My Breast Feeding Story and Opinions

I have had a couple of my friends in the last little while have children, they have asked me about breast feeding, and what I did. So I thought that I might as well share it with you all, I know that not all will agree.

If you read my post about Our Story, you will know that I tried very hard to breast feed the little man.

I was reading an article in a newspaper the other day and realized how many women have the same problem and the same feelings of guilt. BUT what amazed me the most is the response to those who didn’t or don’t breast feed. I am sure that some of those who do or did breast feed may frown upon those who don’t or didn’t. But you can bet a majority of those women tried their hardest and suffered many tears and lots of pain, I know I did. I am sure that they all have a story as to why they didn’t, to cover the guilt that they feel or felt, or maybe just maybe they simply chose not to.

The nurses and staff at the hospital are trained to encourage you to breast feed and help you with it in the beginning stages, but some I thought went a little bit over board about it all. It was almost like your child would not live if you didn’t breast feed them, which of course is totally untrue, as my husband and little miss would not be here to tell the story.

Imagine the frowns my mother in law would have recieved 38 years ago when she chose to bottle feed from day one, and not breast feed at all. I felt it in 2006 so I can imagine how she felt in 1971, lucky she is a strong person.

Most mothers have done their research and know that breast milk is the best, hence why a majority of us tried it in the beginning, or they may have reasons for simply choosing not to breast feed.

It is all about choice, and the only people that can make the choice for their little ones are the parents.  It isn’t always an easy decision to make especially when you have many people frowning upon you if you don’t.

My story as to why I chose to give up with my first child and just not even go there with the second, was mine and my husbands choice, and it was the best decision that we made. You want to enjoy your baby in the first months of their lives. Not dread them waking for a feed. Which is what i did, it got to the stage that I was so sore and bleeding that I really didn’t want him to wake up for a feed, I just knew the pain that was coming when he did.

I then suffered with mastitis a couple of times in only 3 weeks. It was the worst three weeks of time with my little baby. It is not right, when you are a Mum you don’t want to feel anxious or dread being with your little baby, you need to be able to bond with them, and I wasn’t. I felt dreadful as I wanted him to have the best, but I just couldn’t do it anymore.

Mastistis is a dreadful thing and makes you feel dreadful, the last thing that you feel like doing is feeding your child even more. Some persist and carry on feeding them, I commend them and encourage others to give it a go. But really if it doesn’t work for you, don’t beat yourself up about it, you are not the first and I am sure that you won’t be the last that bottle feeds your child.

There a pros and cons for both breast feeding and bottle feeding, it is your choice and only your choice.

Yes,  I do feel guilty for not carrying on and breast feeding, and not even trying it for my second child. But I also believe that EVERYONE involved needs to be happy. Baby, mother and the rest of the household. If a persons choice is to bottle feed, then respect that and hope that they are a better person for it.

Ok I am off my soap box now