Some people might be aware of the benefits of breastfeeding, but be unwilling to breastfeed for personal reasons. It's hard to discuss personal reasons because they are personal! However, here are a few thoughts anyway. Follow the links and see if you change your mind.

• You find breastfeeding distasteful, dirty, animalistic...
• You hate your body, and can't imagine using it to care for your baby.
• You've been raped or sexually molested, and want to minimize physical contact.
• You get sexually aroused by nipple stimulation and you don't want to let your baby interfere with your breasts' status as a sexual organ.
• Your lover enjoys your breasts and you don't want to deprive her or him by giving your breasts to the baby.
• You want your mate (or somebody else) to be able to bond with the baby by feeding her or him.
• See also: cultural reasons for not breastfeeding

If you seem to have these or other difficulties with the idea of breastfeeding, you need to think very carefully about the extent to which your feelings are personal, and to what extent they are culturally imposed. If you decide that they are cultural, you might decide to go against the bottle-feeding culture that we live in. Either way, you might want to look for support from your mate, a good friend or relative who has breastfed or is breastfeeding, or a mother-to-mother support organization such as La Leche League. Don't underestimate the difference this can make! Just seeing one woman breastfeed her baby can change your life.

Back to:

• Reasons for not breastfeeding

The breastfeeding page