Miscarriage guidelines - fabulous - but...

sorry Tinker - I disagree - not all women are fortunate enough to be able to express enough milk to feed their DC while they're at work.

Also even if you do read the tin it's not very clear that the amounts/frequency age/weight are only a rough estimate. I have met women who were wondering either why their DC wasn't finishing any of their bottles, or on the opposite side worried that their DC was always hungry and always finished all their bottles - because they thought that those amounts were what they "should" be having.......

The packet also doesn't tell you things such as - some babies will drink a bit of their bottle, have a short break (often several minutes) and then finish their bottle. While others down it in one go like it's the last bottle they're ever going to have

Yes, there are countries who have that breastfeeding rate. The 2% though does include children with problems that prevent them from feeding, which is why I always say less than 2% of women don't produce enough milk.

I'm not paid by the NHS and there are 12 of us to cover the Heart of Birmingham area so spending time covering bottles takes us away from women who need breastfeeding support. I'm sure if the need arose that it wouldn't be "read the packet it tells everything you need to know", we have been told to explain what to do, following the packet and our boss will also refer back to the HV.

I have never been tied to the sink, it has nothing to do with how you feed a child.

not htread, sorry, topic.

justine have you seen the suggestion to change the miscarrieage bearavement thread to a pregnancy loss one or pg loss/bereavement one? seems more inclusive.

"make sure they're following the packet" - lol sorry that does rather make me smile, I rather wish it was easy as that.

To me (having both BF and FF) that's like saying "just put the baby on the breast" (and expecting all to be well)

"BF support was better then there wouldn't be the need to teach women about bottlefeeding."

But some women want to bottlefeed, or when they go back to work find that they're unable to express enough EBM so choose to give FF.

Mind you I suppose if we went back to teh day when the woman was automatically tied to the sink then there would be no need to worry about that

and there is very little info on the side of the pack, and what there is is impractical and sends women off in the direction of less safe methods.

i SO tire of that 2% figure tbh. although of course i've also heard 5% bandied about. is there actual proper research to back it up?

Considering that less than 2% of women genuinely can't (IE they don't have the milk) if BF support was better then there wouldn't be the need to teach women about bottlefeeding. Breastfeeding is not a "no brainer" clearly or more women would do it and less would say they didn't have enough milk. It takes far more education to help someone breastfeed than it does to show them how to bottlefeed. After all, the instructions come on the side of the packet, last time I checked there wasn't anything written on the side of my boob!

I've been taught on my peer supporters course to give support to women who want to give a bottle and to make sure they are following the packet.

FAQ - re: Failure to thrive

I truly truly don't believe that doctors these day know that much about BF babies. They are so used FF babies and how they put on weight that they say that some BF babies are FTT when they aren't.

just another reason why we need more education and support for BF.

Just want to say, before I read the rest of this thread.

YAY!!!! THANK YOU for including Antiphospholipid Syndrome in there!

fair enough FAQ i am not doubting you or disputing what you are saying.

it is called 'breastfeeding matters' by maureen minchin

lots of interesting stuff about the politics of breastfeeding too

Just want to say, before I read the rest of this thread.

YAY!!!! THANK YOU for including Antiphospholipid Syndrome in there!

lulu - we were using one formula he was ok - several weeks later we tried to switch to a different one - he SCREAMED, became constipated and started refusing his bottles as well as generally being awful to look after.

24hrs later we switched back - and he was like a different child.

We had a similar experience when switching DS2 and 3 from Gold to White - I don't believe for one minute that both of them "suddenly" stopped being so unsettled between feeds out of pure co-incidence.

And DS2 refused a bottle of Cow and Gate when I'd run out and was at a friends house and that was what she had!! (his usually bottles and teats - and yes he was hungry(.

Anyhow- I have to go, I've done NOTHING this afternoon - and my new man is going to be here in 4hrs.............

hunker , just finished very good book written by someone australian about breastfeeding, cannot remember the name and it is upstairs, and i cannot be arssed to go and look !! but i shall post the title for you. it is very interesting.

some babies might be unsettled and pooey and windy anyway, FAQ, regardless of the formula

i really doubt that the milk per se is to blame. really i do. yes, that was your experience, but DS3 might have been like that anyway.

which is away from teh main point .

the issue is that we know, simplistically, breast is best, but don;t necessarily make the correlation that formula is not as good or worse... and that closer to breastmilk is not hte same as breastmilk as breastmilk is the best thing to give

we are not allowed to say taht as it makes formula feeding parents feel bad or guilty

there is so much emotion attached to how you feed your baby, and it took me a loooooong time to come to terms with having not breastfed

ahhh now Hunker we've been down this path of discussion many times over the last (?) years and you know where I stand

sh*t just seen the time - Murray is about to start playing, the house is a tip, and I need to go to the shop yet to get some beans for dinner

"ah well no, faq. official advice (this may even be on the side of the pack) is NEVER to use a micro cos of hotspots. fookin' health and safety."

WHAT!! You mean they inventor of microwaves didn't invent them to warm the milk up quicker............damn got that rather wrong didn't I .

Hunker I don't think I've read a formula tub the writing is too sodding small

Lulu - but you limit the number of different brands (yes cut out the toddler and night time milks by all means - complete waste of money) and you risk leaving some FF babies with milk that really doesn't agree with them (as I found with Aptimil and DS3)