Breastfeeding is the biological norm. It is the way we were born to feed our babies. That is what breasts were made for. Nothing else. Breast milk is the way babies are expecting to be fed before they are even born. The nutrients & health benefits in the breast milk is designed for them. Your body is expecting you to aswell.
Did you know, the term 'breast is best' was copyrighted by a formula company?! Apparently it was so they could sell more products by making it seem like 'breast is best, but if you can't, our formula is the next best thing'. THAT SUCKS. That's making it sound like only really 'do gooders' 'high achievers' 'advantaged' parents can breastfeed, so basically, don't bother trying.
It's implying that formula feeding is the norm, which it shouldn't be. It really shouldn't. Yes, ok fine you may not have breastfed, and that's ok. But it feels in today's society that people are put down, ashamed if they do! Doing the most natural thing in the world, and people are being humilated for it. It's disgusting.
I'm not going to go into all the benefits of breastfeeding, as if you are reading this, i'm sure you're already aware. Not just the health benefits, but practicality too.
Anyway. I recently did at survey about breastfeeding, and the results frankly made me a bit upset.
48% of the participants did not breastfeed.
37% felt there wasn't enough support.
18% didn't feel it was for them.
40% tried, but couldn't.
This honestly makes me sad. The women who wanted to, who tried to, and couldn't, is shocking. I honestly do believe, with the right support, a lot more mums can breastfeed. But the trouble is, there just isn't the support.
I know this for a fact. It's like "How are you going to feed your baby?" "Breastfeeding" "Good luck!"
When I had my eldest, I cried myself to sleep that night. I felt like a failure because I couldn't do it. I asked the midwives to take care of her for a bit because I was so ashamed I couldn't feed my own baby.
(I did manage to, in the end, in a peculiar position), but that's not the point. The point is, there was no support. No one ever showed me how, it's a really terrible thing.
The 18% shocked me too. (Remember, I'm not judging!) But I just don't understand when people just decide it's not for them, they don't like the idea of it.
Has it really got that bad that people are uncomfortable with feeding their babies the way they were born to be fed. Yes. Yes, it has. As I said above, people are shamed for doing it now. Made to feel guilty for not popping straight back to how they used to be, back to work, back out at the weekends.
I am curious to know, what about it makes you feel you wouldn't want to do it?
I was embarrassed when I started sure, even embarrassed in front of my other half. But sheer embarrassment shouldn't put you off.
Right. That's it. That's all I'm going to say.
But...WE DEFINITELY DO NEED MORE BREASTFEEDING SUPPORT.
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