Ed Milliband and breastfeeding

Formula is cow's milk!

interesting....

yerrs.

it pretty much reflects what's been said -

clumsy on Milibands part
wrong for the BBC

although not exactly a storm, merely a lively debate....

That's actually quite a balanced piece!

Points out in lots of places that no one cares what they do as an individual family, but shows why people may object about it being on TV.

The Telegraph has now mined MN for news on Aptamiliband

Couldn't give a fig.

Think you mean formula midwife.Also, formula not cow's milk.

For me TT, the right to privacy takes precedence over the public's wish to know.

The Blairs decided probably for a variety of reasons not to comment on whether Leo got the MMR (and infant feeding I think) and the Brown's didn't as well. I vaguely remember them being badgered by the press to do so at the time (childless back) and respected their right to privacy over these decisions too.

Once a public figure willingly brings a family topic in the public arena I expect that he or she is experienced enough to know that public comment will be made.

My beliefs on vaccines or infant feeding or any other parenting choice has no bearing on their right to privacy.

foxy - I think there are parallels - do you, or don't you, bring your parenting choices into the public/political domain?

"Did we ever find out if the Blairs' son had the combined MMR jab?"

What does this have to do with the MMR jab? The issues involved are entirely different.

He broke the law. If he had been filmed saying he puts his child in the car without seatbelts or that they smoke in parliment it would have been the same thing. Yes the BBC are also to blame. There is a breasfeeding manifesto so therefore he is also going against Government policy. Formular milk is not normal. That is a fact. It is not said to upset anyone. Human milk is what is normal for humans not cows milk. That is normal for cows. That the majority of westeners see formular as normal is where the problem is. We are talking a public health issue and a polititian should know better.

This could be a plotline in the Thick Of It. I don't believe it was an off-guard comment but I doubt if his advisors meant him to be so obvious and mention a brand.

Did we ever find out if the Blairs' son had the combined MMR jab?

conserve your ire for something that really matters

like coalition cuts,job freezes,recession

a ill judged off guard commenst about whch brand formula used doesnt merit all this hulabaloo

FFS...

here is how to tell Labour how you feel about Aptamiliband.

As long as 'he' is not breastfeeding, I don't mind!

Don't much care how they feed their children.

Do care slightly that a politician who was probably advised on things wasn't in the slightest bit aware of the WHO code. Surely that should have been basic research for his team when they decided he would be talking about the baby after he got back from paternity leave.

Would be easy to do a quick list of dos and don'ts about it all. Don't endorse any brands should be a simple thing. Seems a bit unprofessional that kind of thing wasn't considered (In general not just formula)

I BF all my 6DC. It was my choice no one elses. I do not care how Ed Miliband or David Cameron choose to feed their DC. I don't think the BBC should have named the retailer or the brand but that's nothing to do with EM.

Normal practice for the BBC is to not mention brand names unless directly relevant to the story - in this piece instead of saying 'a supermarket' the presenter names Tescos, and subsequently shows Ed Miliband indicating a brand of formula and then showing the packaging that clearly identified it as Aptamil. Advertising of all brands is not in line with the BBCs mission - advertising of infant forumla for babies under 6 months of age is illegal. The Editor should have not allowed the mention of the brand names to have been in the piece, and should have blurred the packaging or used a different shot.

BBC News At Ten 25/11/10

follow foxys link if you wish to complain about this

Perhaps he's been talking about paternity leave in order to normalise paternity leave?

Oh, I do agree that it was political, it all is these days isn't it!

I guess I was coming from the angle that any promotion/"normalising" of paternity leave is in essence a good thing.

Where as going for the photo op with bottlefeeding father/supermarket shop for formula probably isn't.

IYSWIM

Oh dear - I am all in favour of paternity leave! I think he should have taken longer!

That's not what I object to - sorry if it wasnt clear.

He was criticised in the press for taking PL and he has been hellbent on reminding people why he was not around, and the mention of it is political to enhance his popularity - the mention of Aptamil was part of this.

Tiktok, this must be the first time I've disagreed with one of your posts. Not about the Aptamil where I totally agree that the BBC got it wrong, but ref your comment re paternity leave.

I think it's eminently reasonable, in fact desirable, that politicians take paternity leave and all credit to Blair/Cameron/Milliband for doing so and, yes, for publicising this fact.

I avoid radio phone ins like the plague but caught a trailer (R2 or R5 can't remember) for should EM have taken paternity leave?. Of course he should. What message does it send about fathers in society if "important" men are somehow exempt or above the right to take 2 weeks off with their newborn child and its mother.

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