Yes, yes, yes to all of your reasons. And more.
This is going to sound horrible but I feel like our society is... not exactly lazy but... hmm how to put it? If something is hard, the tendency is to give up. We have too much money and resources & too little time to "waste" time & energy trying to do something (BF) when there is another option (formula) that is so readily available. And formula is not a last resort in this country... it's just like prepared/frozen dinners and takeout. Why spend all that time peeling and cutting veggies and cooking food from scratch when you can just buy something someone else has already prepared? We're all about ease & convenience in the US... People KNOW it's healthier & better to have made-from-scratch foods but most just don't see it as important enough to 'waste' time on. And NIP... wow well I have seen I think 3 mothers total NIP. Ever. In my whole life. Every baby I see has a bottle in his hands or his parents' hands or the stroller or sticking out of the diaper bag.
I had trouble BF'ing. I had no support (but lots of active discouragement) from the medical people 'caring' for us. I had (unwanted) interventions that made things even tougher. I had to return to work at 8 weeks when my DS still wasn't latching well. But I put out of my mind that formula was an option. We had no bottles, no paci's, and no formula. It wasn't something I even considered. So we had no 'choice', really, but to make things work. I had lots of knowledge. I had lots of willpower. I made lots of milk (yes, despite not DRINKING milk myself, still laughing at the pp's comment!)... I had the internet right there to research all our issues. I had a DH who was totally on board and sat beside me every single feeding. I sent away visitors and ignored lots of comments. We made it work. We are a BF'ing success. But what would have helped make the journey easier?
-More educated/informed medical personnel
-Less medical interference before, during, and after birth
-A few visits from an LC (only met with one once in the hospital on the 3rd day)
-Not having formula & bottles shoved in my face
-Having someone to help with the house & non-feeding baby care (I had lots of help the first 2.5 weeks and then I was all alone even though things were getting harder not easier)
-Having someone, ANYONE, tell me that how my baby was acting was NORMAL & NATURAL (even if on the "hard" side of normal) instead of "feed him formula" or "make him wait 2 hours to eat, even if he's crying all that time"
So many more but this is really getting me thinking.
