It is undeniable that breast milk is the best food for the baby with multiple benefits for its development, but breastfeeding is not always a path of roses and there are circumstances that make some mothers, for whatever reason, decide not to give, or stop breastfeeding your newborns. Many of them say they feel pressured by their environment to "have" to breastfeed as if it were an obligation, but of course the mothers who give the bottle are no less mothers than those who breastfeed because the way you feed your baby does not define you as a mother.
In that line, the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), the Association of Midwives of the United Kingdom, has updated its official position on breastfeeding and says that Mothers who choose not to breastfeed should be respected.
An informed choice
The executive director of the RCM, Gill Walton, believes that women should be at the center of their own attention and that both midwives and maternity support workers should promote an informed choice.
"If, after receiving adequate information, advice and support on breastfeeding, a woman chooses not to do so, or to formulate and breastfeed, her choice must be respected."
There is women who do not want or cannot breastfeed, and they should be given adequate support if they make an informed decision about the bottle.
"They should be given all the advice and support they need about safe bottle preparation and receptive feeding to develop a close and affectionate bond with your baby."
The organization also recognizes that those who choose to breastfeed need more support and should not feel ashamed for breastfeeding in public.
Recall that WHO recommends that, whenever possible, infants be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of their life, and then continue breastfeeding for up to two years or more, along with the introduction of solid foods.
Very low breastfeeding rates
It is curious that they have pronounced in this way precisely in the United Kingdom, one of the countries with worst breastfeeding rate in the world. According to a study carried out by UNICEF in 2016 and published by the AEP Breastfeeding Committee, 77% of English mothers choose to breastfeed when they give birth, but only 12% continue breastfeeding at two months , Y less than 1% do so beyond the five or six months of the baby's life.
In his desperation to increase poor rates, he has promoted an initiative to financially reward mothers who breastfeed their babies instead of a bottle. But in any case, midwives want to make it clear that mothers who choose to bottle feed should be respected.
The pressure to breastfeed
There are comments that are said without knowing personal circumstances and that can do a lot of damage to a recent mother, such as "You haven't tried hard enough", "you must do it for your baby" or "All mothers can breastfeed". Social pressure can cause mothers to face frequently the judgments of others or feeling guilty for not being able or willing to breastfeed their babies.
According to data from an investigation conducted in 2016 by the University of Liverpool based on the experience of more than 1,600 recent mothers, of the 890 who fed formula, 67% said they felt guilty, 68% felt stigmatized and 76 % felt the need to defend their choice of food.
A bad experience with breastfeeding affects the confidence of recent mothers, even having a painful or unsuccessful breastfeeding, can be one of the causes of mothers suffering postpartum depression.
So that this does not happen and be as well prepared as possible for the situations that may arise at the birth of your baby, it is best to inform yourself very well during pregnancy, as well as seek advice and support from professionals who can help you if something is not right.
It is not an easy decision
When the baby is born, the first hours and days are key to the start of breastfeeding. However, there are women who do not receive the necessary support or advice and face difficulties that they cannot resolve. The baby takes hours, days, hooked to the breast and still cries continuously because she is hungry, while the mother feels pain (both physical and mood) because she cannot satisfy him and a vicious circle is generated that makes her feel guilty and cry.
You feel frustrated for not being able to fulfill the desire you have had since you were pregnant to feed your baby with your own milk and start thinking about leaving it. They are mothers who have tried and that despite not wanting it, when they suffer and see their baby suffer, they saw no choice and made the decision to choose the bottle.
We do not know what is behind the decision of each woman, what has happened and what has suffered, so even if you do not share it or you would do something else instead, it's your decision and nothing else have to say.
Also, there are mothers who decide from the outset not to do it, not even try it and it is a very personal decision that must also be respected.
More empathy
So, let's practice more empathy and less judgments. More support is needed for recent mothers, both from their environment (couple, family, friends) and from health professionals.
