My husband and his family aren't thrilled about me breastfeeding. Due in Oct. Any advice?

Question

I feel like telling them what in the world do u think God made b*****s for! And for them to get there minds out of the gutter!

Answer 1

What's so wrong with it? It's perfectly natural to breastfeed your newborn for at least the first six months or so of life. It's why you lactate anyways right when the kid's about to pop out. What else is that milk for, your husband's cereal? And yes, you're right, that is what God made b*****s for.

It's better for the kid anyways if you breastfeed it at first, rather than just going straight to the bottle.

Now if your kid was five or six years old, that would be different.

Answer 2

You are the one who's having the baby,not your husband or his family!If you breast feed it's your business.Why does husband's family care anyway?

Answer 3

2 words

IGNORE THEM

it is best for your child and if they don't see that they are dumb

Answer 4

You really have 3 options:

1) Educate them.  But unless they've been living in a cave I doubt this will work

2) Try to find out the root of their objection and rationally argue with them.  Often it has to do with the perception they won't get to "be as involved" with the baby.  Some people have success with this.

3) "This is what works for my family, please pass the bean dip" (change the topic).  Do NOT make this open to discussion.  No matter what they say about it do not respond to what they say just indicate that you are doing what works for your family, they are free to do what they want with theirs/you are degrading what they did when their kids were young and then change the topic.  You can't have an argument without two people.  This works for all sorts of things.

Answer 5

What!! Breastfeeding is natural. That doesn't make sense.

Answer 6

Congrats on choosing to breastfeed! It really is the best nourishment for your baby. My advice would be to get educated on the benefits of breastfeeding, and the drawbacks of formula. That way, you have ammunition. I know this is a long answer, but I have included that benefits etc. And, yes, you can ask them what they think God made b*****s for-after all, that's what they are for.

I think that saying that breastfeeding is unnatural is like saying that vaginal birth is unnatural!

Infection-fighting. Antibodies passed from a nursing mother to her baby can help lower the occurrence of many conditions, including:

ear infections

diarrhea

respiratory infections

meningitis

Other factors help to protect a breastfed baby from infection by contributing to the infant's immune system by increasing the barriers to infection and decreasing the growth of organisms like bacteria and viruses.

Breastfeeding is particularly beneficial for premature babies and may also protect children against:

allergies

asthma

diabetes

obesity

sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)

As a group, formula-fed infants have more infections and more hospitalizations than do breastfed babies.

Nutrition and ease of digestion. Often called the "perfect food" for a human baby's digestive system, breast milk's components - lactose, protein (whey and casein), and fat - are easily digested by a newborn's immature system.

As a group, formula-fed infants have more difficulty with digestion than do breastfed infants. Breast milk tends to be more easily digested so that breastfed babies have fewer incidences of diarrhea or constipation.

Breast milk also naturally contains all the vitamins and minerals that a newborn requires. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates formula companies to ensure that they provide all the known necessary nutrients in their formulas. Commercial formulas do a pretty good job of trying to duplicate the ingredients in breast milk - and are coming closer - but haven't matched their exact combination and composition. Why? Because some of breast milk's more complex substances are too difficult to manufacture and some have not yet been identified.

Free. Breast milk doesn't cost a cent. And because of the immunities and antibodies passed onto them through their mothers' breast milk, breastfed infants are sick less often than infants who receive formula. For example, researchers have determined that infants who are exclusively breastfed for 4 or more months have 40% fewer episodes of ear infections. That means they make fewer trips to the doctor's office, which equates to fewer co-pays and less money doled out for prescriptions and over-the-counter medications.

Likewise, women who breastfeed are less likely to have to take time off from work to care for their sick babies. In a cost study published in the April 1999 issue of the journal Pediatrics, researchers determined that infants who were never breastfed would incur additional medical costs of $331 to $475 per year.

Different tastes. A nursing mother will need 500 extra calories per day to produce breast milk, which means that she should eat a wide variety of well-balanced foods. This introduces breastfed babies to different tastes through their mothers' breast milk, which has different flavors depending on what their mothers have eaten.

Convenience. With no bottles to mix and sterilize and no last-minute runs to the store for more formula, breast milk is always fresh and available. And because breast milk is always the right temperature, there's no need to warm up bottles in the middle of the night. It's also easy for breastfeeding mothers to be active - and go out and about - with their babies and know that they'll have food available for whenever their little one is hungry.

Obesity prevention. Recent studies indicate that breastfeeding might help prevent childhood and adult obesity. According to the National Women's Health Information Center (part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services), babies who are breastfed tend to gain less unnecessary weight, which may help them be less overweight later.

Smarter babies. Recent studies suggest that children who were exclusively breastfed for 6 months have IQs 5 to 10 points higher than children who were formula fed.

"Skin-to-skin" contact. Many nursing mothers really enjoy the experience of bonding so closely with their babies. And the skin-to-skin contact can enhance the emotional connection between mother and infant.

Beneficial for mom, too. The ability to nourish a baby totally can also help a new mother feel confident in her ability to care for her baby. Breastfeeding also burns calories and helps shrink the uterus, so nursing moms may be able to return to their pre-pregnancy shape and weight quicker. In addition, studies show that breastfeeding helps lower the risk of premenopausal breast cancer and also may help decrease the risk of uterine and ovarian cancer.

Answer 7

I agree with Mystic that education is an option, except people often DO know how wonderful breastfeeding is, but still don't want to hear it.  That's up to you to decide!

I say you tell your husband it's non-negotiable, and he can pass that info along to his family unless you want to tell them yourself.  Other things in your relationship can be discussed to find a compromise, and this is an exception!!  It's not like formula is in any way comparable to breastmilk.

Don't get involved in any debates about it if possible; you'll probably just end up super frustrated.  It shouldn't matter to them anyway!  YOU are the mommy, and you know what b*****s are primarily designed for!

You know what's best, good for you!!  :)  Stay strong mama.