Make Breastfeeding Compulsory for 6 mths? WDYT?

[butterfly_warrior]

Onyx, I have never taken illegal drugs. But the line you are drawing is implying that you think I would have done better to breastfeed my son even while taking the various prescription medications I need to take in order to be functional.

One of them, methotrexate, is normally used in chemotherapy. Patients using this drug are advised to double flush the toilet. It's considered to be so toxic that pregnant and breastfeeding women are advised to not even handle the drug. But you seem to be saying that breastmilk carrying that drug would have been a better option for my son than formula.

BW

[Phteven]

Onyx, I have never taken illegal drugs. But the line you are drawing is implying that you think I would have done better to breastfeed my son even while taking the various prescription medications I need to take in order to be functional.

One of them, methotrexate, is normally used in chemotherapy. Patients using this drug are advised to double flush the toilet. It's considered to be so toxic that pregnant and breastfeeding women are advised to not even handle the drug. But you seem to be saying that breastmilk carrying that drug would have been a better option for my son than formula.

BW

I am aware of this because you have said so in numerous threads. As Mick has pointed out this makes you a bad Mum as much as not being able to walk makes a Mum in a wheelchair a bad Mum however it doesn't alter the reality that in most cases breastmilk is a nutritionally apropriate food for infants. I'm not sure why people take this fact as a personal attack.

[Taurean]

I am aware of this because you have said so in numerous threads. As Mick has pointed out this makes you a bad Mum as much as not being able to walk makes a Mum in a wheelchair a bad Mum however it doesn't alter the reality that in most cases breastmilk is a nutritionally apropriate food for infants. I'm not sure why people take this fact as a personal attack.

Onyx - we all understand that BM is nutrionally far better for our babies. WE ALL GET THAT. It's some of your comments that are a little, um, flippant (for want of a better word). Formula is the next best thing to BM so when mothers choose to FF their children, they don't need to be told they are 'medicating' their child or have it compared to hard core drugs. If it wasn't a safe substitue, it wouldn't be available -simple.

As for being able to get it at Kmart, well that's just the world we live in - we have the luxury now of being able to get more things at one place. You could say the same about all the medicines and vitamins available at the supermarket. We would all moan and carry on if we couldn't get half of the things we've come accustomed to getting at the supermarket.

But seriously, comparing formula to medication or drugs is ridiculous. Yes, it needs to be prepared carefully but you know what, so does breastmilk. What you eat and drink DOES affect your breastmilk - ask any BFing mother with a lactose intollerant baby or those with reflux. They have to watch what they eat closely or their baby gets sick. They have to 'prepare' their BM carefully too.

[deletedit]

Someone mentioned education ... so many posts back I've lost track and can't quote it ....

My eldest daughter was breastfed. But when I was pregnant with her little sister she was convinced I needed bottles to feed her. Somewhere along the line she absorbed society's opinion that food comes from bottles. Probably from TV and Baby Born style dolls with bottles. I had to argue that they didn't need bottles every time we passed some in the chemist or supermarket.

She remembers babies eat boobies now so no such problems with her little brother, and she's old enough she's likely to remember for the rest of her life now so it'll probably stick with her.

[Neenee Jellybeanie]

I'm not going to read everything that's happened since I posted because I find the lack of regard and understanding for parents who formula feed to be insulting.

Again with the availability of formula - if you are feeding your baby formula already, it is a NECESSITY. Not only would limiting its supply cause inconvenience for parents, it would put babies AT RISK because if parents couldn't access it when they needed to (or for some parents if it was a hassle to do) they would feed their baby something else that's actually worse than the formula. This arguement has nothing to do with concern for the welfare of babies and everything to do with bullying formula feeding parents. I understand that if it was less available perhaps less parents would begin to use it BUT that is not taking into account the needs of those families who still will use it or who already are. Babies who are being formula fed have a RIGHT to have their needs met, I am gobsmacked that anyone would be willing to put them at risk.

I believe breastfeeding should be encouraged as much as possible. So lets have medicare funding for lactation consultants. Hell lets have ALL maternity nurses and midwives trained to be lactation consultants, that would be an enormous help to new parents. Lets have milk banks for those who cannot or choose not to breastfeed their babies. But for goodness sakes, lets not forget that parents who use formula and their babies are people too.

[Pretty Butterfly]

Seriously???
We are picking and pulling out everyones words and making it personal??

No one said BW should of b/f with her meds. No one.

And what DM said is completly true. We are told not to take a LOT of meds when B/F, but when you get down to it, and call the drug info line, they say its completly fine.

I was told when EBM'ing for Kane not to take more than 60mg of Motilium, its dangerous. Rang the info line cause it wasn't working, and 90mg was the limit. 60mg didn't work, but the 90mg dose kept him in BM for 10 months!!! A massive difference to 3 months.

And many many times we have heard it said that people on drugs and drinkers/smokers should still B/F. It still outweighs not getting BM, such a small amount is transvered.

On a side note, a long term study has shown that up to 10 drinks a week (alcohol) when pregnant had no differing outcome than non drinkers.

Although most will of course just have to argue this, , it doesn't change the outcome or the results, does it??
Just because some wont believe it, doesn't make it a lie!!

[Little Chicken]

If it is so ok to breastfeed while taking illicit drugs, drinking and smoking, why am I being told that I basically fed my child poison laced formula and this is NOT ok? I would rather my child got formula then breastmilk laced with alcohol, cannabis, ecstacy, amphetamines or opiates.

[Anise3]

I've been following this thread since it started and have found both "sides" of the debate interesting. I found it to be a sensitive, informative, healthy debate and as a FF mother have not been offended by anything posted............ until it was said that it'd be better to BF your baby with your system full of drugs or alcohol than to formula feed.

Now that is offensive.

On topic though, I agree that formula should not be sold in supermarkets in the baby food section. It does make it too easily accessible for those moments when you're ready to cave in because you're exhausted, in pain and over it. But more importantly than that would be more support for BF issues and access to lactation consultants, if I had of had these then maybe I would have made it past 4 months... I got sick of the health nurse just lecturing me and telling me "if it hurts then you're doing it wrong" when I was doing everything she suggested. In the end I was too scared to mention it again that I made the switch. In retrospect I wish i'd persevered but hindsight is a wonderful thing and hopefully I'll be more successful with this next baby.

[Kazmar]

I've been following this thread since it started and have found both "sides" of the debate interesting. I found it to be a sensitive, informative, healthy debate and as a FF mother have not been offended by anything posted............ until it was said that it'd be better to BF your baby with your system full of drugs or alcohol than to formula feed.

Now that is offensive.

See research says alchole laced bm is still better. LACED is not trashed and not hard drugs. Im yet to find that.....

Dont get offened buy that fact, if it was vise versa I couldn't deny the fact.

[briggsy's girl]

No one said BW should of b/f with her meds. No one.

true. no one told her that she should have
same as no one acknowledged that she couldn't and shouldnt have

just a post soon after she posted saying someone pushed through their medication to continue feeding.

yes i quoted kass, hers was the post most immediately after BW's to say something similar to five or more others before that. all saying, in their own way, that choosing not to BF because of medication (or illicit drugs/alcohol) wasn't necessary and to just feed through it because it's better than the ABM alternative. Kass, if you have taken it as a personal thing, i apologise. i was feeding DD as i typed so couldn't go back and grab all the posts that i wanted to quote. it seemed everyone was happy to, more than once, gloss over the fact that sometimes, it's just not right. some medication is dangerous - genuinely dangerous. yes, most are ok in small doses, but some aren't. and it was being ignored

[Kazmar]

true. no one told her that she should have
same as no one acknowledged that she couldn't and shouldnt have

just a post soon after she posted saying someone pushed through their medication to continue feeding.

yes i quoted kass, hers was the post most immediately after BW's to say something similar to five or more others before that. all saying, in their own way, that choosing not to BF because of medication (or illicit drugs/alcohol) wasn't necessary and to just feed through it because it's better than the ABM alternative. Kass, if you have taken it as a personal thing, i apologise. i was feeding DD as i typed so couldn't go back and grab all the posts that i wanted to quote. it seemed everyone was happy to, more than once, gloss over the fact that sometimes, it's just not right. some medication is dangerous - genuinely dangerous. yes, most are ok in small doses, but some aren't. and it was being ignored

No no, just didn't want anyone thinking I was telling them they should have fed through