Health: Breast is best.. And the rest..
For
new mothers, breastfeeding versus bottle-feeding has been an on-going
debate for many years. It's a decision many mums-to-be don't make
lightly and can in fact agonise over for months before the birth. On the
other hand, some mothers know exactly how they want to feed their baby
even before they're pregnant and many will base the decision to do so on
what their own mothers did, as their way may feel most familiar.
Regardless
of what a mother decides, it really is just a matter of individual
choice and therefore nobody should be judged for it. The reason I felt
compelled to write about this issue is not really for personal reasons
(though I don't mind sharing them) it is because many women I have
discussed it with before, during and after my own pregnancy, seem to
feel burdened and pressured about this decision. Many women feel if they
choose to go the bottle route, they are
judged for it by family, friends and peers and therefore there's an
insinuation out there that they are harming their baby by feeding a
breast-milk substitute.
Irish doctors and mid-wives are currently obligated to promote
breastfeeding here via government pressure due to Ireland having one of
the lowest statistics in Europe for feeding babies 'the natural way'. This is why women are feeling the pressure because they obviously want to make an informed decision. Do the Irish 'powers that be' have a very short memory? Most women in this country have been consistently encouraged to work outside the home for the past 10 years due to the booming economic climate. Although breastfeeding for many of them was not impossible, it was most likely very difficult while working full-time jobs.
Becoming a new mother earlier this year, personally I have felt very little pressure on the matter. Sure, I was asked many times by doctors/midwives what my 'feeding' decision was and when I was unsure throughout my pregnancy, I said I was unsure and when I was certain the correct decision for me was to bottle-feed my baby, that was that and nobody said boo! However, this is not the case for many women. A shame game seems to exist which in my opinion is a lot of wasted energy.. Excuse the pun, but you either decide to feed into that or you don't.
Yes, the fact is breast-feeding is generally better for your
baby because it is the most natural food they can eat. The World Health Organisation and the Department of Health and Children
recommend that women breastfeed their baby exclusively for the first
six months and then continue to breastfeed as they introduce
weaning/solid foods. This is scientifically the safest and best way to
protect your baby's health. But remember this course of recommendation
presumes the woman is in tip top health herself! Don't get me wrong,
I'm sure most women are physically fit, but we must always factor in that we are
dealing with individuals here - some women have immune deficiencies for
example, and may have valid reasons for not going down the 'breast route'. We
just don't know or maybe understand everyone else's situation or
circumstance. Most women will avoid smoking or drinking alcohol during
pregnancy, which we all know is only safe and right. But then what do
you say to a woman who is a strong advocate of breast-feeding but
decides to have a glass of wine every night while doing it? It happens.
Surely if the alcohol is still in her system it will pass onto her baby
and that can't be good. Isn't that the same as drinking while pregnant?
Apart from all the do's and the don'ts (and all the advice EVERYONE will give you) you may be a new mother who has all the best intentions to breast-feed but by the
time your baby arrives, for a variety of reasons you may not be able to. This happens quite frequently. I witnessed women in hospital who had horrible trouble breastfeeding their little ones and were quite sore as a result. I am not promoting either way is better, as I said earlier, it is a very personal individual decision. I just think as with anything else, lay off the judgements people because what's good for the goose isn't necessarily good for, ehh, the other goose. It's like a horse telling a cow to choose an udder way. You know what I mean!