On the other hand, a woman living in a tony, ultra-liberal suburb of San Francisco told an interviewer on a radio show that when she fed her babies using a bottle while out on the street, passersby yelled at her, saying that she should be breastfeeding her kids.
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I was castigated several times by strangers for bottle-feeding my obviously adopted babies.
I breastfed for one year.
No, I wasn't ashamed, or hiding a “natural act” when I sought a private area, and covered my torso with a baby blanket when breastfeeding outside of our home.
My baby refused to drink from a bottle, even one filled with my own milk. She also rejected pacifiers.
Her demonstrated ability to manipulate a sippy cup coincided with her tendency to bite me with her new teeth, just for giggles!
Following the advise of my pediatrician, she was slowly weaned over a short period, and on the decided date, we took a vacation to grandmothers house, and the physically painfull process (for me) was accomplished.
It really does hurt, when you finally do stop breastfeeding!
All that said, I find it odd that some people claim some kind of “health and/or bonding benefit” for breast feeding beyond the first six weeks or so.
It is certainly cheaper and easier to breastfeed if you can, instead of formula feeding. Better depends upon the mothers food intake.
If the mother can choose and controll her diet, and also refrain from consuming irritating foods and other substances, breastmilk is certainly best.
If the situation is otherwise, for whatever reasons, formula feeding would be the better nutritional choice.
Breast or bottle, feeding a baby is best done in a quiet and calm environment, to encourage proper digestion.And for comfort and bonding purposes.
Either way, bottle or breast, the primary goal is that the baby gets adequately fed in order to grow into a healthy toddler.