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Original poster

Mumsnet undermining breastfeeding again.

621 replies

Redebs · 12/03/2023 11:52

Just read the Mumsnet article on caring for newborn babies. It's sponsored by a bottle manufacturer.

Much of it is misinformation that will seriously interfere with mothers' success with breastfeeding. For example trying to get a feeding routine for a two month old baby. This is totally against normal practice for on demand breastfeeding.

Anyone aiming for regular naps will be seriously frustrated and will think there is something wrong with them and their baby. Night feeding is treated as if it's a massive burden that should be shared by using a bottle.The massively negative impact of inaccurate information and expectations is aimed at discouraging breastfeeding.

There's a 'helpful' link to another article on 'combination feeding' aka introducing formula, along with references to a whole lot of bottle feeding products you should buy.

The WHO condemns companies that use misinformation and pressure on mothers not to breastfeed. While it may be subtly disguised, that is exactly what articles like this are doing.

And for money.

OP posts:
Merryweather80 · 12/03/2023 18:39

Whatever.....

notthisagainforest · 12/03/2023 18:33

Redebs · 12/03/2023 13:13

@Moonicorn
Well obviously you made a decision based on what you know about the difference, but not everyone does. So suggest you stop trying to bully people who want that to be an option for other mums who might be more susceptible to commercial advertising.

You are the one who's bullying here. People have a choice they are not stupid. It's up to individual choice. Breast was not best for my baby. No way. Bottle was best. I had much more sleep so did the baby I had a routine. I was not exhausted from being used as a human dummy all night and my baby was happy and healthy Thanks

bloodyplanes · 12/03/2023 18:24

ringofrosies · 12/03/2023 13:26

I’ve never understood why one mum would care so much about how another mum feeds their baby. You, as a mum, do what’s right for you or your baby.

You do not love your baby more or less due to your method of feeding. . You are not a better mother by your method of feeding. You do not have a stronger bond by your method of feeding.

Surely baby being loved, fed and well-cared for and mum’s physical and mental health being good is what matters.

Spot on

Lovelyveg82 · 12/03/2023 18:24

Formula

Lovelyveg82 · 12/03/2023 18:23

I breastfed

no guilt

no pride

no thoughts on fortunate versus breastfeeding whatsoever

but I don’t like people being made to feel like shit

Lovelyveg82 · 12/03/2023 18:22

Merryweather80 · 12/03/2023 18:02

I would support her decision as long as she had done her research and tried it.

If its not for you it's not for you. It's a choice.
You clearly have guilt. Leave me alone.

And if she hadn’t “done her research”.

She just did not wish to breastfeed.

What then?

Lovelyveg82 · 12/03/2023 18:22

Merryweather80 · 12/03/2023 17:55

Not until he chooses to. Read the WHO guidelines on it.

Again. Stop singling me out.
Everyone can express their opinion. Does not make mine or yours right just right for you.

So your three year old who still breastfeeds has “never” slept through the night and instead wakes every thirty minute to two hours.

have you researched the importance of sleep for brain development in children @Merryweather80 ?

ReedRite · 12/03/2023 18:08

Tygertiger · 12/03/2023 16:25

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36164270/

Have a read of this. There are loads of studies, do some Googling.

Show quote history

That study shows less than a 5% increased risk of breast cancer if you don’t breastfeed. So bf has a much smaller impact on the risk of developing breast cancer than other issues, like obesity, smoking, alcohol, air pollution, etc.

It’s also a low quality study, as it’s not a gold-standard randomised controlled trial, which generally in medicine are required in abundance before advice is changed.

By all means make people aware of it, but you should be careful to put it in context, so readers get a truthful idea of the scale and likelihood of any benefit and can put it in context against the totality of their lives and risk factors for all issues, eg mental health risks.

Merryweather80 · 12/03/2023 18:02

I would support her decision as long as she had done her research and tried it.

If its not for you it's not for you. It's a choice.
You clearly have guilt. Leave me alone.

Merryweather80 · 12/03/2023 18:00

Statistically only 5% can't. Most do not get support.
Read the WHO guidelines on it. The info is all there.

Like I said. You make a choice either seeks help, or ff feed.

You do you. I'll do me.
Stop singling me out.

Merryweather80 · 12/03/2023 17:55

Not until he chooses to. Read the WHO guidelines on it.

Again. Stop singling me out.
Everyone can express their opinion. Does not make mine or yours right just right for you.

Merryweather80 · 12/03/2023 17:52

Read the article. It's there right through. Others have quoted various sections.

Why are you singling me out? Lots of posters have said the same. It's ok to have an opinion. Why pick on individuals whose opinions differ?

Kendodd · 12/03/2023 17:44

Toandfroto · 12/03/2023 16:51

@Merryweather80 are a satirical poster or just a bit dim?

you say Why feel guilty if you genuinely can't

yet in the exact same post you said it is better to bf

I don't see how that's contradictory. Mothers shouldn't feel guilty about however they chose to feed, no excuses or reason needed. Also, breast is best. Women are free to choose whichever they want.

Lovelyveg82 · 12/03/2023 17:33

Merryweather80 · 12/03/2023 17:20

@OzzyOzworn you told your experience, I told men. You do you n yours I do me and mine.

The whole point if this is the article wasn't about feeding or choices about feeding. It was a frigging advert.
You bore off.

I've been awake -thanks to Ds almost 3, since about one am. He's never slept a night through, preferring to wake every 30min to two hours. I'm so tired.

maybe time to give up @Merryweather80

OzzyOzworn · 12/03/2023 17:30

MorrisZapp · 12/03/2023 17:09

Honestly naff off with your 'women FF because of pressure from marketing companies'.

I loathed BF. I had every single support available to humanity, including privately paid help. But 'support' doesn't fix the shock of PND and the sense of being trapped by the needs of your baby.

My very pro BF mother finally begged me to stop and to give my son a bottle as I was totally lost.

It's laughable now that he's a teenager to think my entire self worth and mental health hinged on the method he received his milk.

I wish I could go back and reassure that sad, empty soul that her son would thrive on love, care and attention and that a few months on blimmin aptamil would very soon be utterly irrelevant.

Why why why do women do this to themselves and to each other.

so true it’s so so unimportant xx

OzzyOzworn · 12/03/2023 17:27

But I didn’t say bottle was best. Stop pushing your agenda and opinions about bf.

Merryweather80 · 12/03/2023 17:20

@OzzyOzworn you told your experience, I told men. You do you n yours I do me and mine.

The whole point if this is the article wasn't about feeding or choices about feeding. It was a frigging advert.
You bore off.

TheBirdintheCave · 12/03/2023 17:12

DNAshelicase · 12/03/2023 15:14

Around 5% of women actually can’t breastfeed yet you get dozens on here claiming they can’t. Most lack the support or the determination to do it. If you and your baby are happy then fine, but call it what it is, it’s not that you ‘can’t’ BF, you don’t want to

I tried twice and the force of my son's razor gums crushing my nipples with every bite left me literally screaming and writhing in pain. I didn't try again. I was too frightened.

I don't know if I produce milk but I know for damn sure that I cannot breast feed. I definitely wanted to and I was depressed and guilty about it for weeks afterwards. We had nothing in the house for bottle feeding. My husband had to go out and buy everything we needed the day after our son was born.

It's cruel to imply that most of us claiming we can't breastfeed actually just didn't want to.

MorrisZapp · 12/03/2023 17:09

Honestly naff off with your 'women FF because of pressure from marketing companies'.

I loathed BF. I had every single support available to humanity, including privately paid help. But 'support' doesn't fix the shock of PND and the sense of being trapped by the needs of your baby.

My very pro BF mother finally begged me to stop and to give my son a bottle as I was totally lost.

It's laughable now that he's a teenager to think my entire self worth and mental health hinged on the method he received his milk.

I wish I could go back and reassure that sad, empty soul that her son would thrive on love, care and attention and that a few months on blimmin aptamil would very soon be utterly irrelevant.

Why why why do women do this to themselves and to each other.

BridieConvert · 12/03/2023 17:08

Not this again 🙄

Twizbe · 12/03/2023 17:08

I can't decide what you're getting out of this.

Under different names you keep popping up to tell us we're wrong no matter what we say.

Icannoteven · 12/03/2023 17:07

YANBU. They used all the unusual tricks in that advert. Presenting baby routines that could only possibly be stuck to if you were formula feeding as the norm, insinuating that mothers who breastfeed are standing in the way of fathers bonding with their babies.

That is more than ‘giving women their options / supporting their choice’ this is a deliberate attempt to present bottle feeding as the norm and breastfeeding as problematic. It is deliberately devaluing one ‘choice’ in favour of another, playing on women’s fears and myths about breastfeeding to do so.

Some people are too thick to read the subtext, as unsubtle and unoriginal as it is (it’s the same form of manipulation that pretty much every formula company use to push formula to those who may otherwise not consider it)

Moonicorn · 12/03/2023 17:02

Twizbe · 12/03/2023 16:59

Have a look at what nestle did and you'll see what the issue is.

In this country we have the wealth, education and sanitation to make formula feeding safe.

That is not the case for everyone and the unethical marketing practices led to the deaths of babies.

It's an issue that goes way beyond the individual and her choices.

I couldn't give a monkeys about how a woman feeds her baby.

I do give a monkeys about hidden advertising that prays on people's fears. I saw something the other day that was published in 2014. A well known TV doctor telling women that breastfeeding past 6 months would cause psychological issues in their children .... is that ok?

Show quote history

So campaign for clean water and education in third world countries 🤷🏼‍♀️ how will banging the drum and irritating women on here help? The posters are U.K. and occasionally USA.

OzzyOzworn · 12/03/2023 17:01

Merryweather80 · 12/03/2023 16:42

@OzzyOzworn he refused a bottle. To this day won't have any kind of silicone in his mouth.

You feed how you want to but don't ignore the fact that it is better to bf. What did we do before formula? The human race would have died out. Yet so many say they can't. It's lack of support mainly. In the UK we can choose You, do you?
Read up on babies and their needs before getting pregnant and continue the research during.

It's not hard.

If you need support ask the health visitor, read the packet of formula. You do you n yours.
Why should I be shamed for my choices?

You shouldn't either.
Why can't we say our experienced and not attack others?

Why feel guilty if you genuinely can't......

its not better. And even if it was how do you think you’re making women with medical issues feel when they can’t do it and you’re saying that. Bore off

Twizbe · 12/03/2023 16:59

OzzyOzworn · 12/03/2023 16:12

What’s wrong with formula makers advertising their formula????? Those who don’t want or need it won’t be interested anyway so who cares.

Have a look at what nestle did and you'll see what the issue is.

In this country we have the wealth, education and sanitation to make formula feeding safe.

That is not the case for everyone and the unethical marketing practices led to the deaths of babies.

It's an issue that goes way beyond the individual and her choices.

I couldn't give a monkeys about how a woman feeds her baby.

I do give a monkeys about hidden advertising that prays on people's fears. I saw something the other day that was published in 2014. A well known TV doctor telling women that breastfeeding past 6 months would cause psychological issues in their children .... is that ok?