Why don't people breastfeed?

[beckers1111]

I breastfed my dd for two weeks I think. It was very hard for me. My nipples cracked, bled, burned. I cried everytime I fed her because it hurt so badly. She was jaundiced and didnt seem to be getting enough from me, etc etc etc. I called the nurse at the hospital and she told me to give her a bottle, I cried and cried becuase I was so dead set against it! But it felt so good to look my baby in the eyes and know that she was getting enough to eat, and I wasn't crying in the process.

[annes_cottage]

Originally Posted by sheri_b I think what she was trying to say was that the girl wasn't even married yet so the pp had plenty of time to try and change her mind. Meaning that the girl wouldn't be pregnant anytime soon.

Yes, That was how I took it too!!

[aschrimp]

Originally Posted by Mum2my2boys I breastfeed, but I have a friend, who similar to the article in Fit Pregnancy last month, was sexually abused as a child and because of the psychological trauma is unable to breastfeed her children so sad.

I didn't read the article in fit pregnancy, but I am in a similar situation. This may be TMI for some, but I actually would get physically sick to my stomach if my dh messed with my breasts too much during sex, due to this past sexual abuse.

I was absolutely dead set on bfing ds, but was secretly afraid that I'd have the same sick to my stomach feeling every time he nursed, and wasn't sure I'd be able to handle it. And I hated the thought of this man who abused me taking something so wonderful away from my son (it was bad enough what he took from me). I *never* told anyone - I honestly thought I was weird. So it's a bit of a relief to hear that it can be a problem for other women.

*But* I feel very fortunate. I never once had the same sick feeling when b****** ds. Maybe because I wanted to nurse ds SO badly, so my subconsious knew I had to overcome the issues. Maybe it was because I was in control. Maybe because he was a baby, maybe because he was *my* baby. I don't know - probably a little of all of it.

And now, I've actually started to let dh "go there" during sex again (I just kept my nursing bras on for a while, and dh never said anything - lol) I have been pleasantly surprised that the sick to my stomach feeling has gone away. I feel like I've reclaimed something that I thought I'd never get back...

[Mommy2Cadence]

I didnt read a lot of the posts. But I ended up not bf. I had a bunch of people help me in the hospital with it, but dd never properly latched on. I pumped in the hospital. Once I got home I didnt have a pump, I didnt really pursue it. Dh left within a week of her birth to go to Iraq and I was still in the military myself. There were a lot of reasons why I didnt keep with it. With the next dc I plan on taking the time to adjust and get it right.

[Malka]

My second ds weaned early. He was down to nursing once a day around 3-4 months, then got an ear infection or some other thing causing a fever and we went back to nursing exclusively since he was willing to nurse all day which increased my supply, and then weaned completley a bit after 6 months. He actually refused a bottle from 6 weeks to 3 months, and weaned pretty quickly once he took one. When he wasn't sick, he hated nursing and screamed a lot when I tried to feed him. He also frequently had projectile vomit and spit up a lot, for which we had no explanation. I got so good at recognizing when he was about to projectile vomit, I could put a towel in front of him to catch it. I have memories of trying to nurse him in various places and not being able to make him happy. As soon as he could hold his bottle and feed himself, he was a completely different child.

[*MamaStacy*]

With my DD, she was born 6 weeks early and was in the NICU. While she was in there, I pumped and stored what I could in the freezer and took what she needed for feedings to the NICU. She was there for 3 weeks and during that time, they only gave me 1 opportunity to nurse her. When she came home, she wouldn't take me. So, I pumped and gave her the bottles until she was just over 2 months old. Then my MIL passed away and we had to go to Oklahoma for the burial and I couldn't imagine driving that far with a 2 mo old and having to stop and pump....I was already having supply issues from birth control so I just dried up. There was no pain or anything, I barely had anything left.

With my DS, he was born 4 weeks early and stayed in the hospital a few days after I left due to breathing issues and jaundice. I got to nurse him 2 times in the 6 days he was in the hospital, but when we came home, I threw all the bottles out. I was convinced not to have to pump again. The first feeding, he latched right on and did terrific. I was really excited. He's 16.5 mos. now and still nursing like 5-6 times a day and like 2 times a night. I didn't think I'd make it this long, my first goal was 6 mos, then 12 mos....now I have no goal, we'll do child-led weaning.

[superMoM2GTO]

All of my friends and family were unsupportive of my wanting to bf before ds was born. DH was the only one that thought it was a good idea but was over 1000 miles away when I gave birth and the first 8 months of DS's life so I was pretty much alone in this. My mom, who was staying with me, was always asking me when I was going to stop and on the VERY few times we went out together (grocery shopping, ect) if DS wanted to be nursed she'd act like she didn't know me! She was just never really happy about it. All I heard from her was how "all the other grandmas get to give bottles to their grandbabies" I asked her once before why she didn't bf me (us - bro & sis) and she said she that it was gross like going to the bathroom - if that makes ANY sense.. its lost on me.
My best friend, who has two boys under 3, was always at me to quit so we could go out and party like we used to. (Her boys were/are formula feed because as she told me she "likes to drink and didn't want to give it up")
None of my cousins, aunts, or grandmas on either side bfed. The only family member that did for a little while was DH's mom. And even she was telling me I should use formula!! The only support I had was my LC who was GREAT. But even without her help I would have bfed DS. It never crossed my mind to do otherwise. In my mind babies are born to be bfed. If you don't want to bf, then you shouldn't be having babies, IMO.

[annes_cottage]

With my birthed children....

DS#1 I nursed for 12 days then I got mastitis. had a high fever, i was sooo engourged it was not funny, i hurt, nothing would come out and at that time I was going to be returning to work soon. So I quit and he went to bottles.

With DS#2 I could remember very vividly the pain and trouble and my new hubby did not want to try. He was not comfortable with it. When baby was 3 mos I was really upset with myself that I at least did not try.

DD3# Since I did not try with my last brithed baby I told hubby I WAS nursing this baby and he did not have a say in the matter. He drives truck and is gone all week, home on the weekends. He wasn't here to help with the other kids or help make bottles or give them through the night. I tried nursing her and it went like a breeze. I did have the pain but just when i didnt think i could take another minute, it subsided. No bottles to make, warm, wash!! Roll over at night, nurse, go back to sleep!! Soooo easy.
She weaned with a little help at 19 mos, I was 3 mos pregnant with DS#3 and it was painful and uncomfy. She took no bottles.

DS#3 Nursed with out problems until he was 21 mos. He refused any bottles.

I plan to only nurse this baby as well.

[MyLil'Mountaineers]

Originally Posted by nothing_butt_cloth Ijust wanted to add here, that i dont think anyone choose to bottle feed becasue they dont want to do what is "best" Everyone has differnt ideas. I know several young teenage moms, who did extended breastfeeding( one was 14 when she had her baby and BF for 2 years) I also know severeal VERY educated moms,who just decided BFing wasntbest for them inthere own situation. We all do the best that we can. Breatfeeding does NOT make you a good mother. Feeding your baby and loving them does... Lets be nice please...

I BF my first for 6 weeks. He developed food allergies that required me to be on a special diet but I have a health problem that doesn't allow me to be on that diet.
I was hoping that my 2nd ds was going to be ok but they caught his allergies early (actually before we went home from the hospital) and so he got one feeding of BM.
I think a lot of women don't do it because of the lack of support and the type of support the do get. I know that when I had my first, I had a REALLY pushy, bossy LC. I really wanted to punch her at times because she was so mean. I think the combination of pushy LCs and sensitive women (you know, they did just have babies ) makes for a limited amount of BF mamas.

[shell015]

It wasn't a choice for my but I thought I would throw in my My milk never came in... then at the hospital my son has really bad jaundice and they said one thing to clear it up quicker was for him to get it all out. Well he couldn't do that if he wasn't eating so I fed him formula with an oral syringe so that he wouldn't get nipple confusion and it cleared up the jaundice and I also tried to breast feed. But after reglan and all kinds of things still no milk... and I was soooo not going to let him starve.