-
Advice & Opinions....
- Sep 3, 2009 at 6:08 PM
- By
- Comments (4) Total Views (103) Everyone can see this journal post.
I was reading through WikiAnswers and came across a question no one had answered and one that had been answered but wasn't exactly a great answer.
Since it is on a subject where lots of people have opinions (especially parents) I thought maybe some of the people here who are so nice would be able to help someone.
Either way, I'm curious on peoples opinions on the questions, so below I'll put both questions and links to them on the WikiAnswers site if anyone wants to help out the woman who asked them.
Someone had answered it, saying that the woman should "suck it up and let him be there for the birth of HIS child". They acted like she was going to give birth to a child that is his and not hers. When I answered it, that answer had disappeared, so I don't know what happened. Maybe the staff deleted that answer.
The other one was:
The person that answered said she should breastfeed because it's best for the baby. That doesn't take into account the fact that not all women can, that it can be bad for the woman, or that it can be bad for the child (if the woman is taking certain medicines). I know people who were breastfed and aren't near as smart as other people I know who were bottle fed from the start. Neither is better for 100% of babies. Babies who are bottle fed don't have to be fed as often as babies who are breastfed (they can digest the breast milk easier and more quickly). Babies who are breastfed are 10 times as likely to not have enough vitamin d than babies who are bottle fed (vitamin D is needed for strong bones, low levels sometimes lead to rickets, diabetes, cancer, and certain other things). That means, women who breastfeed should either give their babies extra vitamins or make sure they get extra vitamins so the baby gets enough. Vitamin D deficiency almost always has no symptoms until the person with the deficiency starts having problems caused by it.
If a woman makes sure her child gets enough vitamins (esp. vitamin D) and doesn't take medication that can be harmful for the child, breastmilk is still usually best for the child. A combination of breastmilk and formula or just formula is usually good, too. Just as long as you can keep the baby well fed and make sure the baby gets enough nutrients and vitamins.
Comments:
I completely agree with everything Daynaof3 said. Excluding your fiance from something as important as the birth of his child needs to have a very good reason. Even if the father of your child is neither your fiance or husband, you need a very good reason to exclude him if he wants to be there.
As far as breastfeeding goes, Daynaof3 hit the nail on the head. There are only a small percentage of women who truly have physical problems that make it difficult/impossible to breastfeed. While I'm sure there are other conditions, the most common where nursing and the medication are contradicted is for bipolar. Far too often, doctors don't know if a medication is safe and, rather than look it up, they tell the mother to just not nurse.
Too many times, mothers experience "problems" breastfeeding and either give up or are pressured to quit. Because of many myths out there they think they're doing something wrong when, in fact, everything is just the way it should be. For example: "My baby just wanted to nurse all the time. I couldn't get him off my breast. I know I wasn't making enough so I gave him a bottle of formula and for the first time ever he didn't want to eat for 4 whole hours! That's when I knew I was doing the right thing, so I just completely switched to formula." Babies nurse all the time, especially when they're going through a growth spurt. This causes many mothers to think that they're not making enough because of the myths out there. And then they give formula, which is very difficult for baby's tummy to digest so it sits there for a longer time. This reinforces the misconception that Mom wasn't making enough, and no good mother wants their baby to starve.
Uhm...babies don't need extra vitamins. Breastfeeding provides all they need. Besides, vitamin D is a hormone--not a vitamin. Our body naturally synthesizes it when exposed to sunlight daily.
Breastfeeding IS best for 100% of moms and 100% of babies. There are RARE circumstances when it isn't--as in a metabolic disorder.
We are the only animals to routinely drink the milk of another animal out of convenience.
The first question depends. I didn't want my DD's biological father there for birth but let him. Looking back, it didn't do any good. I've moved past it. But it just depends on the situation. As for the second, she should definitely breastfeed cause it's best for baby. You can do so on medication, it's not bad for baby (it's actually very beneficial), it's not bad for the mother (who also gains multiple benefits), it's biologically correct, and vitamin D is NOT an issue. The risk of formula is far higher than the likely hood of a woman being TRULY incapable of breastfeeding.
Already a member? Click here to log in
To the first question: I would ask her why she didn't want him there and if she thought that her reasons were important enough for him to miss the birth of his child.
To the second question: I would suggest she at least give it a try and she how it goes. It's much easier to try and stop then not try at first and then wish you did and have a hard time starting out.
As far as your comments I would like to say this, there is a small number of women who physically cannot breastfeed and a large number of women who perceive they cannot and don't always find good help. There are a number of challenges in the beginning and alot of moms don't have a good strong support team behind them.
I can't think of a situation where breastfeeding would be "bad" for a mom. Most medications are compatible with breastfeeding and if not there is almost ALWAYS an alternative available. There are a small few that are not compatible with breastfeeding. The only time where a moms milk would not be optimal for a baby would be if the baby had galactosemia, in which case the child wouldn't be able to have a regular formula either. They would have to have a special formula for that. So breast milk is almost always the optimal choice for infant feeding, whether it be at breast or from a bottle.
It's a good thing that breast milk is digested easily and quickly. Babies need to be fed often, they all do, even formula fed babies. The vitamins and nutrients in formula aren't as bioavailable as the vitamins and nutrients in breast milk, meaning they have to add much more to formula for baby to get the same amount as they do from breast milk. Vitamin d deficiency can be remedied by sun exposure and the major concern is for people living in areas where there isn't much sunlight or who have darker skin tones(because they require longer sun exposure). They also have a product out for babies that is called "Just D" so they don't have to give a multivitamin when it isn't needed just for the extra vitamin d.
Breast milk is a living substance, formula is not. Formula will provide a baby with adequate nutrition, but breast milk provides a baby with optimal nutrition. A mother's milk is specifically tailored to HER baby's needs. Formula will never be able to say that.
There are a lot of misconceptions about breastfeeding out there and it is a shame, if women had the support and encouragement they needed in all areas of life breastfeeding would be the norm, but until that happens women will always fear that their breast milk isn't enough or isn't good enough to nurish their child all by themselves. This fear is completely unfounded.
- Daynaof3
Message Friend Invite