The Case Against Breastfeeding

John20 · Mar 17, 2009

As a male nurse with a wife who wants children, I am against breastfeeding because it wrecks the merchandise that I have come to know and love over the years. My case is 100% selfish, yet I still make it to her everytime it comes up.

amnicholas71 · Mar 17, 2009

As a mother who made the decision to NOT breastfeed any of her children, I completely understand the feelings of those women who are ridiculed and made to feel like they are harming their children. My children are strong adn healthy and we are as close as any breastfed mother/infant couple. As a future RN, I understand the benefits of breastfeeding newborns - both health aspects as well as bonding issues - and am an advocate for it. But like so many other issues, it is a choice! We must remember that. It is a very interesting article that will raise the eyebrows of many.

CaLLaCoDe, BSN, RN · Mar 17, 2009

I am also a male nurse, who believes you should not breast feed ever!

Reasons:

1. My breast fed daughter is too bright! My wife should have stopped at 1 but continued up to three. Keep her dumb, I said, I couldn't handle a doctor in the family.

2. My daughter is rarely sick. I get paid to take care of sick people. Get real.

3. Her teeth are as healthy as ever. And she was breast fed in our family bed. I encouraged her to swill that sweet milk in her mouth, but she insisted on gulping. Too young to know the difference!

Anyway, all kidding aside. I resent that I was a C section babe and my dear mom wasn't able to breast feed me.

Breast feeding is fantastic! Even the Romans thought so, thats when they used goat bladders when mum was away! ;-)

allnurses Guide · Mar 17, 2009

It was an interesting article.

I've always been against what we call Breastfeeding Nazis (not Fascists).

However I loved breastfeeding and in fact breastfed 3 of them into toddlerhood (18 months, 3 years and the last one 3.5 years).

We need to stop tearing each other down. And make informed choices.

steph

Nascar nurse, ASN, RN · Mar 17, 2009

I agree & how interesting. I would rarely even weigh in on this topic because I am always sure to be outnumbered and even looked down upon, but for crying out loud.. it should be the mothers choice. The article makes an excellent point.. walk into any elementary school and pick out which babies have been breast fed - can't be done. Both of my kids were bottle fed (now 13 & 15). One is skinny, one is a little chubby (like me). Neither had even one ear infection as a child and I bonded with both of them early and strongly. If I would have been pressured/forced into breast feeding, I am sure I would have had some feelings of resentment for them and THAT is a problem.

I understand all the talk of how breast feeding is normal and natures way. I just knew I could never do this in public or even around family. After all, I have to pee and poop daily too and this is perfectly natural and what nature intended, but I don't want to do this in public or in front of family either!

Women are made of feel guilty about everything. Enough already.

allnurses Guide · Mar 17, 2009

I am also a male nurse, who believes you should not breast feed ever!
Reasons:
1. My breast fed daughter is too bright! My wife should have stopped at 1 but continued up to three. Keep her dumb, I said, I couldn't handle a doctor in the family.
2. My daughter is rarely sick. I get paid to take care of sick people. Get real.
3. Her teeth are as healthy as ever. And she was breast fed in our family bed. I encouraged her to swill that sweet milk in her mouth, but she insisted on gulping. Too young to know the difference!
Anyway, all kidding aside. I resent that I was a C section babe and my dear mom wasn't able to breast feed me.
Breast feeding is fantastic! Even the Romans thought so, thats when they used goat bladders when mum was away! ;-)

Pretty funny . . .

My last one was by cesarean and he was the one I breastfed for 3.5 years. :up:

My husband agrees with you about breastfeeding - he remembers the strong feeling of love that came over him when he saw me nurse our child for the first time. And we had a family bed too.

So, I'm a part of a co-sleeping family and breastfeeding for . . . . let me count . . .8.5 years family - who will never make a woman feel guilty for choosing otherwise.

Oh . . and the author didn't mention research regarding protection from breast cancer if you nurse.

steph

kirchnerfamily · Mar 17, 2009

I've done both. Bottlefed exclusively one child and breastfed exclusively another. There is no difference in their health or intelligence or my relationship with them. I've come to the conclusion that the previous poster is dead on about letting everyone make their own choices. What's best for mom and baby is what is best (and that is not always breast).

CEG · Mar 17, 2009

As a male nurse with a wife who wants children, I am against breastfeeding because it wrecks the merchandise that I have come to know and love over the years. My case is 100% selfish, yet I still make it to her everytime it comes up.

To be honest, I'm surprised it's come up more than once.

Pregnancy takes a toll on the breasts as the majority of breast growth occurs during pregnancy. The "merchandise" will reflect the process regardless of whether or not someone breastfeeds.

deleern · Mar 17, 2009

I Breast fed my first Child who was perfectly normal, and Bottle fed my second who has an IQ of 152 at age 6when he was 3 he sounded like a professor. neither one ever has an ear ach. and are very healthy. I did not like breast feeding. and my Husband did not like it either... and I never had a guilty moment over it.

2curlygirls · Mar 17, 2009

As a male nurse with a wife who wants children, I am against breastfeeding because it wrecks the merchandise that I have come to know and love over the years. My case is 100% selfish, yet I still make it to her everytime it comes up.

Wow. I'm glad it's not your decision to make then.

Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP · Mar 17, 2009

I think breastfeeding is wonderful and I support it totally, but will not make a mom feel bad about her choice not to.

That said, the second my husband tells me that my merchandise is ruined because I breastfed his child, that is the second he will be finding himself sleeping on the couch for a L O N G time. For us, breastfeeding was as much about the money saved as anything, though once I started BFing, I would have happily continued for several years. (As it turned out, ds decided at about 15mo that he was done with Mom's boobs and off to explore that big bad world.)

It's an interesting article, and perhaps for the most part regarding IQ it's true - but when you're talking about the difference between regular classes and special ed, especially for a micropreemie, I have to go with breastmilk, hands-down.