Do you feel that new moms aren't encouraged and supported in breastfeeding as much as they should be from the outside world?

 

Yes absolutely!!!  My own family are a group of non-breastfeeders and not supportive at all!!

science_spot Nov. 5, 2009 at 2:02 PM

i couldnt breastfeed my 2 kids at all 

ilovemyson2002 Nov. 5, 2009 at 2:58 PM

Mothers deffinatly are not encouraged and supported in breastfeeding as much as they should be from the outside world. One way to seriously improve it is for Walmart to get a Mothers Room like Babies R Us has. If Walmart did that, how many other stores would follow suit? And how many more new mothers would finally be able to go shopping because they have a place to sit and feed their little one?

SpiritedTigress Nov. 5, 2009 at 4:47 PM

My favorite is when you go to a lactation consultant for help, and she sends you home with a bag of sample formula and coupons.

 

 

That is just setting up young, new mothers to lactation suicide.  I think there should definitely be more breastfeeding promotion.  In other countries they have little bits posted on tv to help encourage the breastfeeding population.  I don't understand why America doesn't do that and why it is really so hushed about.

bluelady27 Nov. 5, 2009 at 8:45 PM

I feel they are more forcing the issue and moms like me to breastfeed not encouraging it-I didn't do it with my first child because of depression and they looked down on me and with my second one, i am doing ok but they tell me i need to try harder and i am going at a pace that makes me comfortable because i got hit with depression again...we moms need support and encouragment an inncentive not to be forced or told if we dont do it our kids will suffer and what i mean by that is they say they'll have more problems than other kids and how does that help? makes you feel guiltied into it xD

liltiger86 Nov. 6, 2009 at 2:20 AM

There definitely needs to be some hands on support while new moms learn how to bf.  It doens't always come easily.  With my first, I struggled to bf... my son had a tongue tie and was latching badly, I did not receive good info about it from the hospital, I was severely uncomfortable and not coping well.  Eventually I went back to my hospital's lactation support group in tears and found an enormous amount of help, including a referral to deal with the tongue tie, some hands on advice about latch, a scale so I could weigh my baby and see that he was getting enough to grow on, and a shoulder to cry on.  I went on to ebf my son for over a year.  I would NEVER have gotten through the first couple months without the help I received.  Ironically, in an effort to cut costs, the program that was so invaluable to me has now been completely cut.  It seems so counterproductive to take something that is so powerful in terms of PREVENTING illness for mom and baby and not to fund support for it. Talk about treating the symptom and ignoring the cause!  Yes, we need support for bf'ing moms.  We should be funding help for moms who need it.

Freela Nov. 6, 2009 at 11:53 AM

There needs to be a LOT more hands on support, like other posters have said. I nursed my daughter for a year, but had a rough time in the beginning. I had no direction, no help, no anything. I was told to supplement her with formula in the beginning, which was a huge mistake I later realized, as she had nipple confusion. It took us a good three weeks to get her completely nursing, instead of supplementing with formula. I did a lot of my own research on the internet after those hard weeks, but it would have saved me a lot of time and struggle if I had had more advice and support in the beginning. I actually spoke to a lactation consultant at our hometown public health office on the phone a few times, and was telling her the problems I was having, and she said this to me "And you're sure you really want to breastfeed?" She basically was thinking I should just give up. I had no support whatsoever and it was awful. I am in FULL support of more information and help for moms who want to breastfeed.

Nonmember comment from F Nov. 6, 2009 at 12:56 PM

Yes, there needs to be more support!  And if more people would support breastfeeding, even if they themselves couldn't breastfed, it would be helpful.  Instead, give this post 20 responses, and I guarantee you there will be ones saying "well, I couldn't breastfeed."  There are people that can't, and no one is denying that.  Lactation consultants charge like $100 an hour, doctors know nothing about breastfeeding, and every medical support person you visit gives you MORE formula.  It's no wonder people think it's almost the same, even if it isn't.  More (free) bf education, more (free) bf support, and more doctors explaining WHY it's good for your baby, and for you. 

apexmommy Nov. 6, 2009 at 3:20 PM

And no one is forcing the issue - as evidenced by more than half of women stopping or choosig not to in the first place.  If it were as forced as people claim more people would bf.

apexmommy Nov. 6, 2009 at 3:21 PM

Of course there needs to be more support, but that also means that there needs to be more education in order to be truly supportive. Encouraging someone to continue is all well and good, but would be more effective if they could give good advice on how to continue! Also, I think alot of people don't really know how to counsel breastfeeding moms appropriately. Moms doesn't just need information, she also needs understanding and compassion. A mom needs someone she feels she can trust and confide in to go to for help when she needs it. There are a whole slew of different things that need to change in order for moms to get the breastfeeding outcomes they desire!

Daynaof3 Nov. 6, 2009 at 11:06 PM