Lactnetters,
>Deanne wrote (on the choice of whether mothers accept an epidural, or not),
>"The same is true of breastfeeding...if, after careful explanation and
>education, a mother chooses to bottle feed with ABM ..  One cannot stand
>over a mother and insist that she breastfeed ...
{snip}
>My  complaint is when a mother has chosen to
>breastfeed and either she, herself,  or the nurses, or her doctor, or a
>family member sabotage that decision with poor advice and information."

When these mothers make this "choice", have they actually been told of
the hazards of formula feeding, or simply that breastfeeding is "better"
(as ground coffee is better than instant, or butter is better than
margarine)? I have spoken to many, many women who have "chosen" to
bottlefeed, some of whom felt educated and informed at that choice, but
invariably I find out that they are just not that informed at all in
reality. The reasons they give for their "choice" is often almost
laughable, if it weren't so serious ("I heard breastfeeding hurts", "My
boyfriend didn't like it", "I want to be able to go out occasionally",
"I like wearing Wonderbras").

Others will tell you they chose to bottlefeed, but later on, you
discover a story of breastfeeding sabotage and total undermining of the
mother's confidence ("The doctor told me my milk was too thin", "My baby
had colic because she was allergic to my milk"). They are telling you it
was a choice to try and make themselves feel better about it, IMHO.

I have had the pleasure of meeting a couple of women in my life who
breastfed because they were told they had to. One had a premie baby
fairly recently in a UK hospital and the doctor told her that she had
two choices: breastfeed, and her baby was in with a chance; formula feed
and her baby probably wouldn't make it (that was the truth in this
particular case).

Another woman was told to breastfeed after a couple of weeks of the baby
on various formulas, none of which he could tolerate. He got seriously
ill and they told her he needed donor breastmilk. She felt wrong about
this idea, and asked if there was any way should could breastfeed him
herself, after all. They didn't know, but suggested she try.
Fortunately, she succeeded, despite the total lack of skilled support (I
met her on holiday, and don't have specific details sadly - these days,
I'd be getting her name, address, the hospital, her Ped etc. and asking
permission to write up her story! :-^)

I don't think the majority of women would resent being strongly
encouraged, if not pushed, to breastfeed by HCPs, anymore than they
resent being told to provide adequate car restraints or not smoke in
pregnancy. They might not take any notice, ofcourse. Then again...
--
Anna H.
mailto: [log in to unmask]
http://www.ratbag.demon.co.uk/anna/

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