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Woman slammed for demanding her friend breastfeed her newborn baby

7 February 2020, 14:56

The mum has asked Reddit for advice on the incident (stock images). Picture: Getty

A woman has revealed that her friend 'hasn't spoken to her' since she refused to breastfeed her baby.

A woman has claimed that her best friend is refusing to speak to her after she refused to breastfeed her newborn baby.

The mum-of-four asked Reddit for advice after revealing that her friend - who had just given birth for the first time and had been desperate to breastfeed, but had struggled - asked her to do it for her as she didn't want to use formula.

She began by explaining that her friend had relied on her for pregnancy and birth advice, and that she had accompanied her to the hospital when she gave birth.

The anonymous mum wrote: "The day comes for her labor and she's asked me to be in the room. As soon as the baby is born they place him right on her for skin to skin contact. All the nurses are encouraging her to attempt to nurse right away. She's trying to get the baby to latch and he's just screaming his head off. I could tell she's getting flustered so I tell her it's ok. I had the same issue with my last. We'll just keep trying. I stay all day and leave that evening. At that point he still hadn't latched.

The mum-of-four hasn't spoken to her friend since the incident (stock image). Picture: Getty

"I came back the next morning and she looks like she didn't get a wink of sleep. She says baby pretty much screamed ALL night. He just won't latch. I suggested a nipple shield which helped with my first. We tried that for awhile, no luck. The doctor is concerned because baby is already losing too much weight. He tells her she needs to supplement with formula in the mean time. She's COMPLETELY against using formula. She calls it "poison". And then she asked me to please latch him to my breast and feed him. I think I was so caught off guard that I mat have made a face. I told her I just wasn't comfortable with that and even if he did latch what would she do after I left? She needed to go ahead and supplement.

"She flipped out on me. Yelled for me to leave since 'I'm not going to be helpful' and she couldn't believe I wouldn't help out a best friend when I 'had promised I would help her with nursing'.

The new mum asked her friend for help when her newborn baby wouldn't latch (stock image). Picture: Getty

"I left but felt really bad when I got home. I just kept thinking maybe I should have at least tried. I've tried texting her with no response."

Reddit users rushed to support the woman, insisting that she isn't in the wrong.

One wrote: "Your friend is not behaving rationally here. It's not your responsibility to act as her wet nurse. Your friend is not making a reasonable request here."

Another added: "Hormones are one thing, but your friend's an idiot. That "poison" has saved generations of children who would have otherwise starved to death. She's got no rights to you or your body, and you're under no obligation to nurse someone else's kid."