I am a huge supporter for breast feeding and agree that it is one of the best things you can do for your baby. It has great health benefits and of course that is what all the pro-breast feeders use as their teaching point. For me it was an easy decision to nurse my kiddos. It was also kind of a selfish decision. I love nursing my babies, having those moments of bonding, those moments of knowing that my baby strictly relays on me for it's nourishment. I love knowing that I am needed that much by a human being. I also breast feed because I am cheap, I just think formula is astronomically expensive and I would much rather spend my money on other things if I can provide it myself. Unfortunately all of my babies needed formula to go along with nursing. So, I didn't really save all that much money, but some is better than none. I nursed for the health benefits, but mostly it was to have that bond with my baby.
I don't know how you would define my stance on the topic. I feel like every woman should be educated on breast feeding and the benefits but given the chance to make the decision without any pressure or guilt. Well, where I work I don't feel like this happens enough. We are a "baby friendly" hospital which means we promote breast feeding. I am all for promoting, but some people here get a little carried away. We have about a 95% breast feeding rate while in the hospital, which is astronomically high. I feel like some woman here are pressured into breast feeding there baby or made to feel guilty if they don't. This makes me so angry considering some of the things I see at work that I think should be more of a priority. Yes, babies need all the benefits of the colostrum and breast milk, but what about the other issues these moms have that aren't getting addressed because we are so focused on getting them to breast feed their babies. The babies will be fine as long as they are eating, but some of these moms have major issues that need to be dealt with for the long term well being of the mom and the baby. Also some of these mom's just can't handle the stress of breast feeding but they are doing their best, and then this breast feeding natzi nurse comes in and makes her feel guilty for supplementing her baby or deciding that breast feeding just wasn't for her. I think some of these nurses forget that this is our patients decision and right, and the nurse has no right to scold them or make them feel bad for not being succesful at breast feeding. At least this mom is taking care of her baby. I have seen so many moms lately who have done all sorts of drugs during pregnancy or drank alcohol the entire pregnancy. They obviously have no interest in the well being of their babies. It puts a new perspective to me on how are babies are fed, I am beginning to think it's just matters that they are getting fed. Bottle feeding doesn't mean you love your baby any less and parents who bottle feed should not be made to feel like they are harming their baby or love their baby any less. Maybe they weren't educated, maybe they were and it just wasn't for them, or maybe they couldn't handle the stress of it. Some people just aren't cut out for it and that should be ok. Knowing how badly some of these babies have it in their new life makes the method of feeding so unimportant.
Some women who are so pro-breast feeding also believe that there should be no need for supplementation. They think by nursing more, pumping more, or taking this supplement or that can fix any nursing problem. Well I hate to tell them, some women need to supplement and who knows one day it could be them. If they aren't open to supplementation if needed then they could end up harming there baby.
I have had to supplement all my kiddos, and not by choice. My first three boys my milk supply dropped and I supplemented to keep them satisfied. I'll admit I didn't try any herbs and I dint lay in bed all day nursing, because it had life to deal with. I was so determined with Shepard to strictly nurse. I was determined to pump and get a freezer full of milk. I wanted to be that amazing breast feeding mom. Well wishing was about as close as I got. The first month or two went great, as usual. I had no problem satisfying my Shep. I also saw him growing and thriving. Then our move to Alaska started and Shep was as happy as ever. I was taking fenugreek to keep my supply up and I was nursing on demand. Well unfortunately his demand was not that high on the 10 day drive and the stress of a move didn't help with my supply. By the time we got to Alaska and settled Shep just didn't want to nurse, so I had to strictly pump for a week or two and I just couldn't pump enough to fill him. I had to give him formula to satisfy him. He was hungry and I'm not going to deny my baby food just because it's not breast milk. I continued taking supplements and pumping to try and increase my milk, with no luck. Well we went to a checkup with him and he had lost weight, the doctor began running tests but also recommended other supplements and put me on reglan. I was determined to increase my milk and get him off formula. He finely started nursing like normal and I felt like he was thriving again. Well over the next two weeks he only put on 3 ounces, which was wful considering he lost 8 ounces for his 2 month to 4 month check up. The NP was very encouraging with the breastfeeding, but did recommend I start supplementing until we could figure out what was causing him not to gain weight. She continued running tests and I stressed that something was wrong with my sweet baby. Well after weeks of tests and weeks of documenting feedings and adjusting nursing and supplementing we finally got a result. I was starving my baby. I didn't have a clue and my sweet Shep had no idea because he was happy and his belly was full. Apparently my breast milk just isn't fatty enough. It doesn't contain enough calories to suffice him. He needed a large amount of formul on top of lengthy breastfeeding sessions. I think at this point a lot of moms would give up on the breastfeeding because I was practically double feeding him. I even began to question my reasoning for nursing him. Some times I felt like it was a waste of time, especially all the time I spent at work pumping knowing that it was practically water I was pumping. I decided I just wasn't day to be done nursing my baby even if he took a bottle after every feeding. I enjoyed having those moments with him and that bonding time. I am not ready to give that up so I will still nurse him unitil I am. But I will give my baby formula as he needs it's because I love my baby and want the best for him. My baby needs formula. No amount of breastfeeding by me will provide enough calories for him. Other women may be I this position and they need to know it is ok to supplement too and they aren't baby moms for doing so.
There shouldn't be these stigmas on these moms. Some people picture breastfeeding moms as these women who plop their boobs out anywhere and everywhere and as naturalist, etc. or people see the mom who bottle feeds as someone who isn't educated, doesn't want what is best for their baby, etc. We are moms and the majority of us want what is best for our kids and we as moms are allowed to decide what is best and nobody should judge us for our choices on how we decide to feed our kids. What we decide is best for ourselves and our babies is our decision and we know ourselves better than anybody. Nobody should judge or force anything upon people. I will always try and keep my experiences in the back of my head to keep myself open minded to how a parent decides to feed their baby, because it is their baby and their decision.
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