to wonder which formula company sponsored this article?

[nittynittynora]

yano.co.uk/2013/03/breast-is-best-or-is-it/

It just seems so anti-breastfeeding! Surely the health benefits of BFing are proven - there's nothing political about saying that it protects against disease, for example.I agree that of course you can form a close bond with your baby when FFing but the rest of the article seems determined to bat away all the 'supposed' benefits of BFing and focus on any perceived 'cons'.

[BlackMaryJanes]

YANBU

[MrsKeithRichards]

But it's true in saying no benefit has been measured in isolation as that's not possible.

[gordyslovesheep]

yabu - people are allowed opinions without being sponsored by anyone

[EntWife]

actually i found it a breath of fresh air from the usual breast is best lalalalalala fingers in ears mantra trotted out in the parenting press.

But then i am feeling slightly belligerent tonight as have had my closest friend over today sobbing while she tries desperately to give herself permission to stop breast feeding her second child because frankly it just isn't working for her or her family but because that message is so rammed down our throats (despite evidence to the contrary) she feels like switching to formula would be a cop out and she would somehow be letting down her baby.

[nittynittynora]

See, I feel like sometimes it is the formula message that is rammed down our throats! I am sorry for your friend EntWife, I hope she's able to move on without feeling guilty or sad.

I don't think the point of the breast is best message is to make people feel guilty, though, I often think the message has to fight to be heard amongst the billion dollar marketing spend of the formula giants.

[Softlysoftly]

What gordy said. And Ent actually.

Baa

[ChestyLeRoux]

I think that formula feeding is pushed waaay more than breast feeding.

[myrubberduck]

Can't really see how it's 'anti' bf- anti bf bullshit maybe but not anti bf.

[Softlysoftly]

But Nitty I think it's the way it's said and not necessarily by health care professionals.

I bf my 9 month old and to get here have used a few groups eg analytical armadillo. Now while aa herself isn't bad some of the commentary from other mothers makes you . Child abuse and lazy bit to bf springs v to mind with simperings of how bonded they are more than those nasty bottles.

Mothers are influenced far me by pressure and judgement from other mothers more than they are by advertising. I'd go so far as to day formula companies influence choice of brand more than they do the initial option of ff Vs bf iyswim.

[Softlysoftly]

Bf while typing makes softly incoherent

[Kazooblue]

These views are pretty reasonable and widespread particularly amongst scientific bods.

It's hardly news or unreasonable

[nittynittynora]

Well...she implies/states that;
BFing will harm your career prospects
BFing will leave you fatter than if you had bottlefed
BFing will steal all your time and negate the benefits of any money you might have saved;
Any benefits that we think we might get from BFing are out of date and actually not proved;
Pretty anti BFing from where I'm standing.
Then has the utter cheek to call BFing promotion 'heavy handed' - when we are SURROUNDED by formula advertising wherever we go!

[nittynittynora]

and ps I have bottle fed and breast fed.

[MrsKeithRichards]

I've done both also and in no way feel surrounded by formula advertising.

[JamieandtheMagicTorch]

I do not want to sounds disingenuous here, and I know Formula companies have a lot to answer for in Developing countries

BUT

All the formula adverts I have seen here, categorically say that breastmilk is the best thing for babies.

[Carolra]

I loved this article, thank you for posting it. I don't think it's anti-Breastfeeding, it's just pointing out that there are some downsides to Breastfeeding and that some of the benefits we've all heard don't actually hold out under scientific study. And it's not correct to say that there are plenty of studies supporting aspects of Breastfeeding because it is almost impossible to exclude socio-economic factors when making health/intelligence comparisons. Hurrah for some balance.

[Saski]

The only thing that seemed to have any scientific basis in the article was the link to the article debunking the IQ link, which I knew about when I was breastfeeding my now-7-year-old. They forgot to control for maternal IQ.

Otherwise, there's no new information.

[Cuddlydragon]

I too loved the article. A breath of fresh air amongst the usual rhetoric. I do wonder where some posters go to be "surrounded by formula advertising". Hmmmmmm

[MrsKeithRichards]

Maybe they are sitting in the follow on formula aisle?

[Cuddlydragon]

Gosh mrskeith, you might be onto something there.......should we tell them

[nittynittynora]

It's on the TV, in magazines, on the radio....

The formula companies are not allowed to advertise first stage milks, but they certainly go for it with the rest of their products. They legally HAVE to say in their advertising that breastfeeding is best for your baby, they obviously wouldn't otherwise because breastfeeding doesn't make them any money!

Sorry but I definitely read this as an article that sought to discredit breastfeeding. And given that 1 percent of babies is still exclusively breastfed at 6 months in this country, despite the fact that the WHO recommends exclusive BFing for all babies till this age, the BFing message has clearly not been pushed too far at all!

[Cuddlydragon]

Gosh, if I'd only been told breast is best, I'm sure I'd have done it........I don't believe there is a single pregnant woman in this country right now hasn't been expressly told breast is best, regardless of how true some claims are. I was told by various midwives, my baby would be more likely to catch meningitis or my own personal favourite, Mylene Klass breasted, which is why she's so slim. On the other hand the really cute bear on the aptamil bottle swung it for me.

[nittynittynora]

What's wrong with being told that breast is best, though, Cuddly?

[MobyMistake]

I do wonder where some posters go to be "surrounded by formula advertising"

The only advertising I have ever seen is follow on milk ... and even that advert seemed pro-bf - "breast milk is perfect, nothing compares to it"

I didn't think FF was allowed to be advertised?

Boots don't even give points on first formula.

YABU.

[Carolra]

Because its not true for every mum and every baby nitty. It just isn't, regardless of any studies or research and it can have very serious downsides for some people. So the unequivocal message that breast is best is actually damaging in some instances.