Breast feeding- were any of you actively discouraged from BF?

I BF both my babies, 1987 + 1989 - as Norah said it was free and I was lucky that it was easy.

Both my daughter and DiL have BF their babies 2010, 2012 + 2022

We have all had encouragement and advice from professionals, family and friends; no discouragement from anywhere that I know of.

MawtheMerrier

I’m sorry MaizieD - my comment was in reply to the post I quoted verbatim. Did I misread it?
Where else have I expressed an unacceptable opinion?

You most certainly and deliberately did misread, Maw.

I said nothing about unacceptable opinions. Sniping was the term. You follow Fp around the forums and snipe.

Things though are wrong in the Uk, as apparently, the Uk is literally the worst country in the world for the amount of breastfed babies. Apparently

fancythat

Fleurpepper

Thanks for all who commented.

My intention was not to open yet another Breast versus Bottle debate.

But to find out if any of you, or DDs, colleagues, friends, etc- in the past, currently or anywhere in between- were actually DISCOURAGED from Breast Feeding, and by whom, with reasons stated or not.

Zoejory, I truly do not think it is genetic. But expectations leading to advice, comments, support or not, etc.

In the cases of younger colleagues, living in extended families, the MIL encouraged Bottle feeding as a method of control, on both DIL, son and baby. OH also had several similar cases.

I have quite up to date info about some.

No, no one was discouraged. But medical staff do nto have as much time to put to this as they would like.

Things though are wrong in the Uk, as apparently, the Uk is literally the worst country in the world for the amount of breastfed babies. Apparently.

.

Germanshepherdsmum

Didn’t attend NCT classes. Definitely didn’t want to breastfeed. No pressure to do so from anyone. Son thrived. No regrets.

Same and my three thrived! 😁

I really don’t understand your concern FP. There is ample evidence here of women having successfully bottle-fed their babies. What’s the problem? So long as the mother is happy and the baby thrives, who cares? Who else’s business is it?

I was only able to breastfeed my first one for a month but my health visitor wasn't much help. She had never had children herself and encouraged me to back up my breastfeeding with bottles which, of course, ruined the whole thing. Things were much better with my second one because I decided to ignore everyone and just do what I thought. The only disappointment was that by the time DS was a year old he had discovered that it was much easier to drink out of a cup and he lost interest altogether.

I had my daughter 12 years ago and I always intended to breastfeed. So I did. Had lots of support, but my mum (who had never breastfed) totally discouraged me from doing so! Not that I listened. Breastfed for just shy of three years.

Thank you Sarah 75.

Whiff

Fleurpepper why do you want to know ?

Yes, I wondered too, as we are, in the main, mothers of adults, perhaps grandmothers, and trends change.

Germanshepherdsmum

I really don’t understand your concern FP. There is ample evidence here of women having successfully bottle-fed their babies. What’s the problem? So long as the mother is happy and the baby thrives, who cares? Who else’s business is it?

I have never said I had a concern. Mothers should have the choice.

That choice should go bothways- support for mothers who want to bottle feed. But just as importantly, support for mothers who want to breastfeed. Don't you think?

If a mother cares- then it is good enough for me.

DD wasn't discouraged, but was given no support whatsoever in Spain where DGS was born. And I mean none at all. None in hospital, none once discharged. For a culture that values family so much, I found it very strange.

If I hadn't had a personal contact who knew a doula, it would have been formula for DGS.

'Trends' Callistemon? Who is talking about 'trends'

We are hopefully talking about support for mothers.

And hopefully factual information so they can make an informed choice.

In the cases of younger colleagues, living in extended families, the MIL encouraged Bottle feeding as a method of control, on both DIL, son and baby. OH also had several similar cases.

I don't know anyone who lived in extended families.
Why would MIL want to control?

Was that in the UK or another part of the world where extended families lived together or in close proximity?

Germanshepherdsmum

I really don’t understand your concern FP. There is ample evidence here of women having successfully bottle-fed their babies. What’s the problem? So long as the mother is happy and the baby thrives, who cares? Who else’s business is it?

I don't understand why anyone has an issue with this topic of discussion.

It's of interest to some of us.

In the UK, but from another culture- living in extended families. Very wealthy ones too.

GagaJo

Germanshepherdsmum

I really don’t understand your concern FP. There is ample evidence here of women having successfully bottle-fed their babies. What’s the problem? So long as the mother is happy and the baby thrives, who cares? Who else’s business is it?

I don't understand why anyone has an issue with this topic of discussion.

It's of interest to some of us.

Thank you Gaga. This discussion was triggered from the other one on bottle feeding. I did not want to derail that one and thought it was better to open a new one. In my experience, more mothers are discouraged or put off from Breast Feeding, than the other way round. Wanted to know if others felt/experienced the same, either for themselves, or DDs, DILs or younger friends/colleagues.

It is not pro Breast or bottle- it is about choice, and support, from mothers, family, or in hospital or when coming home, etc.

Trends' Callistemon? Who is talking about 'trends

Me. That's why I said it. There are trends for whatever reason.

academic.oup.com/jn/article/131/2/421S/4686960
www.thelancet.com/journals/lanchi/article/PIIS2352-4642(21)00163-2/fulltext

But this discussion is not about 'trends' - it is about support for a mother's choice- whatever the 'trends' are.

I had a difficult birth with my oldest, born in 1991 and, despite desperately wanting to breastfeed and trying very hard, it did not work out. My second was born in 1993 and I breastfed him for nine months, although he was a very hungry baby and I could not totally supply enough milk, so I had to top him up with formula until he was three months old and went on to solids (3-4 months for solids was the advice then). My third baby was breastfed for ten months, although I had to top up again at the beginning as I was on antibiotics. The best advice a health visitor gave me was that if I was going to give a bottle, the 6 pm feed was the best time to do it as milk supply is at its lowest at this point and you are busy with older children. My husband generally gave this feed for that reason. The final feed of the day was always from the breast. It worked for me.

Also, whatever choice the mother makes, it should be remembered that formula milk, by its nature, must surely be the most tested food ever as it is for babies.

Fleurpepper

But this discussion is not about 'trends' - it is about support for a mother's choice- whatever the 'trends' are.

Ok, but the views of women, people in the 1950s, 60s, 70s, 80s changed during that time and may well have changed since then.

I would have thought that the experiences of the women you are asking will be different from those of today's young mothers.

When my first child was born there was no encouragment, not even the suggestion of breastfeeding from the hospital, and I was there for a week, as most mothers were. All the babies had formula milk, supplied by the hospital. I bought 'Ostermilk' for him when we went home, and was very surprised to see that the recommendation was to put half a teaspoon of sugar in each bottle. Does anyone else remember this? Evidently the theory was that breast milk is sweet, and babies would take it more eagerly. I didn't like the idea and used very little sugar for a very short time.

But there have been / are trends in encouragement or discouragement to breast feed which we are seeing on here,
whether from mothers, family, or in hospital or when coming home.
Looking at the responses on here and the other thread you might see trends about support for breast feeding from when GNs might have been the recipients of such support/discouragement.
The OP asked if
Breast feeding- were any of you actively discouraged from BF
By mother, MIL, or nursing staff, friends, colleagues, OH, etc?
Any answers to that would show a trend /majority either claiming or refuting discouragement.

I knew I’d been bf and was really keen to do it.
Baby 1 was born by C-section. I lasted for 7 of the 10 day stay: my milk came in late; I was sore and exhausted; baby was constantly demanding; dummies were forbidden; there was an extra hour between feeds if I used formula; I conceded.
Baby 2 was born naturally, home the next day and was easily and happily bf for 6 months. An aunt, also my godmother and a mother of five, greatly approved as did a large number of women in the restaurant of a well-known department store when I very discreetly fed him one afternoon. Lots of them came up to me, smiled, touched my shoulder and praised me. None of the men present noticed or cared it seemed. The in-laws didn’t like it: I had to bf in an unheated bedroom with the windows open at Christmas. At one point the clinic ‘borrowed’ him to demonstrate to mums-to-be how to bath a baby. When I arrived to collect him, it was clear he wanted to be bf. I dithered but thought it a step too far to show exactly how a baby latches on, however I wish someone had shown me.