I feel we can try to educate but we can not make a woman breastfeed. If 
she doesn't want to, she is going to be polite to you in person but go 
home and bottle feed formula. Education is different from trying to 
coerce someone.

It may be the baby's right to have excellent nutrition (breastfeeding) 
but again, the mother controls the access to it. This is just like we 
can not force people to quit smoking, drinking, or other things.

I do agree that we should probably focus on society's lack of bf 
support. Almost all mothers know that breastfeeding is best, but that 
doesn't make them want to do it. The whole "I want to do breast and 
bottle" comment is indicative of worldwide acceptance of formula and 
bottles as normal. Moms say this to be doing both methods and be "right" 
to both sides of the issue. Moms also say this to indicate they know 
human milk is best for baby but that they think bottles are best for 
them. If you ask why, they say "so that someone else can feed baby, or 
mom gets a break, or dad can bond, or so baby is not too attached to 
mom, or don't have to show your breast in public."

You can't force someone to acknowledge the "baby's right" to be 
breastfed or even accept that this is true and right. I don't understand 
this attitude myself but I do know it is out there and it doesn't work 
to counsel in a way that moms will not listen to or understand.

Kathy Eng, BSW, IBCLC

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