People who are 100% against bottle feeding....?

Question

Are you really totally against it even if it's putting the moms health in danger? How good is a mom if she isn't healthy? For ex getting infections, her nipple isn't healing, she is losing all her nutrients no matter the vitamins she takes and how good she eats? Is it really worth not being able to take care of the baby to breastfeed?

I want to know why some (I know not all of you are) are so judgmental against women who choose to bottlefeed even when the moms health is jeapordized?

Shera, I am not over exaggeratin. I breastfed my daughter and I couldn't even get up without feeling dizzy, I was white as a ghost, because all my nutrients were going to the milk. I ate right, took my vitamins and my gentle iron everyday. But when I decided to stop breastfeeding (and cried for a day about it) within 2 days I had all my energy back and the color came back to normal. If I can't even get out of bed to change a diaper, what good is it?

My SIL had infections and was told by both a LeLeche league rep and her midwife that she should stop. She was in so mcuh pain. Not to mention that when her daughter was feeding from her, she would take her off her nipple and there was blood coming down from the babies mouth.

How are either of those situations healthy for mom or child?

Shera, and I am not trying to argue with you, because I said that not all pro-breast moms are adamantly against bottle feeding. But I have read many times over and over on this site nasty comments from pro-breast women towards women who could not continue feeding from the breast.

I lasted longer with my daughter then I did with my son and if and when I have another child I will try again. I would love to breastfeed, but if I can't I am not going to push myself. Hopefully the next child will work out.

And it was a HUGE disappointment when I stopped. Yes, I did feel like a bad mom. Luckily I have a very supportive husband who held my hand and let me know that I am a great mother who reared 2 beautiful children.

Answer 1

In the rare case where a woman can not breastfeed there should be banked milk available -end of story. And that milk should be free or low cost. Society wouldn't tolerate use of an artificial blood product that was only "almost" as good. But infants can't speak up so they get what is at best a fourth best option.

Milk banks aren't hard to run, nor are they expensive. If donation were made easy and hospital grade pumps were lent to women for free and they were given storage containers (heck make them mailable with free postage) you would find PLENTY of donors.

Give infants a voice, talk to politicians about milk banks!

Answer 2

I think it's a shame that moms who decide to bottle feed are attacked like they are. Not only here, but I've seen it on talk shows. The claws come out and I don't understand that. You don't see such arguing about cloth vs. disposable diapers, so what's the whole beef about? Whatever a mom decides is her business, and she shouldn't be belittled either way.

I breastfed for 9 1/2 months, and I chose it because I did the research, plus my pediatrician strongly recommended it. But what really was the deciding factor was that I could feed my baby for free. And we were always very strapped for money. (Also one of the reasons I used cloth diapers.). I enjoyed the other benefits of breastfeeding: my son's milk was always ready and at the perfect temperature-- I didn't have to stumble to the kitchen at 3am; he never had an ear infection, never had colic, and never had diaper rash (until I stopped breastfeeding).

My sister saw how easy breastfeeding was for us, and when she had her baby, there was no question what she would do. But after trying for a while, she and her doctor decided it wasn't for her (inverted nipples). So I can understand how some women just can't breastfeed, for one reason or the other. But I would never pass judgment over those who don't.

My baby is now 27 years old - still no ear infections, colic, or diaper rash! :)

Answer 3

Yes, many people are that way, and they do feel that strongly about making us feel like crap if we can't or don't breastfeed.

In my case, I don't absorb nutrients the way I should. During pregnancy, all the nutrients go to the baby first. After giving birth, I was almost completely depleted of iron and some other vitamins and minerals. I had almost nothing, and breastfeeding was making me give up everything I had. I couldn't function, and there wasn't enough there to provide healthy breastmilk. So I stopped after a few weeks.

It amazes me that people who hear that will often say that I should have continued, because it's so much healthier for the baby. Well, my kids have asthma and allergies (like everyone else in my family). It may have been caused by them not having breast milk. But you cannot tell me that a 1 month old baby who is failing to thrive is healthier than a baby who is gaining weight and getting the actual nutrition they need by drinking formula.

Answer 4

I'm interested to see what answers you get. I've seen some really harsh, radical "breastfeeding only" women on here and its quite disturbing.

As a breastfeeding/bottle feeding mother, I often get attacked on this site. Its terrible how rude and judgmental other mothers can be. Even when I explain why I couldn't breastfeed my 3rd child, there are a few (like Shera O) who insist I could have done more to try or that I'm "uneducated" on the matter. I don't think they understand how heartbreaking it is to someone who can't breastfeed their child when they so desperately wanted to. Do they really think we didn't try everything possible to be able to breastfeed? Many people assume that I just "gave up". All they care about is the fact that I didn't do it.... period.

Answer 5

I'd like to answer this for you but I can't. For some reason, many mothers on this site feel the best way to support a fellow mother is to attack her feeding style.
I honestly do believe breast is best, I mean, that's why we have them, but if there are reasons why breastfeeding is not accomplished, then formula is obviously way better than letting the baby starve to death. I don't believe a woman should just pick the bottle over the breast, but if they have atleast tried to breastfeed and were unsuccessful, then there is nothing wrong with formula.
I breastfed my first and plan to my second but if I am not sucessful, I will bottlefeed and it is nobody else's right to make me feel bad about that.
I really can;t answer. There should be no judgement like this between mothers but some women cannot help themselves I guess.

Answer 6

I dont understand why everyone wants to fight on here?He said she said,she is this and she is that IILayannas mommy this and Kanter P that and so on and so on...cant we all just get along!!!!!With that said I am not judgemental at all.I did both!Actually I pumped for 6 months and had him on the breast a handful of times due to serious medical problems with my son.When you say bottle feed do you mean bottle with bm in it or bottle with formula in it?Either way it does not matter,to each there own,not a soul on hear has the right to jump down anyones throats when they ask an honest question where I have seen many times!It is sick that there are mothers out there that have nothing better to do(like interact with there children) than put down others for the choices they make.I do believe the hospitals/doctors/nurses should be sure that all mothers to be know how good breast milk is weather you choose to nurse or pump.If the mother is knowledable on it and still chooses to formula feed that is her choice,her baby will be just fine.My brother is 37,he was only formula fed and he is close to a genius.He has always been very healthy,smart and was always bumped ahead in school by 2 grades starting in grade 2,so that is what formula did for my brother,I was breastfed,I dropped out in grade 10 cuz I failed 2 years!I did go back!LOL! But anyways,I just wanted to add my 2 bits,I dont usually rant on but this site seems like it has become a war ground for angry moms for whatever reason.To each there own.

For the ones who get attacked on here for no reason whatsover,just sit back and think of how many millions of people there are in this world and then think of the maybe 50 people on Y A where maybe 10 or so are rude...........now really,take them with a grain of salt and wipe the comment off your shoulder like a bird just pooped on it!I once read and answer on hear and the poster she blames the mother if her child has a birth defect,she worked hard at having 2 healthy babies!!I fell off my bloody chair!!I worked hard,did everything the way I should and my son had a serious heart defect!It burned my butt for a day then I realized,ahhh what comes around goes around.
Narrowminded,that is what comes to mind when I see these peoples comments.
I want to add something as well,my son had my breast milk for 6 months added with formula in a bottle everytime(due to his heart defect) and I must say a t 16 months old he has only ever had 2 colds!He is a very healthy happy baby heart defect and all,my cousin who breastfed her now 2 year old and 5 year old for about 16 months each both kids have asthma,ear infections consantly,one has tonsilitus(spelled wrong 4 sure) right now and they both always have colds!!My son is around them all the time and like I said has only ever had 2 colds.I do believe bm is best but situations like hers make me wonder why?????She is a very healthy 29 year old.

Answer 7

its a womans choice ; personally i wanted to breastfeed ; its free and its natural ; and my whole preqnancy i told everyone i was qoinq to breastfeed and never bouqht bottles lol ; but after a few days my nipples start crackinq and were soo red and sore ; then a few weeks later they started bleedinq and i couldnt take the pain ; and i never knew how much my son was qettinq or if it was enouqh ; i tried pumpinq and i tried the lanolin nipple cream but nothinq helped ; so i qave it up and i felt soo bad about it like my son wasnt qettinq the best from me ; but now i feel better and its a womans choice ; some qirls dont like it ; some cant latch ; so whether you breastfeed or bottlefeed your child is still qettinq the same nutrients and in certain formula there is dha in it for brain and eye development ; no matter what choice you make your child will still be healthy ; so dont worry hun ; and if you feel bad about it then try qivinq yourself a week off of breastfeedinq to heal and maybe qet one of those lactation pills for breastmilk or whatever it is ; and try aqain ; i tried to heal my breasts for a week and try aqain however my milk supply dropped so low i could only qet a few drops even from the pump ! but dont worry sweety ; who cares about other judqemental moms ! =]

Answer 8

I had to bottle feed as well. I pumped as much as I could an tried to feed breastmilk from a bottle, but couldn't always do that. I just couldn't make enough to support their needs (and it wasn't for lack of trying!!). I had similar problems and was even so run down, I was admitted to the hospital after my second child.

After getting over the feeling of failure, it ended up being the best decision we ever made. Mothers say that babies bond by feeding. I agree. But my children got to bond with their dad as well as their mom!! He would get up and take care of middle of the night feedings. I could finish cooking dinner while he fed the baby and we could leave the baby with a sitter without worry when we needed to.

I'm a huge advocate of bottle feeding, but make it breastmilk as much as possible!! But the important thing is you love your child, and that doesn't come in either a bottle or a breast.

Answer 9

I abruptly met the comparable subject. I had to have an emergency csection and that they had to place me out b/c my life became in threat. i became too ill so they had to feed my toddler for me interior the well-being facility. as quickly as we've been given domicile, I had issues attempting to breastfeed her. She would take perpetually (over 2 hours) to breastfeed and nonetheless be hungry. i attempted to do it even nevertheless it is so problematical once you purely get like 30min - a million hour between feedings. finally I gave up and desperate to pump each little thing. i began pumping each 2 hours and after a pair days my furnish finally began to develop. It from time to time takes 2 pumpings to get sufficient for a million feeding. I had to furnish her formulation for a pair feedings in basic terms with the aid of fact i did no longer have sufficient for her to consume. I did be conscious that if I gave the two formulation and breast milk throughout the time of the comparable feeding, it would make her ill. i'm not sure if all babies are like that or no longer. Now i'm returned to artwork and could pump thrice throughout the time of the day to get 2 bottles for day after today at daycare. as quickly as we get domicile, I solely breastfeed her (which works sooo plenty extra effective now). It does get extra effective in time. in basic terms save with it.

Answer 10

Wellll...the quality of mother's milk doesn't depend on how "healthy" the mom is--I'm assuming you mean her general lifestyle and not something like she's taking crystal meth.

I'm not against bottle feeding, after all, I work and pump for my baby. I'm against women being unsupported when they try to nurse. I'm against medical professionals giving out bad advice (like stop breastfeeding and feed formula for jaundice) that results in abbreviated nursing relationships. I'm against bottle feeding with formula being the default.

But, I'd really like to know the documented medical conditions where the mother's health is jeopardized because she's nursing.

Can you give more information?