The Ethical Dilemma of Midwives of Women Who Choose to Bottle Feed

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Women who choose to bottle fed becomes a ethical dilemma for midwives

In this essay, we will be discuss the ethical dilemma, which midwives have to deal with, when a woman choose to bottle-feed their babies, who do not have any medical requirement not to breastfeed. In addition, why bottle-feeding their babies is the women choice. Why breast-feeding is, better for mother and baby than bottle-feeding.

Women who choose to bottle-feed.

Woman who choose to bottle-feed their babies, can decide why they bottle-feed, through a number of factors. The woman's age; her level of education; her cultural background, this can all help her decide to bottle-fed, for example if she was brought up on formula and her friends and family all bottle-fed their babies than they are more probable to choose to bottle-fed. The father’s also can have an influence on the choice of feeding; lack of support from midwives, family, and friends; the woman prefers to see how much milk her baby is getting and if she feels uncomfortable to breastfeed. These can all contributed to how a women choose to bottle fed her baby.

Advantages of Bottle-feeding

The advantages with bottle feeding can be share responsibility on the night feeding, this would appeal to mums, as the baby wouldn’t be attached to them at all times. Also feeding allows fathers to share the fed and helps the bonding between father and baby (Murkoff, 2008). The women would also feel she had more freedom if she bottle-fed; she would not need to worry about her diet. Babies will sleep for longer when formula is used (NHS, 2010).Bottle feeding is easier for baby to get started on than breastfeeding. In addition, for women who feel uncomfortable about breastfeeding there is no public display, when bo...

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...fits to both mother and baby. Some mother’s choice to bottle-feed for many different reasons, but it is not for the midwives to force or guilt trip women into the way she should fed, even though the midwife knows that breast-feeding would be better for mother and baby. She will have to guide and support the women in question on what choice they choose to feed their baby.

Works Cited

Murkoff, H (2008), what to expect when you’re expecting. Pg 331

NHS 24. 2010. Bottle feeding Available at: http://www.nhs24.com/content/default.asp?page=s5_4&articleID=641§ionID=17 [Accessed 23 March 2010].

NHS. 2010. Bottle feeding Available at: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Bottle-feeding/Pages/Advantages.aspx [Accessed 23 March 2010].

Patient UK. 2010. Breast feeding. Available at http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Breastfeeding-The-Benefits.htm [Accessed 24 March 2010].

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