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Article Mum Stands up for Women Who Don’t Breastfeed During World Breastfeeding Week

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World Breastfeeding Week sees one mum, lash out at the people who are using the cause as an opportunity to shame mothers.

Former Nine News reporter Casey Lawrence – whose husband is retired NRL player Brenton Lawrence – has taken to Instagram to share her story.

The mum-of-one posted a photo of her husband feeding their daughter Ivy with a bottle.

Casey wrote, “So it’s World Breastfeeding Week…a week, according to its website, aimed at helping to inform and encourage mothers around the world to breastfeed.

“Great! It sounds like a really worthwhile cause. But as per usual, the social media mummy “influencers” have taken it to the next level.

“As someone who tried and tried and tried but couldn’t breastfeed, I have a real aversion to the words “giving up” and “quitting” used around the subject of breastfeeding. And I’m seeing them thrown around so much at the moment.

It is such an insult. Why, why, why do women feel the need to use terms like this to describe another woman’s decision?

“It’s often heartbreaking enough having to make that choice only weeks into motherhood, only then to be judged by society as giving up or quitting. As someone who has been through that guilt, I now look at my beautiful 7 month old little girl and realise I didn’t give up, I didn’t quit. I made the very best decision I could have made.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for breastfeeding, I’m praying that I’ll be able to breastfeed our next baby. But I don’t believe we need to continue this constant and vicious cycle of putting down new mothers with shit cliches. Let’s throw them out and start using more supportive language. It needs to start with mums!
OK rant over!

“This is a photo of Beej feeding Ivy in the middle of the night when she was just three weeks old. I’m so blessed that while I would be stuck to the double pump expressing, Beej got to spend quality time with her, but ultimately I decided I wanted that quality time as well, and now every time I feed my daughter and our eyes lock together, I think to myself how lucky I am to have that bonding experience. It’s one of the most beautiful experiences I have as a mum.”

So it’s World Breastfeeding Week…a week, according to its website, aimed at helping to inform and encourage mothers around the world to breastfeed. Great! It sounds like a really worthwhile cause. But as per usual, the social media mummy “influencers” have taken it to the next level. As someone who tried and tried and tried but couldn’t breastfeed, I have a real aversion to the words “giving up” and “quitting” used around the subject of breastfeeding. And I’m seeing them thrown around so much at the moment. It is such an insult. Why, why, why do women feel the need to use terms like this to describe another woman’s decision? It’s often heartbreaking enough having to make that choice only weeks into motherhood, only then to be judged by society as giving up or quitting. As someone who has been through that guilt, I now look at my beautiful 7 month old little girl and realise I didn’t give up, I didn’t quit. I made the very best decision I could have made. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for breastfeeding, I’m praying that I’ll be able to breastfeed our next baby. But I don’t believe we need to continue this constant and vicious cycle of putting down new mothers with shit cliches. Let’s throw them out and start using more supportive language. It needs to start with mums! Ok rant over! ???? This is a photo of Beej feeding Ivy in the middle of the night when she was just three weeks old. I’m so blessed that while I would be stuck to the double pump expressing, Beej got to spend quality time with her ❤️ but ultimately I decided I wanted that quality time as well, and now every time I feed my daughter and our eyes lock together, I think to myself how lucky I am to have that bonding experience. It’s one of the most beautiful experiences I have as a mum ✨ #worldbreastfeedingweek #newmums #empoweringwomen #breastfeeding #baby #bonding #mummabonding

A post shared by Casey Lawrence (@caseymlawrence) on

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Comments

  • I will never understand the bottle vs breast argument. Yes, breast might be the best option, but for some it isn’t an option at all

    Reply

  • Sometimes breastfeeding simply isn’t an option. I know a Mum in WA who had to have an emergency c-section after nearly 24 hours in labour because her first baby was too big for her to have him naturally. She produced no milk at all. The only reason the medical professionals could think of was her body went into severe shock and that caused other medical problems as well. She was criticized by many who didn’t know the circumstances. It intensified the Mum’s feelings of disappointment, then feeling that she was a failure.

    Reply

  • I agree with this article. I tried and tried but breastfeeding just didn’t work for us. Even the nurses advised me to go to formula for both mine and my baby’s wellbeing.

    Reply

  • I agree. It’s ideal to try breast feeding, but it should not be anyone else’s concern if you can’t or don’t continue.

    Reply

  • Why do women do this!? Yes there is a small minority who choose bottle over breast because it’s convenient to their lifestyle. I know young mums who choose bottle so other people could care for their child. But not all women are capable of breast feeding, they try and they can’t. We don’t need to shame these mums. The other mums who choose bottle for selfish reasons are a whole different story

    Reply

  • Proud bottle feeder here – my first couldn’t latch on – after such a stressful time of trying and different nurses and consultants trying their best – it just didn’t work – so I bottle fed her and she is now a thriving and happy 11 year old!

    I did manage to breast feed by second child, who was a natural at latching on!, she is now also a thriving and happy 7 year old!

    Motto of the story – doesn’t matter which way you feed them, as long as they are fed and loved – you will get the same end result!

    Reply

  • I agree with this poster. Breastfeeding is great, but all good when it doesn’t work out, it’s not the end of the world. To focus on the health and happiness of your baby and yourself is of far greater value. This judging when it doesn’t work out and over emphasis to encourage / pushing to breastfeed needs to stop.

    • Exactly! Focus on happy and healthy mumma and bubba! 🙂

    Reply

  • Babies need to be fed and babies need to thrive and breast versus bottle is just so unhelpful.

    Reply

  • This problem has raged on for the past 50 years to my knowledge with no real outcome from it. Social media has just made it worse.

    Reply

  • I can’t believe people still need to defend themselves. If you can breastfeed great, if you can’t that’s also great. As long as the baby is getting feed who cares how they are getting the food.

    Reply
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