I breastfed for a week and a half, but I stopped because of the discomfort. It felt weird, and it hurt! My son's now one year old. Did he really miss out, or is breastfeeding overrated?
2007-07-20 06:44:07 · 22 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Newborn & Baby
I wouldn't say that breastfeeding is overrated, but I don't think it is horrible that you stopped. At least you tried, and he got the colostrum. I am sure he will be fine, and be proud of yourself that you even tried! Good Luck!
2007-07-20 06:47:59 · answer #1 · answered by ME 5 · 4⤊ 1⤋
Breastfeeding is a mothers choice.
You should do everything in your power to try to breastfeed as long as posible. Searching resources if you are having difficulties. If every women gave up when it they felt discomfort there would be alot more children formula fed. Breastfeeding is hard work, and takes time to get right.
If you feel you've missed out on something, it is probably because you have in some regard. Do your best to increase bonding and skin-to-skin contact now, as it is never too late to bond.
You cannot go back and try to breastfeed again, so don't beat yourself up. You gave your child a good start by at least breastfeeding for one week. Any breastmilk is better than none.
Perhaps if you have another child, you will try a little harder, and be able to tell if breastfeeding is really overated or not.
2007-07-20 14:02:40 · answer #2 · answered by vegface 5 · 4⤊ 0⤋
If formula weren't as good as breastmilk, it wouldn't be on the shelves?! Are you kidding me??? By that logic, if pizza and booze weren't as good for you as fruits and veggies, they wouldn't make them. There is absolutely nothing you can feed your child that even compares to breastmilk. The benefits are too many to count, and they are all scientifically proven. There is no way to argue that breastmilk isn't superior to formula. It says so on the formula cans, for goodness sake!
That being said, if you were stressed and in pain nursing your child, it may very well be better to have a happy mommy. Formula is not going to hurt your child, and it certainly doesn't make you a bad mother. You should now that it gets much easier though. The first few weeks, I was telling myself that I would just nurse the rest of that day, then see where we were. By 5 or 6 weeks, it was so much easier for both of us. If you were having pain, a good lactation consultant may have been able to help you get your son latched on correctly and helped fix the problem. You may want to consider it if you have any more kids, but again, it's your decision!
Just something to think about - 75% of new moms start breastfeeding. Only 25% make it to 6 months, and only 17% make it to 1 year. Obviously, most babies are formula-fed at some point. It's in no way harmful, and I'm sure your baby is perfectly fine. Any amount of breastmilk is better than none at all!
2007-07-20 14:42:24 · answer #3 · answered by Cloth on Bum, Breastmilk in Tum! 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Well I don't think breastfeeding is overrated. It is good for your baby because they are able to recieve antibodies from the mom that helps their immune systems but there is nothing wrong with not breastfeeding. So many of the formulas today are getting better and they are putting alot in them to help babies. So I wouldn't worry to much about not breastfeeding. I have alot of friends that say it hurst them or feels weird and they switched over to the bottle and just use a pump! That way it works out best for both the mom and the baby!
2007-07-20 13:49:10 · answer #4 · answered by shrt4u2000 1 · 3⤊ 0⤋
The same thing happened to me!! I breastfed for about 1 1/2 weeks too, then I stopped because it didn't work for me. My son is now 17 months old and healthy as an ox!! He has been in the 75%percentile his whole like.
I think breast feeding is not overrated, it is good for the baby, but it is not a necessity!!!
He didn't miss out...as long as you bonded with him that is ALL that matters!!
2007-07-20 13:58:21 · answer #5 · answered by ryen's mom 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Breastfeeding gives a baby a chance to get a lot of good nutrients and vitamins...but there are tons of healthy babies that have not been breastfeed and the most important thing is that: You need to do what You feel comfortable doing. Also, if you were not happy then the baby would pick up on that.
2007-07-20 13:53:40 · answer #6 · answered by friday1322 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Actually you did better for your son than some bother to do! The first week your baby gets what is called collostrum which contains antibodies and other very important things for his well being and immune system. I breastfed for several months and I understand the discomfort but for me it was about his well-being over my own. I do not think your son 'missed out'. Lots of children get raised without their mom bothering to even try. Breastfeeding is the best for them but if formula is ok too.
2007-07-20 13:53:25 · answer #7 · answered by Shana N 3 · 6⤊ 0⤋
Breastfeeding isn't overrated, it's the only way mothers fed their babies for millions of years.
I just wanted to make the point that if it was hurting you to nurse, you were doing it wrong. I wish you'd had better support to help you out.
There's not much you can do about it now, but if you decide to have another child, consider having a lactation consultant help you out. They are at your local hospital and take phone calls for free.
Good luck!
2007-07-20 15:02:36 · answer #8 · answered by maegs33 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
to breast feed or not to beast feed is up to u to decide.
but breast feeding has so many advantages for a babies like
develop stronger immune system that breast fed babies fall ill less often than bottle feds
and Brst feds have higher iq and attached to the mother.
those are facts that i have read...
and breast fed moms are less often getting breast cancer that other moms.
this is from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breastfeeding#Benefits_for_the_infant
Benefits for the infant
The health benefits of breastfeeding are well documented. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics,
“ Extensive research, especially in recent years, documents diverse and compelling advantages to infants, mothers, families, and society from breastfeeding and the use of human milk for infant feeding. These include health, nutritional, immunologic, developmental, psychological, social, economic, and environmental benefits. ”
—American Academy of Pediatrics policy statement[8]
Breastfed babies have a lower risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and other diseases. Suckling at the breast encourages the proper development of the infant's teeth and speech organs. Suckling also helps prevent obstructive sleep apnea. Also, breast milk is at the right temperature and is immediately available from the breast.
Benefits for the mother
Breastfeeding benefits the mother. It releases hormones such as oxytocin and prolactin that have been found to relax the mother and make her feel more nurturing toward her baby.[40] Breastfeeding within a short time after giving birth increases levels of systemic oxytocin. This makes the uterus contract more quickly and decreases maternal bleeding.[41]
2007-07-20 14:45:39 · answer #9 · answered by pinkcloud2015 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
No, breastfeeding is not overrated. But that doesn't mean you should beat yourself up over it. There are plenty of other things you're going to feel guilty about as a Mom, so you should just cross this one off your list! :)
Of course breastmilk is the best nutrition for baby, but there are so many other factors that contribute to his well-being. IMO, it is just as (if not more) important to have a mother who feels happy & confident.
I did the same thing as you--I didn't breastfeed for as long as I thought I would, and used to obsess about it all the time. There's no magic formula (no pun intended) for raising a happy, healthy child. Let go of the guilt!
2007-07-20 14:00:40 · answer #10 · answered by janelocky 2 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Well, even if he did "miss out" there isn't anything you can do about it now.
Breastfeeding has some discomfort in the beginning, but it should go away. If it *hurt* then you needed some help in overcoming some sort of issue like poor latch, poor suck, infection or something like that. With your next baby, make sure you have some good support from a lactation consultant.
2007-07-20 14:16:44 · answer #11 · answered by sparki777 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋