Breastfeeding Problems

[ilima]

+100!! My former SIL insisted on breast feeding, even though it wasn't working--for months. It wasn't until the baby was rushed to the emergency room with liver failure that she understood that getting nourishment was the most important thing, and that baby was starving. Once on formula, the baby thrived.

Breast feeding is great if it works, and I agree that it should be the first choice, but formula shouldn't be knocked. Sometimes it's the only thing that works, and there is no shame in that. And sometimes there is no choice. My brother was adopted, and so formula was the only way to go.

I was allergic to my mom's breastmilk. I never got as sick as liver failure -just kept losing weight long after I should have started gaining - but it did take some time to figure out.

This breast-only and you're-a-horrible-unfit-mother-if-you-don't mentality seem to be symptomatic of highly educated women. I've seen it and attachment parenting take hold of some of my friends and find it terrifying.

[Irulan]

This breast-only and you're-a-horrible-unfit-mother-if-you-don't mentality seem to be symptomatic of highly educated women. I've seen it and attachment parenting take hold of some of my friends and find it terrifying.

You get my agreement there, for sure ( don't get me going on attachment parenting....) However, I do think there is a real range between just giving up, giving it a reasonable try, and the at all costs approach.

[Tuckervill]

The scientific evidence for the benefits of breastfeeding is tenuous, at best.

Yeah, only thousands of years of human development.

Karen

[Biciclista]

no, millions of years! lol

[ilima]

Yeah, only thousands of years of human development.

Karen

Uh, yeah, and I wonder how many children born failed to reach their first birthday, on average, over the course of human existence. I'm wager quite a lot.

Evolution is very, very messy. The fact that humans exist is not indicative that maternal milk is significantly better for early childhood development than formula.

That's like saying we evolved ears to hold our glasses a la Dr. Pangloss.

[Crankin]

I know that not all breast feeding moms are "Nazis" about it, but it does seem to be the prevalent attitude. I know quite a bit about attachment theory in the psychological literature, and the "attachment parenting" thing is somewhat of a perverted version of what attachment theory really is. I doubt Bowlby and Ainsworth meant that parents had to sleep with their kids until they were 3 or 4 years old. My cousin's wife did this and it just caused a huge wedge in the family.
I know that breast milk is nutritionally superior; it still didn't make me want to nurse. Soy formula worked well and they both switched to regular milk at one year, when they started using a cup.
Oh yes, and my kids were on "schedules," too.
It's all a choice and it's good that everyone can give Limewave advice. But, even after almost 27 years, I can still feel the superiority vibes that were thrown my way.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Well 30 years ago I got to feel all the negative vibes thrown MY way simply because I wanted to breastfeed and countless people tried to make me feel guilty and selfish about it. It was AWFUL- many people tried to make me feel like a BAD MOTHER because I wouldn't feed formula bottles.

Sheesh, people. There are clueless thoughtless types everywhere, on both sides of the issue. Let's not throw around gross generalizations about entire groups of people.

Remember Eleanor Roosevelt's advice:
"No one can make you feel inferior without your permission."

[Crankin]

I agree, Lisa. Especially, since this debate has absolutely no relevance in my life now . But, I did want to give my opinion and I waited until someone else voiced the "opposite" view, since I was too chicken to say how I felt.