Parenting Center » Breastfeeding http://parentingcenter.co.za Everything you need to know about parenting Tue, 05 Apr 2011 09:58:18 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 Disadvantages of Breastfeeding http://parentingcenter.co.za/disadvantages-of-breastfeeding/ http://parentingcenter.co.za/disadvantages-of-breastfeeding/#comments Mon, 26 Jan 2009 07:22:26 +0000 lee http://homeskids.prestigious-hosting.com/wordpress/?p=29 Everyone is always talking about the large amount of benefits that it holds to a baby to be breastfed, not taking into consideration that there are also some real disadvantages of breastfeeding to the mother of the child.  An unhappy mother to a child who is reaping all the benefits of being fed in this way, may be doing more emotional harm to their relationship than the tallied benefits to her child.  A mother who resents the time that she spends feeding her child, can become distant and unresponsive to the emotional needs of her child and a real risk of postpartum depression arises.

Some of the reasons why mothers may feel that breastfeeding is not the choice for them includes:

  • Breastfeeding in the first couple of weeks after birth can be very painful
  • The mother’s nipples can become sore or cracked
  • Engorgement between feeding can be uncomfortable and painful.
  • Clogged milk ducts can develop and lead to a painful breast infection called mastitis. Mastitis requires immediate medical intervention.
  • Breastfeeding might not fit in with the mother’s lifestyle. Some mothers can adjust easily to feeling tethered to their baby where as other’s cannot handle not being able to be independent.
  • Breastfeeding requires the mother to follow a balanced diet, avoiding smoking and alcohol.
  • Some women do not like the fact that their privacy are being compromised by breastfeeding.
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