by its parents it will not go wrong. Your words are quit strong and even though you mention scientific study I think a little first hand life experience is much more valuable. If you saw how switched on my 4month old son is who has never had breast you would agree, since 2 months he has been trying to sit up and he is in to everything and developing fast.

Answer 6

The advice is about PRESSURE, not about child health.

During pregnancy and new motherhood, women are surrounded by people telling them what's best to do, and trying to make them feel guilty about the effects of anything that's perceived to be 'bad for the baby'.

Just like most other activities, breastfeeding is affected by your state of mind. Stress about 'giving the baby the best chance' can prevent a mother from feeding successfully. That stress can be caused by people ranting on about the supposed benefits.

EVERY mother wants to give her baby the best chance in life.

PEOPLE JUST HAVE DIFFERENT OPINIONS ABOUT HOW YOU DO THAT !

Saying things very firmly, or putting 'of course' in front of the statement, won't change the opinion of somebody who firmly believes you are wrong. many people suspect ANY official advice, because it's true enough that official advice has been deeply misleading (for all sorts of reasons) in the past.

There are lots of things (including stressed parents) that will affect a child's development MUCH MORE than the choice of feeding or weaning methods.

Answer 7

I breast fed all of my three children. My oldest developed an allergy to a medication I was on and I had to stop after 10 days. I know plenty of people who tried everything to be able to breast feed but it just didn't work out. Sometimes it's more important for the mother to be sane than to breast feed. These are just a few reasons. Just because I easily breastfed my second and third child for almost a year each doesn't mean all will go well for another mom. As for the sugar and fat content of young children's diets I think most mothers don't even realize what they are doing. It's a question of convenience and not health like it should be.

Answer 8

I have a one month old son and wanted nothing more than to breastfeed him! He was born by C-section and swallowed amniotic fluid and had to be taken to NICU. I was not allowed to get out of bed for 2 days and was not able to breastfeed him those2 days by then the hospital staff had him on formula, bottle feeding him. I tried and tried to breastfeed him...he didn't latch on, screamed, and to top it off my milk supply wasn't very strong to begin with and then it slowly became almost nothing coming out by 2 weeks. I even went so far as to get prescription medication from my Dr to increase my supply. Even the medicine did not help. SO, don't sit there and make formula feeding mothers out to be some bad guy. I love my son more than anything in this world and would do anything for him. He is now one month and happily formula fed! There is nothing wrong with feeding your child formula. As long as you show your child how much you love them and they are in a loving environment, what way they are being fed is 100% irrelevant!!!! I applaud all you breastfeeding mothers, I am glad it worked out for you, but sometimes life doesn't work out the way we want it to.

Answer 9

Because the only mothers who should be made to feel guilty are mothers who let their kids go hungry or do dangerous, stupid things like drinking beer before nursing or putting beer in the baby's bottle to make the child sleepy.

As someone who has both breastfed and bottle fed, I think the great breast vs bottle debate is ridiculous. Yes, breast is best, and has many advantages to the children and to the mom. No argument. However, bottle feeding is not harmful. The world is full of healthy people who can attest to that. Many of the mothers breastfeeding today, were formula fed (I was, for example)--as were many of the pediatricians, surgeons, senators, police officers, lifeguards, and teachers walking around intelligent, healthy, and well adjusted.

Women choose breast or bottle feeding for different reasons. To condemn women across the board for formula feeding (or taking their kid to McDonald's once in a while) is unfair. If you see a woman bottle feeding an infant, do you know anything about her life? Her job situation? Her medical history? Her family situation? Unless you're a mind reader, I think no.

It's a mistake to assume all formula fed babies are staggering around as diseased sub-intellects, as well. Do you think the family's home, and attitudes toward education and exercise have nothing to do with it? I breastfed my son, but I have no illusions that I don't have to encourage exercise to keep him slim or that he is protected from asthma, even though it runs on both sides of his family. I only have to look at my own family to see that the breast isn't the "miracle cure-all" it seems popular to pretend it is. I was bottle fed, but my younger sister and brother were breast fed. I have the highest IQ (by just a little..they're not unintelligent), and I'm the only one who's not obese, doesn't have asthma, and doesn't have blood sugar issues. Life doesn't end at the boob.

Why does this issue inspire this level of invective? The Internet gives people the freedom to be rude without consequence, I know, but as a breast and bottle feeding mom I never encountered any one questioning my choices in person. I think the demonization of formula feeding and the elevation of breast feeding moms to near-saint status often has less to do with what's best for babies and more with women trying to find ways to hurt and out-do each other.

Answer 10

Breast is best there is no denying that, from personal experience though I was wrapped in guilt when I could not continue feeding my daughter. I had done everything in my power to ensure that I had a healthy pregnancy and then discovered that I could not produce enough milk for her and I then got mastitis. I wish I could have fed her but it was not to be. Luckily for me I had a visitor who came round and explained how to use bottles and feeds. I was so unprepared for not breastfeeding that I did not understand about the different teat sizes and practically drowned her in milk!!
The choice not to breastfeed was taken away from me but when it came to my second child I realised that breastfeeding just did not work for me and went straight onto the bottle feeding. Health professionals really went to town on me saying that I was endangering my daughters future. I stand by my choice and continue to do so. I agree that it was a poor choice but I compenstated in many other ways and have always tried to be a good mother who looks out for her girls