I picked Lack of education,figuring that could cover all bases when it comes to breastfeeding and the promotion of it.
I was lucky enough to have a fantastic experience with breastfeeding my daughter(not without it's ups and downs of course)and was glad she was a self-weaner at 19months old because i wasn't exactly sure how i was going to stop breastfeeding.
I am a larger women,so of course,having larger breasts made it a challenge to begin with,until i figured out a rolled up towel under the boobs made for great support and allowed our daughter to feed more comfortably.
A shame the nurses felt free to voice their personal comments about a 'fat chick' trying to feed her baby,all along with trying various positions to put my daughter and boobs in.
Already feeling bad enough after having an emergency c-section and a newborn(and 1st baby)to look after,everything aching,boobs so sensitive(and extremely sore when milk come in 3 days after the birth)..did they really wonder why i just burst out crying and said don't worry about it,i'll figure it out myself.
Which we did,just my daughter and i..and from then on,was nothing but a pleasure to be able to breastfeed successfully for her first 19 months.
They(some of the nurses)were just as horrible and nasty to the new mum in the bed next to mine.
Not that anyone should ever have to explain themselves,but before she got pregnant,she had suffered from breast cancer(and recovered)and was told that she would probably never have kids due to all the treatment etc.
Miracles,she did fall pregnant with her daughter,but because of the breast cancer and surgery etc her only option was to bottlefed.
Of course,bottlefeeding was a crime punishable by death to the nurses,and not taking the time to find out why she couldn't and didnt want to breastfed,didnt help her with bottlefeeding her baby..who i guess was probably near starving..till about 2 days after the birth.
I think one of her boobs was producing milk a little bit,so at least the baby had a little something,but to be so horrible and nasty and force the women in near tears to tell her story again about the breast cancer before they 'caved in' and helped her with the bottlefeeding and formula..just cant be right either.
Non matter if it's your 1st baby or 10th,each birth still has to be a 'shock' to the system,and a time when you can hardly think straight,and basically,just at your worst,no matter how joyous you are at finally having your baby.
All support and help should be given,no matter what your choice is.
At the end of the day,as long as each and every baby is happy and healthy,that's what matters.
I also feel that breastfeeding should be promoted just the same as formulas are.
There still seems to be this stigma of boobs only being needed for sexual pleasure(or objects)when their real primary function is to be able to breastfeed any children we have.
Once society can look at a mum breastfeeding out in public without staring and having nasty hurtful comments thrown at her,or for a guy to walk into a parents room where a mum is feeding her baby in private and grope her breasts..then we might be getting somewhere..
Now with #2 on the way,i once again cant wait to be able to breastfeed!!
All from a 70's premmie baby who was bottlefed.
Perhaps teaching and letting mums know to trust in their instincts when it comes in looking after their babies would help too.
I had never held a baby until i held my daughter,had nothing to do with other babies or kids when growing up,and had only ever mostly seen babies being bottlefed when out and about..i think it was a great surprise,and so rewarding to realise that i could actually breastfeed successfully,and i can only hope that the skill will be passed onto my daughter,and that my son in the future will support his wife in breastfeeding
I think the more kids/people exposed to mother breastfeeding their kids where ever and when ever can only be a good thing..cause once it's seen as 'normal'(which it is of course..)and routine..sooner or later,there has to come a time where nobody will even blink and eyelid at seeing mothers breastfeed..the same as if a baby is being bottlefed.
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