Question for everyone who is for breastfeeding at all costs....?

Question

Most answers I read from breastfeed at all costs individuals cite medical reasons as being the only acceptable reason not to breastfeed, my question to you is....

What is your opinion about having more children after finding out you cannot breastfeed for medical reasons? Do you think that having more children is neglectful when you know you will be unable to give the the "best" food?

i am a cannot breastfeed for medical reasons mother of 3, I do not judge for being unable to breastfeed, just curious about the above question.

Answer 1

I don't think that anyone is for "breastfeeding at all costs" but rather that there has to be some level of determination there. If someone says that they will "try" breastfeeding, I have little confidence that they will make it through the challenges they will face in the first weeks. Breastfeeding is so beneficial to both mother and baby that it deserves a certain level of determination on the part of the mother to learn all she can about it, build up support and give it her best effort for as long as she can.

Would I NOT have anymore children simply because I could not breastfeed? Probably not. I did not breastfeed one of my children and I would love to adopt some day.

ADD: Sometimes these medical reasons are still a question of how bad do you want it? I have breastfed through several hospitalizations (where I had to pump and dump) and even while battling cancer (pumped and dumped again). At one point, I couldn't even hold the pump. My sister pumped for me. She knew how hard I worked to keep up my supply so it would be there for my baby when it was all over. If you are hospitalized, it does not necessarily doom your breastfeeding efforts. I am still nursing my one year old despite the fact we had to endure cancer and a hospitalization. If you really want it, you can often find a way and mystic has shared with us the extremely short list of reasons why women would not be able to.

Answer 2

Personally, I don't want to judge anyone. There are a lot of women out there who try to breastfeed, but give up at the first problem because they think they are physically unable to produce milk. I know that I went through weeks of misery to get my first baby on the breast, and it's the best thing I've ever done. So many women don't know that their problems can be fixed!

I've been talking to someone who was told that she could not breastfeed for medical reasons, but she found a more knowledgeable doctor who has encouraged her to breastfeed. It turns out the first doctor wasn't sure if the medication was compatible with breastfeeding, so he automatically vetoed breastfeeding. I respectfully suggested that she get a second opinion if she wanted to breastfeed, and she is so happy now!

I'm sorry that you're so ill. I hope that you let this issue go and concentrate on your health now. Best wishes.

Answer 3

I am really sorry to hear that you have AIDS, untreated TB, are receiving chemo therapy or have no mammary glads which are the only valid medical reasons I know of for not breastfeeding.

And no I don't think it should stop you from having children, I think society should make a very small monetary investment in milk banks and free pumps for women who donate and have breastmilk available for those who can not breastfeed. Compared to the cost of formula feeding the cost is miniscule. Heck compared to the cost of picking up and finding landfill space for all the cans or recycling them the cost is probably small.

Answer 4

I am a mother of three a 7 yr old 20 month old and a six month old i didnt breastfeed my six month old and at first was heart broken. Now though i am ok with it we are still bonded closely and even more because i gave her alot of attention for not breast feeding. Why feel neglectful ? My seven year old doesnt even want me to remind her she was breastfed LOL and if you have alot of love to give more children then have more children if not there are plently of children looking for a home who dont care if you were there to breastfeed them all they want is a loving family. You are blessed if you can have more children some women are not able to because of medical reasons and wish deeply they could whether or not they can breastfeed or not.

Answer 5

I think that any mother who knows she "cannot" breastfeed, due to a double mastectomy, breast reduction in which the ducts were severed, chemotherapy, or one of the FEW drugs for which there is no alternative that is compatible with nursing, then she should do what she can to line up a milk supply for her baby before it arrives. Donated milk can then be fed at the breast, or via a finger feeder, so the baby gets the benefit of human contact, rather than plastic and rubber replicas.

I have an acquaintance who is doing just that. She will use a Supplemental Nursing System (SnS or Lact-Aid) to give her baby milk at her own breast because an incompetent plastic surgeon cut some of her ducts when she was a young adult. She plans to try and build a supply by this system too. now that's dedication!

I will gladly pump and donate to anyone of my friends that needs to feed their baby.
I also had lactating friends lined up to help feed my son in case something happened to me.

I think all babies deserve human milk, and if a mother cannot feed her babies in the biologically appropriate manner, then she should seriously consider whether or not she should try and adopt or foster a baby, who has no chance of being breastfed due to circumstances beyond the parent's control.


See, Cait proves my point. There are pleanty of pain meds which are compatible with nursing. What do moms get after a c-section? She and her son were robbed of breastfeeding because of inaccurate information about breastfeeding.
"They" do not make formula for the reasons she listed either, "they" make it to make a profit on undermining the right way to feed our children. At best, it is a food source for desperate emergencies. Breastfed babies also do not need vitamin drops in most cases. Do you know who makes those? Formula companies! Otherwise how could they make money off of moms who feed their babies the way babies have beeen fed for millenia?
Sorry, but your baby is not getting all the nutrients he needs, just the ones they can duplicate in a laboratory, just enough to SURVIVE NOT THRIVE!

Answer 6

I think some of these answers are rediculous. Obviously yhey made formula for cases just like yours. I am not for breastfeeding at all costs no matter what as hypoermam(?) is. I am for brestfeeding if you can, for the mothers who just choose not to because theyre too worried about their appearance I think that's rediculous. But I was breastfeeding my son when I had to have an emergency appendectomy. I was in the hospital for days and on a lot of pain meds where I could not breastfeed my baby and he got a bottle with FORMULA, and my milk supply dried up and I was not able to keep up with his demands and he got used to the bottle and likes it very much. He is striving on it just fine. The doctor says he is exactly where he should be for his age if not better (in the 75%). I think there is absolutely nothing wrong with formula feeding, and I do not in any way think that just because you will not be able to brestfeed that you shouldn't have children anymore. That's rediculous, that's the exact reason they made formula. When I was breastfeeding my doctor had me giving my son vitamin drops to make sure he was getting everything he needed, now that Im bottle feeding it's not nessesary because the formula has all the nutrients he needs. So obviously in some cases it can even be better then breastfeeding, if the mother doesnt have a good diet. So if you are going to formula feed, I comend you for doing what you know is best for your baby. Because as a parent, isn't that the best we can do?

Answer 7

I'm a breastfeeding mother. I would not consider it neglectful. Neglectful would be not feeding the child AT ALL. Formula may not be as good for baby as breast milk, but it's still nutrition.

Answer 8

I have 3 children and breastfed all of them for different amounts of time. Breastmilk is the best for your baby but as you can see babies thrive on formula everday. If you want to have more children and cannot breastfed they will be fine with a bottle of formula. I had to stop breastfeeding my first child at 4 months old because I was pregnant with baby # 2. So much for the myth that you can't get pregnant while breastfeeding.

Answer 9

my husband and his sister were adopted and did just fine with formula. I'm breastfeeding currently and wouldn't have it any other way but i also realilze that formula is fine especially when cicumstances dictate it's the only way

Answer 10

while breastfeeding is the best choice of nourishment for your baby, it is still a personal decision. do not judge another for her choice.