Controversial?!

[summer rain]

I would consider myself a lactivist in that I support the rights of BF mums to BF anywhere as is their legal right and also there is still a lot of misinformation about BF being bandied about by health professionals, and 90% of mums who give up BF do so before they wanted to. Lactivism is not about forcing anyone to BF at least not amongst the lactivists I know xx

 

[CeeDee]

La Leche can be a little much at times, but when you are dead set on breastfeeding and at your wits end they can be reassuring. I think they should stick to helping people breastfeed rather than guilting people. I honestly wish I had more help when I started out. I'm doing great now, but it would have been nice to have more help.

 

[Boo44]

I personally have no issues with the term lactivist. The more people who are out there to help moms bf if they want to, the better. The issue I have is with 'lactivists' who really think everyone can bf, and tells everyone to trust their body, that is what it is for etc. It just isn't true for every mother and makes it much harder on moms who want to bf and can't for some reason. In my case I did bf, but my baby was barely gaining weight and was very unhappy, yet she refused a bottle until she was over six months old. She finally accepted a bottle so I switched to ff except for one feed per day and she went from 5th percentile to 25th and is sooo much happier. I never ever had leaky or engorged boobs, even when I went from 12+ feeds a day to one. In my case ff is much better for us, but it took me a long time to accept that as it had been so drilled into me that breast is best.

Think this is what I was getting at when I posted this thread. The comment attached to that picture was really controversial and posted by some health professional who obviously felt how you described - that basically everyone can BF full stop, and stop pretending you can't......! Hmmm


I'm also pleased there are lactation experts out there I appreciated the BFing group when I was BFing! But this above was too extreme to leave alone

Also - interesting story - when my LO was 5 weeks old and for many reasons which won't be that interesting most people so I won't go into them - I was considering switching to FFing, my HV actually said to me when I asked for guidance on switching
"I can't give any advice on formula. I can't advocate it"
So my mum who was there, seeing my face, said well ok put it another way, which formula do they use in hospitals? And the HV said "we don't use it in hospital we don't advocate it"

So basically I had to google how to switch from BFing to FF (the info I wanted was to do with mastitis risk and engorgement etc). If I wasn't so sleep deprived and dejected I probably would have complained....

 

[special_kala]

They are just so pushy. Leaflets like that arnt going to make people want to breastfeed and if they do want to they don't need to feel like their choice is far superior to those who formula feed.

It actually put me off bf a bit it was so forceful

 

[Jaylynne]

There's lactivists and then there are zealots. I'm all for helping moms that want help but I'm not about to shove ideology down someone else's throat or guilt trip/ think less of others based on if they bf or ff.

I'm very proud that I exclusively pumped for 7+ months because his immature tummy needed human milk which is easier to process for premature babies. I'm also proud that I now formula feed becuase now it is what's best for LO. I simply wasn't able to pump what he needed anymore. He eats 40+ oz and I was getting 24 at most. I was drying up. Should I starve LO just so I can keep the title of exclusively breastfeeding?

I have a lot of fb friends that post pro breastfeeding statices. That's great! But I want to slap the one who posted that moms who ff feel guilty for doing so as they could breastfeed. Um no LO and I couldn't. Premature and in NICU for a month, and then we found out he had severe lip and tongue tie so even if he was full term he would have major major issues latching. So no, not everyone can breastfeed. And it is insane to assume that everyone can.

I'd love to to see the judgy preachy women walk in my shoes and sing the same tune.

 

[smelly07]

I think the whole BF vs FF debate is very sad -

I FF and dont feel guilty about it and seeing BF posts on facebook doesnt bother me in the slightest - i dont think BF mums are any better than FF mums, its not a competition we all do things for a reason and we all look after our children the way we think is best for us and them, what is right for one person isnt right for another but it doesnt make it wrong.

its a sad world that people can not be treated equally and their decisions respected , knowledge should always be given but untimitely the decision of the parent should be respected and help should be there for either method of feeding not pressure and guilt trips and whos better than who buisness every parent shoudl be proud of themselves for doing what they are happy doing x

 

[fidgets mammy]

I personally think its got sod all to do with anyone else whether u breast or bottle feed. Each to their own. No one is perfect and theres no perfect way to parent.

 

[Ozzieshunni]

I think it's very interesting how people "think" breastfeeding moms look down on formula feeding moms. If I see a mom pull out a bottle, I don't go all crazy rage on her telling her she is poisoning her child.

I don't know where all this comes from. Every time someone posts about breastfeeding on here or Facebook, they are "dissing" FFers. It's simply not true. We are trying to inform and educate.

If I have another child, who knows if they will take to BFing as well as Alex did If the baby wasn't gaining weight or having trouble eating (i.e. tongue tie, etc) I wouldn't starve them for my own selfish gains of saying I breastfed.

Frankly, I'm getting sick of people thinking that breastfeeders have some vendetta.

 

[Dragonfly]

Of course breast is best, but giving your child formula doesn't make you Satan...

Of course breast is best, but giving your child formula doesn't make you Satan...

Nah it's more the child-catcher off Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, coupled with being the guy who murdered the Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny and has Santa locked up in his cellar, and the guy who created Crazy Frog.

And so soon on in the thread was something so stupid said as this. And not even a post to provoke such a response from formula feeding mums? I am not even sure what Dizz is actually saying but the Satan remark. Sigh...no one thinks that but you so why say it?

And Ozzi has just said exactly what I was about to say reading through this. No people who breastfeed arnt doing it out of spite to piss on you if you dont breastfeed. They arnt soldering through difficulties just to spite you and they certainly dont think you are SATAN! or any other names mums who formula feed that think breastfeeding mums are above them have concocted up like devils food or poison . Seriously you dont breastfeed, big deal, Thats between you and your baby the same way as breastfeeding is between a mum and baby. It makes no difference to any one outside of you and your baby what you do.

Its time to get past the thinking everyone is against you that dosnt formula feed it really is. For instance I dont even care how you feed. yet I bet due to my length of time breastfeeding I am looked at as some sort of formula hating mum putting formula feeders down, yes I had that before. and nope I dont think all formula feeding mums are like that.

 

[haylo]

I am pretty sure that NO-ONE makes the decision to ff lightly......

I did. I chose to FF because I wanted oh to do as much as me and I didnt want to express. Freaking easy decision for me!

 

[haylo]

I think it's very interesting how people "think" breastfeeding moms look down on formula feeding moms. If I see a mom pull out a bottle, I don't go all crazy rage on her telling her she is poisoning her child.

I don't know where all this comes from. Every time someone posts about breastfeeding on here or Facebook, they are "dissing" FFers. It's simply not true. We are trying to inform and educate.

If I have another child, who knows if they will take to BFing as well as Alex did If the baby wasn't gaining weight or having trouble eating (i.e. tongue tie, etc) I wouldn't starve them for my own selfish gains of saying I breastfed.

Frankly, I'm getting sick of people thinking that breastfeeders have some vendetta.

Most women likeme who choose to FF already are educated on breastfeeding. I'm new here and some of the posts from BF mum (not all!) are really awful

We dont need to be educated unless we ask for the education. I admire all BF mums because youre doing something I just didnt want to. Either way, unless information is asked for, I dont think anyone likes to think we need an education otherwise.

 

[omfgski]

I think it's very interesting how people "think" breastfeeding moms look down on formula feeding moms. If I see a mom pull out a bottle, I don't go all crazy rage on her telling her she is poisoning her child.

I don't know where all this comes from. Every time someone posts about breastfeeding on here or Facebook, they are "dissing" FFers. It's simply not true. We are trying to inform and educate.

If I have another child, who knows if they will take to BFing as well as Alex did If the baby wasn't gaining weight or having trouble eating (i.e. tongue tie, etc) I wouldn't starve them for my own selfish gains of saying I breastfed.

Frankly, I'm getting sick of people thinking that breastfeeders have some vendetta.

I think that idea in itself can sometimes be an issue. Why do people who breast feed need to educate or inform people who formula feed? I find that people often assume I don't know the benefits of breast milk etc and try to educate and inform me about it just because I formula feed and its quite insulting. I understand people who do this aren't trying to deliberately diss me but they still do when they assume I am someone who needs educating about what to feed my baby.

 

[Dragonfly]

I wish someone told me about it when I was pregnant. I dont know if you can dig up my posts from 2008 but I came here and was totally ignorant on breastfeeding and disgusted by the thought of it. I was told it was wrong, no one did it and was vile. I still dont know any one who breastfeeds and received no help. There are areas which are bad with breastfeeding rates. You can all call me stupid if you want for not knowing. But I only found out about it after I gave it a go and got so much stick for it.

 

[haylo]

Which is fair enough for you dragonfly and it sucks you werent informed... but I hate when people imply i NEED an education about it. If I want the info of course Ill ask. But my girl and any future kids will be happily bottle fed

 

[omfgski]

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[Ozzieshunni]

I think it's very interesting how people "think" breastfeeding moms look down on formula feeding moms. If I see a mom pull out a bottle, I don't go all crazy rage on her telling her she is poisoning her child.

I don't know where all this comes from. Every time someone posts about breastfeeding on here or Facebook, they are "dissing" FFers. It's simply not true. We are trying to inform and educate.

If I have another child, who knows if they will take to BFing as well as Alex did If the baby wasn't gaining weight or having trouble eating (i.e. tongue tie, etc) I wouldn't starve them for my own selfish gains of saying I breastfed.

Frankly, I'm getting sick of people thinking that breastfeeders have some vendetta.

I think that idea in itself can sometimes be an issue. Why do people who breast feed need to educate or inform people who formula feed? I find that people often assume I don't know the benefits of breast milk etc and try to educate and inform me about it just because I formula feed and its quite insulting. I understand people who do this aren't trying to deliberately diss me but they still do when they assume I am someone who needs educating about what to feed my baby.

That's not what I meant. I meant how breastfeeding moms are automatically jumped on if they share something about how breastfeeding is beneficial. We are accused of being insensitive. I should have clarified.

 

[Dragonfly]

Thats how I read your post and agreed to Ozzie. I think we have crossed wires?

 

[omfgski]

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[Ozzieshunni]

Glad we are on the same page, lol. I don't like being accused of guilting other moms that FF. Shoot, I could care less how you feed your baby, lol.

From a scientific standpoint, we can all agree that breastMILK is better than formula because it's well, taylored to a human baby. Doesn't mean that breastFEEDING works for everyone

 

[omfgski]

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