Poll for those who FF

[Celesse]

I don't think the midwives get it right either way.

I was desperate to BF and got rubbish support from the midwives in hospital and I sit next to a girl at work who didn't want to BF but felt bullied into trying by the midwives. Neither of us got the support we wanted.

The problems I had where mostly around LO's refusal to latch and I got lucky as she did eventually work it out.

 

[annaandoli]

I tried BF for 5 days. then when midwife first came to weigh Olivia she had lost double the weight they are expected to so we ended up going back into hospital for 4 days to get her weight back up. Once back in hospital gave EBM for 24 hours but was exhausted so decided it was best for both of us to go on to formula. happy mum = happy baby

Will definitely try it again with my next one though.

 

[summer rain]

He was fully FF from 6 weeks as he would not latch as he had a severe tongue tie which was not picked up to later and the NHS wouldn't snip so had to go private in the end. I felt awful about it at the time but with time I have realised I have nothing to feel guilty about and I did my best. If I have another baby I will try to BF but if it doesn't work out I'm determined not to waste a second feeling guilty. As a PP said, the NHS campaign is based entirely on ante natal promotion. What it does is drum into you must BF, then leave you to flounder, feeling guilty and useless when it doesn't work out. It's horrible and is causing a lot of anger and resentment which is unfortunate and will not do the cause of BF'ing any good. More money needs to be spent of BF support, not useless BF'ing DVD and posters at ante natal clinics.

here, here! I've seen some of the BF DVD online (they only tend to give it to first time mums) and its totally pointless IMHO, its made by an organisation that wants to address 'health inequality' in the UK, including poor BF rates in less well-off areas; yet um nearly all the mums featured are clearly from very well off, upper middle class backgrounds and live in leafy suburbs so its not representative at all and only reinforces stereotypes. And lol @ the posters; they are so annoying especially if you know the hospital or clinic in question is a joke when it comes to actual BF support.

 

[aimee-lou]

As someone else has said, I just plainly and simply did not want to breastfeed. I don't think it's odd, or weird and I certainly don't look down on anyone either way. I don't feel guilty for not trying, and I will by FF any future children too.

IMO the arguments against FF outweigh the pro-BF, but it simply isn't/wasn't right for my family and me.

On a completely different topic, I felt that I didn't get pressurised at all into changing my mind. I was upfront from the start and always said I wanted to FF from birth. My HV simply wrote that in her book, and my MW's on the whole were very relaxed. Only one tried to plead the case for BF - it just do happens I was 6cm dilated at the time and up to my armpits in a birthing pool, so my hubby told her to give up, and that was the last of it. She was very nice about but just had to tick that box on her forms I suppose.

 

[3011busyyear]

Fab thread ladies, loads of opinions and experiences without any 'drama'

The poll results are interesting and would suggest more needs to be done to support people who choose to bf rather than promoting it without the support to back it up. Not that I can do anything about it feel like I need to get a banner and march to downing street

 

[ouchwithNo.2]

When I was 22 and I had my son I had such little knowledge of all things baby - I had no interest, even as a little girl in dolls.
I just assumed breastfeeding was what you did and it was as easy as hello boob, meet baby and away you go...BUT.... very rarely is it like that.
Our son had tongue tie and I spent a hellish 3-4 weeks trying to breastfeed him, he was screaming all the time, hungry, frantic and nobody knew what was wrong. The latch was so so so painful, I dreaded that hungry scream. I started to resent him.
HV's were no help, just kept trying to latch him differently.
One night on the verge offalling apart OH just gave him a bottle and the change....peace, quiet, happy baby. Never looked backed. Couple months later tongue tie was detected by a close friend!!!! useless.
Summer 2010 n0.2 came along.
Again, I was planning to breastfeed but knew I wouldn't do it long term, just the first few weeks. I managed 6 weeks with her. Latch ok, bit of pain on my already mutilated right nipple (son wrecked that previously!) but she was a comfort feeder and I would spend 5hrs glued to the sofa early evening and I couldn't spend anytime with our 6yr old son. I got fed up with not moving for hours, not having any me time after being with a baby all day and that was that - formula for her too.
Guilt...no, none at all.
I was on SMA from the day I was born. Mum refused to breastfeed me after the traumatic birth. Midwives were cruel and said to her that if she didn't feed me then I would starve (reluctant to let mum formula feed) so mum called their bluff and said...ok!!! (needless to say, along came the bottle).
She breastfed my brother for 8mths.
Strange because mum and dad were so so poor when I was born, I slept in a dog biscuit packing crate yet they FF fed me and when brother came along 3yrs later they were much better off and breastfed him.....

 

[starlight2801]

I breastfed my baby for two weeks and I'm another lady who feels deeply guilty for 'giving up', although I have to say this is more due to pressure I've put on myself rather than from medical professionals.

I've voted 'tried it and didn't take to it' but was torn between that one and 'medical reasons'.

I too have big boobs and had latching problems from the start and my nipples quickly became damaged. I got as much help as I could to correct my latch but in the end although she latched and fed well on my one boob it just never happened with the other and my nipple got worse and worse.

Eventually it became infected and I developed mastitis in both boobs I was advised to feed through it and express from my damaged boob but at that early stage I couldn't express enough to satisfy my LO and she was constantly screaming with hunger

Looking back two weeks later I could have topped up with formula rather than make the switch completely but at the time I was tired, in agony and pretty depressed. I don't have regrets as such because my baby is thriving on FF and I'm enjoying her more. I was in so much pain with BF that I was crying at each feed and I think on balance my LO prefers having a happy mummy. I wish the guilt would go away though, along with the sense of having 'failed'. I'm hoping that this will happen given time x

 

[Farie]

I BF for 9 weeks, we managed to get past bad latch, lazy sucking, thrush and vasospasm and low supply, but sadly it turned out my LO is not only allergic to CMP (I eliminated all dairy, gluten and soy for over a month) eggs and gluten but also a protein in my milk.

So we are on hypoallergenic formula and LO is happy, healthy and thriving - so its the best decision I ever made.

 

[dani_tinks]

Many reasons! I had a tough time after the birth and was in hospital for many days not even able to sit up or move from my pelvis. I was drugged up to the max and then Jacob couldn't/wouldn't latch. I wasn't offered much support and he was feeding well with formula so we just carried that on. When we eventually got home I expressed my BM for over a month - aswell as topping up with formula so I don't feel guilty in the slightest .

 

[bigbetty]

I haven't been through the whole thread but just wanted to give my input.

I didn't want to BF. It's just something I never had the urge to do and never thought about doing before I got pregnant. I'm not from a deprived background and know about the benefits of BF but I just didn't feel comfortable with the idea. I did think seriously about trying it at one stage towards the end of 2nd tri but I stuck with my original decision because I knew that if I did try I would just get stressed and upset because it wasn't what I really wanted to do and that it turn would probably stress LO out.

I'm happy with the way things are, Fran is thriving and we are both happy. I really admire those women who BF, even for just a couple of weeks, but it just wasn't for me

 

[Nessicle]

i ticked 'medical reasons' but not quite sure if it lies there. I wanted to BF but due a terribly traumatic birth and a big bleed during surgery my milk never came in. I tried, cried and punished myself for weeks cos of the amount of pressure they put on you to BF. Was pumping 4 times a day but I couldnt get anything but half a teaspoon of colostrum a day. She screamed every time I tried to latch her on she hated it which made me even more depressed.

I eventually gave in and realised formula is not a poison and I had no choice xx

 

[QueenMummyToBe]

I ticked other..

Tristan had a very poor latch on one side mainly due to my flat nipples, I tried all positions going and nothing improved it, I ended up with red raw cracked and bleeding nipples, then on day 6 I developed mastitis, I started to express and then continued to feed when it wasn't so painful and then the mastitis spread & I have blocked ducts & thrush & Tristan refuses to latch.
He has ebm & formula now and the only person making me feel guilty is myself, I am in agony & spend so much time crying & even I know I am being silly because he is fine, he is happy & we spend hours everyday having cuddles & our daughter loves being able to help feed him

Everyone should be proud of themselves, being a mother is hardwork

xXx

 

[ProudArmyWife]

i put other but my milk never came in i was very sad but LO just wasnt getting anything and was super fussy.

 

[tu123]

OH MY GOD! BF for us was a NIGHTMARE!!!! She screamed and screamed. I pumped for nearly 4 months and boy was that full on!

I felt dreadful that she wouldnt take milk but over it now

It is what it is.

 

[cherryglitter]

I didn't breastfeed from the start.
It just wasn't something I wanted to do.
That being said, when I have another baby, I will be breastfeeding in hospital (perhaps a little longer than that actually!), then moving onto formula feeding when we get home, as that is what works for us