To Breast Feed. A simple choice?

Breast Feeding.

Naively before I had my two terrors I thought you simply made a choice between breast or bottle. Simple. Choice made.  

Only mummies with poorly babies, or babies with poorly mummies had the choice made for them.

How wrong was I!!

Why does nobody ever tell you how hard breast feeding is?

With the naughty I was totally confused with the different advice that I was given, and upset with what I felt was my body failing me.  To become a mummy and not be able to feed your child naturally (if that is how you have chosen to feed) is an emotional wrench. Your baby is so tiny and one of your first duties as a Mum, you have failed at. You feel helpless.

Now I am not going to give any advice or fast fix as I struggled too. I found it very hard with the naughty. I'll never know if quantity or quality is the problem with me. Who knows! Without being able to inspect the milk myself I was left with the quandary of what to do for the best. We are all told breast is best, but other than that the advice given seams to contradict it’s self.

Through my struggles with feeding Ida and Sam, I have heard the following…you’ll see why I have been in such a muddle!

-Never feed from one breast for longer than 30 minutes.

-Feed as long as baby wants to feed even if this means constantly (impossible when you have a 14 month old daughter to entertain and look after)

-Feed baby only from one breast at each feed.

-Feed baby from both breasts at each feed.

-If quality or quantity is poor top up with formula.

-Don’t top up with formula; instead try to increase milk supply with expressing.

-Try to increase your milk supply by first breast-feeding from each breast for 30 minutes, then formula feeding (takes another 20 minutes) then expressing for 20 minutes. My baby was feeding every 2 hours at this point meaning I had exactly 20 minutes after doing this before feeding would start again!

-Do not give expressed or formula from a bottle, use a cup!? But don’t waste a speck!

-Improve your diet. (I’m a greens and fruit eating vegetarian that eats a balanced diet…. I love fresh healthy food! I found this insulting...maybe my over emotional hormones)

-I even have a friend who’s midwife told her that her daughter was obviously repelled by her breast. Poor Mummy and Naughty Midwife!

So with all the advice above, i am sticking to my own advice for once, Mummy knows best.

I am again sticking to my guns and working on the basis that if the way I choose to feed my baby suits myself and my family then that is what I will do and I will not be made to feel guilty about it! 

Especially by other Mummies that have breast-fed easily and don’t understand the emotions and difficulties you have agonized over to make the decision to move to the bottle.

My Man Sam

 **I was told this amazing fact by a supportive friend when i was trying to decide whether to switch to bottle with Ida....over 75% of the English Rugby team were bottle fed! And look at those strapping, healthy looking fella's! It didn't do them any harm, did it!