Breastfeed/Bottle-feed: your choice, your decision.
Last month saw #WorldBreastfeedingWeek where we #CelebrateBreastfeeding, and that's amazing! If you choose to breastfeed your new baby, what an amazing decision and an amazing thing to do for and with your baby. Sometimes people can feel 'shamed' for breastfeeding in public - but it's normal and natural and you are legal entitled to do it wherever you feel comfortable.
But if breastfeeding isn't for you, and you instead choose to bottle-feed, then good for you too! All the more people get to bond with your baby while they're being nourished. Sometime people can feel 'shamed' for choosing the 'easy' option (it certainly isn't that, what with all the sterilising, etc.)
and not 'sticking at' breastfeeding - but sometimes breastfeeding isn't the right choice for everyone, and that's OK.
Not everyone chooses to breastfeed. Not everyone can breastfeed. Sure, it has its many benefits; it's free, it's the most natural thing to feed your baby (advice is to do it for exclusively for the first six months of baby's life), it promotes mother and baby bonding, it can help to shift excess baby weight...as well as a fabulous excuse to eat the odd extra slice of cake!
If you do choose to breastfeed and you want to know more about your options, hints, tips, advice, guidance or help, then check out Wednesday's at Bebe'ccino with the Island Independent Midwives. We also have breastfeeding meet-ups weekdays across the Island, and have an excellent team of breastfeeding peer supporters on the Isle of Wight. Or, join the Isle of Wight breastfeeding group on Facebook - full of amazing and supportive breastfeeding/ex-breastfeeding mums (like me!).
I chose to breastfeed both of my children and I was lucky enough to be able to do it without any issues; it came naturally to both me and my babies. First time around, my daughter had the odd bottle of formula here and there when necessary - I struggled massively with expressing - my boobs simply wouldn't do it! Second time around I swore I'd offer more formula to make my lifestyle more flexible - to let myself have the odd evening out (again, the expressing didn't work for me!); and I actually ended up never giving a bottle to Elliott, and feeding him, generally, for longer; although both babies stopped breastfeeding naturally, on their own, on their first birthdays (the night before in Elliott's case, when I finally gave up trying to chase him around to offer it!).
But it's not always so 'natural' or 'easy' for everyone....and that's OK.
I have clients who have tried and tried to master breastfeeding, often beating themselves up for not being able to, for many reasons. I have seen friends struggle through illness to do it, with countless contraptions to aid it, from nipple shields to pumps and bottles. And great - if you can persevere, then well done! But not at the detriment of your own sanity or baby's well-being.
Some people choose to bottle-feed from day one; because of medication, because of circumstance, because of logistics, or because they believe it's best and right for them and their baby.
Whatever you choose, don't let anyone else's influence be your decision-maker. You fed your baby? Hooray! At the end of the day, if your baby has milk (albeit breastmilk or formula) - you fed your baby, and THAT's what counts!
