Breastfeeding/Formula feeding: I support you

[kdmorris]

Awesome link concerning the ongoing "debate" that makes mothers feel shamed no matter how they feed their babies. This is near and dear to my heart these days because I have 6 week old twin boys. I was able to breastfeed for the first few weeks with not too many issues, but their appetite has surpassed my ability to produce milk (between them, they eat 56 oz of breast milk and 10 oz of formula per day. I produce about 48 oz of breast milk). If there were just one baby, I would have a freezer full of milk.

The only reason that we've continued with the breast milk (I pump a lot so that my husband can also feed them) is because I'm appalled at what's in baby formula. If I'm not going to trust Nestle, Kraft and Abbott Laboratories with my adult food and medicines, why would I trust them to make a quality baby formula? We use an organic formula to supplement.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/01/i-support-you-breastfeeding-_n_3685881.html

We, as women, should support other women, no matter what their choices are (breast/bottle, work outside the home/stay at home, etc).

[Gormy Cuss]

1. I think it's sad that we can't seem to support lactation without shaming formula-feeding mothers.

Everyone should know the benefits conveyed by breast milk --and then they get to make whatever decision works best for their own circumstances as long as the infant(s) are receiving proper nutrition.

It would also be nice to have more workplace support for lactating mothers (private places to express and store milk, for example.)

[kdmorris]

2. Here, here!

Luckily, I work at home, but I've never worked at a place that has a nice area to pump. Most mothers end up having to sit on the toilet in the bathroom with a battery operated pump (I've heard a few of them).

The lactation consultant at the hospital was crazy against formula feeding EVER. I told her that, with twins, I don't see how it's possible to NOT use formula sometimes. She tried to point out to me that I'd be an utter failure if I fed them formula, I'd never produce breastmilk.. yadda yadda yadda.

Formula really is just as nutritious as breast milk. Some of the additives give me pause, but I'm lucky enough to be able to afford organic formula. My daughter was unable to breast feed and fed my grandson some sort of Enfamil (provided by WIC) for babies with reflux and he did just fine.

I told her and I tell other women - if you could ask your baby "Do you want to eat?" or "Do you want to breast feed?", I'm pretty sure that the baby's preference is to be fed... however that comes about is the best thing for him/her.

[Warren DeMontague]

4. My wife had to set up pumping arrangements at her old job.

It was logistically tricky. Despite living in a progressive area, I think people were still a bit uptight about the whole thing.

It's better now, I believe.

[Gormy Cuss]

5. There's still a ridiculous amount of resistance to integration of work-family supports.

Back when the assumption was that only one parent worked and the other took care of the kids, businesses didn't need to think about it. These days it's shortsighted to ignore the stresses of employees with infants.

[Warren DeMontague]

6. I don't think things like breastfeeding were even on the radar, in the real old days.

And then even, like I said, in a relatively progressive area back when ours were little, we had to do a tremendous amt. of logistical juggling, to make it work. Including no small measure of "meet in the parking lot during the lunch break, with the baby" type stuff.

I agree 100%, though- corporations and our society in general need to be more family-friendly. Not in the "I saw a nipple during the superbowl" sense, but in the sense of better, European-style family leave, more flex time, comprehensive benefits, more accommodation for parents with little kids.

[Gormy Cuss]

7. Breastfeeding was rare in the US after WWII (except among immigrants)

and it was certainly frowned upon as old fashioned and unnecessary. In general though work-family supports were off the radar when the presumption was that one parent would stay home full time.

What's galling to me is that two earner households have been the norm for what, 40 years? and many businesses still act as if there's no impact on worker productivity, worker health, and employee retention. I worked for a company with an onsite day care center and the parents spent most lunch breaks with their kids. The center was subsidized only by means of a rent reduction. It costs the company little and had a big return in terms of worker satisfaction.

[Warren DeMontague]

3. I would agree. Facilitate breastfeeding as much as possible, but respect what people decide or need

to do.

I'm not sure why so many things have to be a contest.

[Violet_Crumble]

8. +1000. I got so much pressure with my baby...

When my sister turned up at the hospital after I had my little cherub, she brought with her a basket of bottles, formula and all that associated stuff and spent the time haranguing me about how formula was better than breast feeding. And then about two months or so later when the little cherub was struggling to feed and I was going to start supplementing breast feeding with formula, I got so much pressure in the other direction from my best friend, who basically told me I was a bad mum if I gave up breast feeding. In the end I told them all to fuck off and did what I thought was best for my baby. And it worked out well for me once I stopped listening to everyone