Reply to Is Breastfeeding Worth It?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]With breastfeeding, people's results vary.  The payment is up front (first weeks and months) and the benefits come later.  I agree with the advice to try first.

In traditional societies when breastfeeding worked, it was due to robust direct support (aunts, sisters, friends, etc).  In our society this support comes from lactation consultants and breastfeeding groups, like the one at the Breastfeeding Center.    I wouldn't abandon it until you've gotten support and advice first.  [/quote]

but those “payments” come at absolutely the most costly time for the woman and infant - when she’s exhausted and depleted, and when the infant most needs adequate nutrition and hydration. I felt like the upfront payments were too much, and nothing but relief later on when we switched to mostly formula.[/quote]

Your experience is completely valid. I am so glad that you switched to formula and felt better after you did so.

That said, please don’t generalize and discount. For me personally, breastfeeding helped me recover from my C-section and PPD, because once I got it, it made me feel confident and “like I was really being a mom.” There were so many things after my emergency C-section that weren’t what I had expected or wanted; breastfeeding made me feel like I was connecting with my baby. The physical sensation of the hormone release helped me to heal, physically and emotionally.

Again, some more: every mother’s experience is going to vary. I fully support formula feeding and would never discount the benefits. Please don’t discount and generalize when it comes to the benefits of breastfeeding for someone else, including the mother physically feeling better in the first few weeks! Those hormones, for me, were powerfully bonding and helped me to sleep better.[/quote]

eh, you can show me the research on that, and maybe I’ll believe you then. What we know for certain is that sleep deprivation is extremely harmful, and most approaches to exclusive breastfeeding these days entail the mother’s sleep deprivation - sometimes to extremes, like getting up to pump even after the babt STTN, or elaborate triple-feeding schemes that mean every feed is an hour for the mother, 3x/night. [/quote]

Oh, I’m sorry…I thought OP was asking for personal experience and personal advice from women here on DCUM. I failed to realize this was a formal clinical study-swap. My bad.

Anyway, OP, I found personally through lived experience that breastfeeding made ME feel better and was one of MY favorite parts of the early weeks. I know many women who loved breastfeeding, too. But I’m secure enough and not hyper-defensive on my view, so I can also tell you that I know some women who did not feel that way. So mileage does vary, and I hope that you find the approach that makes you feel most confident, cared for, and connected to your baby.
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I think OP is more interested in generalizing than your outlier experience. [/quote]

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