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Letter: Post-partum depression and pressure to breastfeed

Breastfeeding pressure is nuts and is set up to make mothers feel they are a failure if they can't, says a Sault woman
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The following is a letter to the editor from reader Alona Nelson:

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Watched another story on the news about a young mother who committed suicide because she had post partum depression that her husband says was exacerbated by having trouble breast feeding.

The experts say 75 per cent of mothers have trouble breastfeeding but feel horribly guilty and a failure if they can't or don't want to, even from the outset.

The breastfeeding pressure is nuts and is set up to make mothers feel they are a failure if they can't! If you can and want to, great but if you are driving yourself crazy trying to and it's not working, or you just don't want to, tell the hospital, or nurses or doctors or family members to shut up and do what you want or are comfortable with, supplementing or bottle feed exclusively.

I know I'm going to take crap for this from the earth mother types out there but I don't care. The incidents of PPD have definitely increased since this pressure to breastfeed is caught on. Guess what? Not everyone wants to or can't, so do what you want guilt free and tell the rest to shut up!

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