Whose responsibility is it for a woman to breatfeed? Please give your opinions...

[xx~Lor~xx]

I was a young mum at 18, and am now 21 and expecting my third. I breastfed my children and plan to do the same for this one. Breastfeeding was never an option for discussion for me, I knew I was going to breastfeed my children right from the beginning. I was fortunate that OH supported my decision. Both him and myself were breastfed babies, so that probably had an affect on our decision. That being said, I did feel pressured, particularly by OHs family with them asking 'when was I going to use a bottle' etc etc. But IMO it was none of their business, even after I moved on to a bottle with my daughter at 7 months and my son at 11 months, I insisted it only be me or OH that fed them (or they fed themselves) it was and is important to me. Something only OH and myself as parents could do for our children.

I haven't answered the poll, as for me, it was MY decision, I chose to breastfeed and would have done so regardless of family support. But, as I was breastfed it was natural to me to want to do so. Had it been different then I'm not sure how I would have chosen to feed.

 

[Rachel_C]

If it's really responsibility (rather than choice) you're asking about, I'd say for the individual baby it is the mother's responsibility to breastfeed, in the same way it's her responsibility to control what goes into her body during pregnancy too. If you're asking about responsibility for all babies, I think it's society's responsibility to make sure that mothers are supported and enabled to breastfeed.

I see it kind of like the responsibility to educate your child (in the UK, not sure about the law elsewhere). It is the parents who are responsible for the child's education but society provides schools to be used if needed. It's the mother's responsibility to breastfeed her child, but society needs to provide the right world for her to be able to do that.