ok so i have just seen the sma advert that you all got so offended about!

[houseworkwhore]

and I would just like to point out that when the man has the laptop you can clearly see it says how to breastfeed on it!

So no it was not advertising sma formula. It was advertising sma's nutrition website.

so hopefully that clears that up.

It isn't surprising that the thing on the laptop said what it did.

Formula companies do "promote" BF.

Like this

Michaela that was so well said. I had a crash section with GA at 31 weeks, not so early as yours but obviously still a battle. Added in I reacted to the GA and was ill for awhile myself, pgp making the trek to the unit difficult, I had Birth Trauma and Day Three hit me so hard they called the mother and baby team in. It took 10 days for my milk to come in but not in decent quantities for a few days afterwards. You're right though, every drop is celebrated! I used shells to help my supply and for collection and they'd ask for extra from my shell if they hadn't got a full feed, sounds like nothing if you've not been there but you can't describe the feeling of being able to pop a couple of extra mls out of your bra because your baby needs you!

We fight so hard for that day their NG is removed and it's down to you to really become their mother that people throwing it away because it's icky or sexual is hard to understand. I struggle with people who find it too hard some times but I keep reminding myself that we have the best support for weeks after birth and they end of a phone when we go home and if you had an easy start you probably missed out on that level of support. As a Doula I'm so interested in the woman who has it easy because I know they're often the neglected group.

I don't judge though, people have their own story and we're not in a society that breast is normal, we're all products of our society. No one who says it's icky or sexual is coming from an unbiased place. No one who stops because it's too hard is coming from the best support. You can't judge the individual.

wow what a link Pigeon - great!

Thanks confuddled - i agree you can't judge the individual, and I don't feel judgey, it's just such a shame that in a supposedly liberated educated well adjusted society a significant proportion of our society settle for a second best feeding choice which is detrimental to the health of our future generation.

The whole "breasts are sexual" thing gets me too. Yes they are. And do you know why? Because (in general) men have an inbuilt prefernce for women who look fertile and able to carry and feed a baby. So, relatively young but post pubescent, healthy, well fed and with no obvious signs of disease, with a good waist to hip ratio and tasty looking boobs. Breasts are sexual BECAUSE they're for breast feeding!

meant don't LIKE to feel judgey.

A lot of the body is used for sex and normal life too. Think of all the things the lips get up to but we still kiss our babies. Our hands but we also change nappies, put plasters on cuts, tickle etc our babies.

MichaelaS - excellent post, except that you are NOT a BF nazi. What you are saying is common sense.