Why would anyone choose to not breastfeed their child?

Question

Breast milk is so beneficial, esp. in the first few days and weeks, that I'm wondering what would be a truly legitimate reason for not doing so. I know the arguments for bonding equally w/ spouse (spouse can give bottled expressed milk) and sagging (research shows breastfeeding does not increase the stretching caused by pregnancy). Can anyone present a real argument for choosing to deny their child nature's perfect food?

Answer 1

Because it's their choice. I have struggled with depression in the past and when my son was born, he refused to latch on. I worked with MANY lactation consultants and it never got better. I couldn't bear to watch him push me away like I was doing something wrong and scream because he was so hungry and had bad jaundice. I felt depression coming back on because I felt as a mother I should be able to breastfeed my child and I was failing miserably. I cried for hours on end and at times did not even want to hold my son because I felt like he didn't want me. Then my milk started drying up and I finally gave in to the formula. It was the greastest decision ever. I felt so much better as a mom and my son was no longer hungry and his jaundice started clearing up. It was my choice and I feel great about it. As a mother you can only do what is best for your child and I feel in my case I did make the best decision. I no longer feel depressed and my son is happy and healthy and we are very much bonded to one another. My husband can't even put him back to bed in the middle of the night after a feeding. He screams until I come and hold him for a few minutes and then lay him back down.

Answer 2

I find it sad that some people can be so judgmental of another woman's decision.  There are lots of reasons for going with formula.  A mother might not have enough milk for their baby.  Or in my case may need to supplement with formula due to not being able to pump enough milk for her feedings while I am at work for 10-11 hrs.

Answer 3

i have a better question: why do people continue to ask questions designed to incite debate? if you honestly don't know what people's reasons are, you have been living under a rock. furthermore, this sounds awfully rhetorical to me: "...choosing to deny their child nature's perfect food?" are you parent? because, if you are, you certainly have more important things to do right now than bait people inot arguments and draw unfair assumptions about others' parenting and circumstances. get a life, loser.

Answer 4

No. But try not to judge a book by it's cover. I had some serious medical issues arise when my daughter was 3 1/2 weeks old which forced me to stop breastfeeding, it's still something I struggle with everytime I give her the bottle, it's still something I've cried about. I've ran into several people who immediately talk to me like I'm stupid, or like I didn't even try. I'm sure they mean well, but I couldn't help it, I had to stop breastfeeding my daughter, I didn't have a choice.  

Answer 5

I wonder what your motive is for asking this question? The leading nature of your paragraph suggests you really have no interest in hearing why people would choose not to breastfeed; you've already made up your mind.

Breastfeeding is a personal choice. When my mother was born in the late 40's, breastfeeding was considered very unfashionable. And yet, somehow, most of our parents turned out just fine.

Because we're in a "breast is best" movement right now, many women can't see beyond the biased Internet sites they pull up on Google. I'm not suggesting that breastfeeding is not beneficial---it is---but formula feeding is fine as well.

Answer 6

Thanks for asking this question. I must say that I can't wait to see some of the answers. You probably won't get any logical answers. I'm pretty radical in my support of breastfeeding and I think women who do not breastfeed by choice should pay a health care tax/fine. People don't realized the health care burden of bottle feeding. Women who do breastfeed should get a tax credit for not burdening the health care system with constantly sick babies.

There is even new research that shows women who are HIV+ have a lower risk of passing along HIV+ to the baby if she exclusively breastfeeds. Exclusively breastfed babies have greater immunity than those who are also bottle fed. This reasearch was done in Africa.

Answer 7

Why do you have to be so judgmental? I too believe that breast is best and I will be very sad to give up breastfeeding. But it is totally a matter of personal choice. Some women don't feel comfortable doing it. Some even feel anxiety and fear towards it. Who cares? As long as baby is being fed and is gaining weight, why should anyone care about what they do? It's not fair to judge like that.  

Answer 8

Because a mom who feels uncomfortable or tied down by breastfeeding is actually going to bond better with her baby by bottle feeding. Why have a mom that is impatient and bothered with feeding her child rather than feeding in a way that works for them?

Answer 9

I tried to breast-feed but after 4 days my left nipple became inverted and my right one was not producing so after starving my baby for 4 days ( after been plagued by the midwives to breast feed) i placed her on the bottle.

She was ill once up to been 12 months old and is a perfectly healthy, intelligent 4 year old with a mind of her own and very independent also doing very well at school ( that is due to her been in day care from 7 months old and not with what she was fed as a child.

If i had another child i would again bottle feed as it worked fantasic for me and my baby.

Answer 10

Why does anyone have to explain anything?  Some people can't do it and some people do not want to do it.  There is nothing wrong with formula feeding and posting this "question" in a form of a speech to try to make people feel guilty is pretty pathetic.

Answer 11

Why do you care?  What an asinine question.  You are obviously doing this to get a debate.  

A lot of women try it and just don't like it. I did it with my first and  I hated it.  I was miserable.  Get over it.  

Whoever went off on the whole tax thing... get a grip.

Answer 12

If the mother has a disease that can be passed on by breastfeeding, like HIV/AIDS.

Answer 13

I agree that breast is best.

However, I also believe that every woman should be able to make their own choice and not be criticized for it.  Why worry about it if it doesn't concern you?  Everyones situation is different and unless you are in someone else's shoes, you will never fully understand.  The fact that a baby is being fed is all that matters.

Answer 14

Why don't you search this question in the search tool on the top of this page.... this question is on here everyday.....and I am breastfeeding mommy of my 9 month old and still get sick of this question....people will do what they want too....

Answer 15

Some women are not able to breastfeed.  I could not produce enough for my children, and the frustration level for me and my baby was so bad that we were both miserable.  I pumped for 6 weeks so they would get some breastmilk and then I switched to formula 100%.  

All I can say is that we are all moms and are making what we feel are the best decisions for our baby's emotional and physical health.  my children were all bottlefed and are very happy, very healthy kids.  Every mom has her own reasons.

*And all I can say to the woman who says women who bottlefeed should pay a tax???!!  My kids, who were bottlefed have only ever been to the doctors for well visits and maybe 3 times over the past 3 years for sick visits.  They have never been on antibiotics and are very very healthy.  I have a friend who breastfed her kids until they were 12 months and her oldest has pretty bad asthma.  Yes, breatfeeding does help strengthen the immune system, but more goes into a healthy child than that.  Instead of demonizing women for making what they feel is the best choice for thie baby (considering their individual circumstance), how about we support each other as moms and accept that not everyone has the same opinion as you do but that we are all working to be the best moms that we can be.

Answer 16

Because it's their right not to and many people will argue it's great and others will argue that there's no difference.

Answer 17

Because they're squicked out by it and the thought distresses them so much they can't even try?

Because they tried before and had a really awful experience?

Because they really, physically, can't? (I know that's rare, but it does happen).

Because they have a genuine medical reason not to, such as needing medication which would go through the milk and be dangerous for baby?

Breast is best, no question. But that's a global statement; a generalisation. It's not a statement that's true for every single person.

Answer 18

there are some medical issues. and some women just dont want to. isnt that a good enough reason? it shouldnt matter to you how someone else feeds their child

Answer 19

i find this question annoying!

I breastfed my son until he was 8 weeks old and then I thought I was pregnant so I went on birth control and formula fed.  Best decision of my life, no more pregnancy scares and to be honest my son and I get along MUCH better now.  It was hard to breast feed especially during his growth spurts and me being tired from labor and him not sleeping at night, I was sick of my breast leaking all over my bed at night the engorgement when I was at work and couldn't pump.  I made the right choice and my son is as happy, strong and healthy as he can be.

I don't think its anyone's business whether someone breast feeds or not as long as their child is getting fed and healthy.

Answer 20

my mother had high levels of a chemical in her body (i can't remember what one) due to eating fish most of her childhood out of a lake that had been chemically treated. doctors advised her that it could have adverse effects on her children if she breastfed, so she formula fed my brother and i. whether doctors would feel the same now i don't know, but she felt it was best to follow their advice then.

Answer 21

Having a demanding job/school that does not allow for pumping would be a good reason in my book.  Not all women have the luxury of taking time off after giving birth.

Answer 22

Its a woman's choice to breastfeed or to use formula.  Its also a woman's right not to be harrassed by breast-feeding n***s.  So long as the child is healthy and his/her parents are feeding them the appropriate formula I don't see what the problem is.  

I didn't breastfeed my daughter because the time factor was not going to work for me (I had to go back to work after 8 weeks).  I work full-time and am a single mother.  Formula was a better choice.

Answer 23

The only real 'argument'  (Barring rare medical issues) is that they don't want to. And that's ok.

There are no perfect people in this world.  All of us, every day of our lives, make choices that are second-best.  Some of us even make truly bad choices from time to time -- and that doesn't make us bad people.  

(I have NO issues with mothers deciding, after weighing their choices and the risks and benefits of each one, concluding that for THEM, at this time in their lives, formula is the best choice --  or even concluding that they KNOW breast is best, but they can accept the risks of formula.  I have bigger issues with mothers attemtping to justify their choices with "It doesn't matter" or "Breast is best, but formula is really just as good." or similar bits of nonsense.  Just accept that you've made a choice for reasons of convenience or preference ... and get on with your lives.

Answer 24

I personally feel that many women feel it is "unnatural" or even in some way "sexual".  I have heard stories of women being accosted in public and I can only imagine that's due to people thinking it is somehow wrong.  I don't know how our society got so screwed up and prude as to think that breastfeeding could in any way be wrong or sexual.  It's sad.

Answer 25

Because they can.  It's a choice that a parent is allowed to make, and it's really none of your business what other people choose to do.

Yes, I breastfed for a while.  Yay for me, yay for my son.  But honestly, that's our business, not anyone else's.

I don't understand why people have to make a big deal out of the way other people choose how to live.

Answer 26

Disease

Phobias

culture