Breast is best (The Breastfeeding Debate)

Member Name: nicolaxx74

Product:	The Breastfeeding Debate
Date:	14/10/08 (39 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Free, ready made, healthiest option

Disadvantages: It is a learning process but you can learn

Breast versus bottle? Ever since before I was pregnant I always knew I wanted to breastfeed my baby. There are many benefits to this; contains all the natural goodness that a baby needs with no extras that a baby doesn't need, free! I was very adament about this and thoughout my pregancy I continued to be very sure that this was the way to go.

At 35 weeks my waters broke and I went into labour. My son was born after about 12hrs and the midwife asked how I wnated to feed him - breastfeed I answered and so began the process of trying to get my son to feed. The first time was a positive one, the midwife who had delievered my son clearly had a lot of experience and managed to help my baby to latch on after a few goes of stuffing breast into mouth - hmm not the most dignified of things to be doing but hey I'd just given birth and that is hardly very dignified! Anyway, the first time was a positive feed, mys on latched on and fed for around 10 minutes before falling asleep. Unfortunately it all kind of went a bit perashaped in teh maternity unit where I was for the next 4 days.

Nobody seemed to want to help me get my son attached and we struggled, For a start he was 5 weeks prem and so was quite small, and so he was tired more easily. Due to his weight and not getting attcahed easily I had to feed him every three hours but at this point I had been told he needed to be topped up with formula and was therefore expressing and giving him this, and then topping him up by cup feeding him with formua every 3 hrs! As you can imagine I was knackered, but I did persevere. I was sent home without feeding being established and a week later we ended up in hospital with my son extremely jaundice and still not feeding properly.

The second hospital was fab. Apart from treating my son for his jaundice they also helped me to egt beast feeding established. It took lots of perseverence, it is not easy, both mum and baby have to learn how to do this. But it is also very possible. In 3 days they had helped me so much, we had tried different positions and found the left breast was easy to feed with him lying in front and the right was easier if I held him like a rugby ball (under the arm intead of in front of the tummy). In just three days he was better and feeding properly, he only did 6-10 minute feeds and then would be full and so I continued to have to give him 3hrly feeds. From that point on we never looked back!

I was lucky I was determined to breastfeed if I could possibly do it. My sister had breast fed her children and so was a good help to me. And low and behold I was able to feed him until the age of 14 months!

If you think you want to breastfeed you need to know it isn't easy. There are many positives, don't have to do all the sterilising, don't have to spend time making up bottles, can't forget to take anything with you when going out, so all in all it is less time consuming - it is your most natural ready made meal!

But you do need support from friends, family, professionals and you do need to think positive.

I loved feeding my son and despite it being difficult to do to begin with I will definately be feeding my second child whenever that may be!

Summary: Try it!