To think it will all kick off on here after this is aired?

[MsScarlett]

My mum just texted me to say that tomorrow there is a documentary on BBC3 at 9pm called, "Is Breast Best?".

I predict a bunfight!

Normal people do not make good television viewing Fanjo. I hate the teen mum so too thick not to b/f shit

Ha ha ha Madamdeathstare terrible parent you. Shocking.

breast is best because you don't have to faff around for 5 minutes with a kettle etc getting it to the right temperature. That's 5 minutes more sleep for me. Most necessary.

I am dreading the stereotypes. Why do they have to make TV like this. It's just like wallpaper made out of old copies of the Daily Mail.

There has been a thread anticipating this programme on breast/bottle feeding forum for a few days, methinks they're sharpening their knives.

Clearly I meant too thick to b/f not what I actually wrote. That'll teach my mum to ff me

I just don't get these warring BF/FF threads at all.

OK, it was a few years ago for me, but I tried to BF DC1. Didn't work. Breast pumps, nipple shields, HVs and midwives and all of that clutter everywhere. Agony, tried and failed after 6 weeks. Turned to FF with a lighter heart, DC1 guzzled the bottles as if it was all he had ever wanted.

DC2 managed to suck me dry from Day 1 for 18 months and would have gone on forever. It was cheaper and easier.

If you want to do it and can't, it's tough.

If you don't want to do it but could, it's choice.

Both DC are robustly healthy.

God help those lactivists if they had come round here on day 3 with cracked nipples and bruised boobs.. they would have been ripped to pieces and fed through the letter box bit by little bit. fed ds til 2 1/2 years though, mixed feeding, yay.

Oh

Fuck

No

2plus2 - you silly girl, had you have breast fed they would both be in possession of a 6th sense - clairvoyancy perhaps

worra Pepsi Max is best.

*madamdeathstare- seriously it affects NO ONE but that mother and the child. What's the deal?

Considering the mums I know who breastfed and judgeypants me because I didn't now feed their kids crap, I fail to see the arguement. As long as their kids arent obese or starved, I have zero interest in what theyre fed.

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFS

The whole bloody issue drives me up the pigging wall.

Breastmilk from humans is the most appropriate milk for human babies. That is because it has been designed that way. In the same way that cow milk is designed for calves, cat milk is designed for kittens, dog milk is designed for puppies...

It just is.

However, that's just the fact of the milk, the mammary glands and tens of thousands of years of evolution.

It is not in itself making a judgement on those who choose to use formula. Or those who wanted to breast feed but couldn't. It's not a war! If you can't bf or you simply don't want to! Formula is there for you.

I do wish people could just be logical about the whole thing and not see criticism of their choices or circumstances. Breastmilk of a species is designed to suit the infant of that species. Fact. Therefore it is better designed than a substitute because it has been designed by nature.

But that doesn't mean someone is a terrible person for using formula instead! It doesn't mean people have to start trying to claim that breast milk isn't that good. It doesn't mean that people have to start saying that formula = child abuse! It doesn't mean that you have to beat yourself up for 20 years if you couldn't / didn't bf. It doesn't mean that people have to start with the "I ff and my child passed all their alevels at 6months old, so there" or "I bf and my child was playing mozart by 6months, so there"

Cant we just say that, by virtue of it being our biological design, our breast milk is nature's choice for our young, just like any other species, yes, that is true and there is nothing wrong with making sure people know that and are supported to bf as much as they want to but formula is not the work of the devil and if someone has to, needs to or just plain WANTS to, give it to their baby, that's fine too.

??

Bloody hell another thread where everyone justifys what they did as being right.

I have 4 DC'S 1 FF from 6 weeks the other EBF and the FF one is never ill, above average etc etc.

Each to their own.

The one thing I would change is to set the right expectations about BF - It does hurt (to start with) you wont lose weight instantly and you can only eat 1 piece of toast to get the extra calories you need BUT I love it and will really miss it when I stop.

Maybe the writers of the program were breast fed

Maybe they know that our poorly formula fed baby brains will not be able to resist the pull of judgy pants telly on a Monday night

and one born every minute is on repeats now so you can't even feel smug about that

they are evil genius' (i'd know the plural of genius but i was FF ... thinks about printing t-shirt...)

Oh good grief - bf is not 'best' it is normal. I would love to see a program about how normal it is to feed our babies as we have been doing since time began - I doubt this program is going to be it.

Well said HecateQueenOfTheNight but that wont make interesting tv that has about 6000 threads.

well said Hecate

Bravo Hecate!

Just an observation but my experience was that babies are a faff no matter how you feed them especially if both parents work full time. Actually, the faff goes on as mine are now 15,12,11.

It's funny, I hadnt given much thought to how my children had been fed until I came onto mumsnet. I suddenly realised that my 10 year blissful ignorance was over.

The problem is that breast is probably best if the mother is supported and there arent other problems and if she can take a few months off work. Doesnt make such a good slogan though.

Good post Hecate :)