Social pressure against total breastfeeding

From: womanht
Date: 03 May 2001
Time: 15:20:11
Remote Name: sbproxy3.mystarhub.com.sg

Comments

My choice to totally breastfeed my first kid was not well received. For one thing, my parents' generation felt it is considered to be of bad taste to be seen breastfeeding your kid. They say that only poor people breastfeed their kids. Those who can afford it feed their kids formula milk.

A generation ago, mothers were influenced to give babies formula milk for the convenience it supposedly brings. They even argued that formula milk is better. It keeps the baby full longer. (In reality, breast milk is more easily digested and contains nutrients and antibodies not found in formula milk.)

How much milk my baby receives is also another issue to the older generation. The amount of breast milk the baby gets was not visible to the older generation as I breastfed my baby directly. For argument sake I could pump out my milk to prove that I have enough for my baby, but I find it easier to breast feed him directly. Baby cried often as most babies do, so it was always assumed that he was hungry and that I was not giving him enough milk. I expressed milk when he refused my breast to show he was not hungry and was crying for some other reason, like wanting to burp or needing a change of diapers.

To make matters worse, I hired a confinement lady to care for my baby and me during the first month. She was against me totally breastfeeding my baby as she kept insisting it was bad for my health, would age me faster, and that there would not be enough milk for my baby. Come on. Mothers can fully breast feed twins if necessary. It is often a matter of demand and supply. Generally, the more baby suckles, the more you produce.

Eventually, she pressured me into stopping breast feeding. On top of that, she wanted me to stop breast feeding suddenly and completely when my baby was 2 weeks old. Under pressure from every one, I stopped.

Baby kept crying for breast milk the whole day and fell sick within a day. He was brought to see a doctor for his cold which became worse. Eventually, he had to be given antibiotics to clear the infection completely.

The doctor told my off for stopping breast feeding so suddenly and when he was so young (not even a month old). I started breastfeeding him totally again and this time, turned a deaf ear to the confinement lady's constant nagging.

I'm glad I continued to breast feed baby. I was encouraged by a doctor who said that breast fed babies tend to be more intelligent and healthier. Another told me that my baby's muscle tone was firmer than other babies who were fed formula milk. I don't know how true it is though but I also heard that breast fed babies grow up stronger too.

As for premature aging, sun exposure and lack of sleep age you faster anyway. I aged more setting up this web site than by breast feeding my kids.

The best part of breast feeding is the closeness between baby and me. Just looking at him when he feeds shows how much it means to him.

Personally, I think breast milk is one of the best gifts a mother could give her baby.