lynnikins
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My point was never about the 'free milk', It was about bottle feeding in general, but no one can deny that in hospital if you have to/choose to Bottle feed you ARE degraded by the Nurses and Midwives!!!! THAT WAS MY POINT! And unless you have been made to feel that way(as I have) then you wouldn't understand that feeling of Failure and being a pathetic waste of space! THAT IS WHAT'S GOT TO STOP....
im sorry but that is ridiculous. iv worked on a maternity ward and iv never seen any woman 'degraded' because she chose to bottle feed. i understand that theres the odd 1 or 2 who end up saying the wrong things and come across as judgemental, but the vast majority of midwives are not like that.
its our job to promote breastfeeding, so we do, end of. we are not allowed an opinion either way, we just give the correct information so you can make an informed choice.
IMO i think women who choose to formula feed hear stories like these and are immediately on the defensive when they go into hospital. that plus hormones makes an innocent comment seem like a insult. again, i know thats not always the case.
you made that choice to feed your baby that way, so why feel like a failure when you know you have made the best choice for you and your baby??? thats the way i look at it, if someone has a go at me for breastfeeding, im not going to feel like a failure, i ll just be pissed off they are judging me without knowing the full story :S
Why is my experience ridiculous? Just because you have never 'seen' any woman put down doesnt mean it doesnt happen does it?! I was told by 2 midwives on my ward that I was pathetic waste of time and that my child will end up poorly and that I dont care about him and that I may as well be feeding him crap cos of the fact I 'HAD' to bottle feed. They offered no help or support for me in having to bottle feed him... I mean How the feck are they able to get away with saying/doing that??? I am a type 1 diabetic and 'COULD NOT' breastfeed, I tried for 2 days going into a hypo every single type and putting my life and my babies life a risk...So excuse me for being ridiculous and pissed off by the whole NHS service!!! But that is 'MY' experience. In fact the whole thing just upsets me so much!
I dont think she was saying your experience or recounting of it was rediculous but you branded the WHOLE NHS service in your comment and she was sticking up for the hardworking MW's and staff that dont act the way you say that they ALL do. just as you dont like to be made to feel bad about your reasons for having/chosing to FF then the MW's and staff at the hospital should be painted out like they are all awful people either
Im sorry you had a rough time with BF in the begining and i aggree that the comments you recieved were unfair and unjust, but that doesnt mean the whole system is bad or wrong.
If you dont like the service you receive from the NHS you are within your rights to submit feedback and complaints to the nessacary places just as any of us are and im sure some of us, Including myself have done when we feel our treatment has been unfair or discrimantory