Breast or bottle? Who has the right to tell you?

I wanted to chat about the Breast and Bottle issue today, as it still forms such a major part of stressing out new mums. Surely they have enough to deal with, without people who have no knowledge of the new mothers boobs, dictating what they must or mustn't do.

Today I would like to share my own personal story, in the hope you will realise how it really is your own decision to make.

Of course, there are wonderful benefits to Breast feeding. It is totally natural, creates a bond with baby, totally free, contains amazing nutrients for your baby. BUT... some women cannot produce milk, some babies cannot feed from a nipple, some babies are adopted at birth, some breasts cannot cope with feeding and become infected. For those women there are so many different formula milks on the market, they can be confident that their baby too will get the nutrients and feeding they require.

I have given birth to two amazing children, aged 7 and 3. The births were very different from one another and the days following each birth was too.
With my eldest, I had a lot of problems giving birth. After a three day labour, and having signed for a c-section, I finally went into surgery. When my eldest daughter was born, she was taken immediately to the Special Care Baby Unit where, without any consultation, was given a bottle of milk.  Whilst in a ward babyless, I tried to express milk, as my midwife was very encouraging and I had all the "kit" to do this. My baby spent nearly three days in SCBU, and we both spent another two days on the ward where I was given free range to the formula milk, special sized bottles ready to serve a new born baby.  The midwives on the ward were mostly very accommodating, but I did come across one nurse, at 3am who shouted at me for not breast feeding my baby, wanted to stop me from using the hospital milk, as I hadn't brought in my own and caused me to spend hours in tears, fighting for my right to give my baby a bottle.

My second child was a planned c-section and I chose a different hospital this time. The overall experience was so much calmer, safer and quicker. Baby was born and back on the ward with me as soon as I was stitched up.  The midwife came to visit me and asked if I was going to Breast feed or Bottle feed. Out of fear of upsetting her, I said breastfeed. She took one look at me and said "If you want a bottle, get a bottle".  Breast feeding is not for me. I took a bottle and my baby latched on to it straight away. The midwife came back a little later to check on us, and I asked her why she was telling me Breast is Best and putting the pressure on. "My dear," she answered. "When you get home, you are going to do exactly what you want anyway, so why should I stress you out whilst you're in hospital first?".

If more health professionals were like this amazing midwife, we would reduce the amount of stress in new mums, reduce post-natal depression and allow babies and mothers to have the start that is most suited to them.

You, as a mother, are in full control of how you feed your baby. Don't be bullied into doing something you're not happy with, but rather concentrate on all the other worries such as poo colour, getting sick out of designer tops and managing to shower at some point in the first weeks of babyhood.