Thursday, April 25, 2013

Is breast really best for every baby?


 
Now before I get started I want to assure you, I am not saying that there is anything wrong with breast feeding. I know it is the recommended way to feed your newborn. I  decided against it and I am so glad I did. Now before you get your panties in a bunch, remember, formula feeding is not going to kill my baby (who is now a healthy happy 3year old.)

There is so much pressure to breastfeed now that only of the ladies in my moms group was telling us that she felt forced into it. Now, I am very stubborn, in the hospital I made it clear that I was not going to breast feed. Even after my son had problems with the first two formulas I did not give into the nurses. I made it clear that I did not want to hear it before I was admitted, and I had a nurse kicked off my service for badgering me about it. There are many reasons I felt so strongly about it.

Many "professionals" tell you that in order to bond with your baby you need to breast feed.
 Now considering our baby was not planned, and my fiance was not at all excited to be a dad, this picture sure looks like we are pretty darn attached to me.
 
Now my reasons for not breastfeeding could be considered selfish. I did not want to deal with the cracked nipples. I was already recovering from a c-section, not to mention ripping open my stitched a month later. I happen to have very sensitive nipples. I also have very large breasts. Before monkey man I was a DDD. I did not want the extra stress on my back. I also did not want to have to struggle with covering up my baby every time they had to eat and trying to get my breast exposed while not having it exposed.
 
One of the main reasons I wanted to formula feed was so that my fiance could feed while I was doing my school work. Now many of you could say but pumping was always a option so that he could feed. When you pump it takes twice as long to feed. You take the time you are pumping and the time you are feeding. Just not a option for me.
 
I also loved that he could feed himself while I got things done.
 
That same lady from my mothers group has a problem leaving her 6 month old with anyone while she goes out because her daughter will not take a bottle. All she wants is the breast. Her baby has become so attached that she will only sleep a hour at a time even during the night because she uses the breast not just for food but as a soother as well. This has left the mother exhausted and has a negative reaction every time the baby cries or wants to be held. This time around it has not been a happy motherhood for her. She has been told she does not have post partum depression she is just overly exhausted and to try to get some sleep. Well easy for the doctor to say get some sleep when he is not a pacifier/food source.
 
Now what good is breastfeeding when the mother is miserable? When she is in pain? When no one can help take over the feeding?
 
Now another mother in my moms group got a bad breast infection while her twins were 3 months old. Talk about painful. Again the babies would not take anything other than a breast so she had to continue breast feeding with a infection while on heavy antibiotics.
 
Others in our group have had many babies not receive enough breast milk and had to switch to formula after their babies were hospitalized for dehydration. They not only felt guilty that they were not making enough milk to keep their babies hydrated, they felt guilty that their babies now had to be on formula.
 
Now why would someone feel guilty that their baby had to be on formula? Formula is still healthy for your baby. Formula is still giving your baby the nourishment it needs. Formula helps babies gain weight easier than breastfeeding. Formula allows others to be able to feed your baby. Formula makes it easy for baby to be away from mom for a few hours to give her a break. Formula is richer then breast milk making it easier for babies to sleep through the night. Formula also has a more balanced amount of vitamins that does not rely on your diet and makes it so that babies do not end up needing supplements.
 
Now again I am not saying that breast feeding is bad or that formula feeding is for everyone. I just feel like mothers should not be punished, looked down upon, or made to feel guilty about formula feeding. Mothers know what is best for their child. I know I would have never made it through breast feeding. I could have never delt with any of the problems that could have came from breast feeding.
 
What is your opinion? Were you a mom who felt pressured into breast feeding? Did you have problems from breast feeding? I would love to hear your story.

10 comments:

  1. I can't say I actually have a comment on this as I've not had to worry about the topic. ;) Stopping from the Northeast Bloggers weekend hop.

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  2. Great post and I totally agree with you! Mothers (parents in general) should not be looked down on or judged just because they make a different decision about something than you did. Great post! Thanks for linking up- are you a blogger in the Northeast? If so, I would love for you to apply to be a member of our group! Also, I would love to have you link up with me on my personal blog for my Mommy Mondays hop!

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    1. No, I am not in the Northeast, I am in southern california. I hope to be in the northeast one day though!

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  3. I actually couldn't breast feed and I hated how other moms judged me! Please share this article (and any others) on my family-focused Kid Corner @ http://wp.me/p280y0-SQ. You may just get highlighted next week :-) Jennifer

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  4. Thanks for this honest post. I chose not to breastfeed because I was a practicing trial lawyer when I had my sons and did not want to have to pump during the workday. My sons are now teens just as amazing as breast fed ones. I was shocked about how people felt they could comment on my choice. They felt is way okay to give their opinions about my choice. Bad manners I say.

    Your baby is so cute.

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    1. I agree that it is bad manners. One thing I have noticed is people Think they are better parents then you because they breastfeed.

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  5. I enjoyed reading.. thanks! I also chose not to breastfeed for totally selfish reasons but that's my right I think. I do not like the idea of my babies sucking on my breast. I wanted to be able to go out when babies a little older and not worry about pumping enough milk. Everytime someone ask they would say oh, why not breast. First off I wanted to scream. ..and second none of your business. Lol. Glad I'm not only one :)

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  6. This is so sad to read. I understand some women can not breastfeed and its wonderful that they have formula to use. But to not want to do what's best for your child because it may inconvenience you is truly sad. To think that your child being attached to you or you being their comfort is in your mind a bad thing is mind blowing.

    Oh. My. God. You really write that formula has a better balance of vitamins, have you ever read anything about the composition of breastmilk? You really have no idea do you? Breast milk is EXACTLY the right combination of fats, protein,water, vitamins that a baby needs. Please educate yourself on the subject

    Also I highly doubt that a baby was hospitalized due to dehydration because the mother was nursing. Did she not notice the baby wasn't having wet diapers? Did she not know she had no milk? That her baby wasn't gaining weight?

    This is so so very sad. Please do some research and educate yourself on the subject. Your post sounds very ignorant and uninformed.

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