Miriam Stoppard is an idiot who should not be allowed to spout this rubbish about bf

[50shadesofslapntickle]

Some of my La Leche League friends have just shown me this and I am totally surprised that this supposed 'doctor' can spout this crap in a national newspaper?!

www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/health/when-should-you-stop-breast-feeding-1259599

And then we discover she has links to Nestle... what a surprise...

boycottnestle.blogspot.co.uk/2008/02/nestle-panic-miriam-stoppard.html

Miriam Stoppard you should be ashamed of yourself for writing this totally innacurate rubbish.

Shortername - noone is saying don't 'mix feed' etc but she is offering her 'advice' like it is fact but it is full of inaccuracies and this is giving women completely the wrong info! The iron comment she makes is crap as babies have plenty of iron stores and new research shows iron taken by the mother is passed through breastmilk. She states so many things that are wrong and it is not her opinion - she is writing like she knows what she is on about! I have complained to the press commision about this stupid stupid article

I was given her guide to pregnancy, birth and childcare when I was pg with DD2 and she spouts some crap about bf and ff but in a different way. She basically implied that if you ff you can't show your baby love in the same way as you can while bfing. Amazing how money can buy opinions..

Hm. Mine both lost interest in bf at around 10 months. That felt about right to me. I wouldn't have wanted to carry on after 12 months certainly.
I used a sling a lot with my ds and found it very useful. He was comforted by the closeness and would happily sleep in the sling between feeds during the day but didn't settle in a cot. There was no such term as "extreme parenting" then.

I think that the case is that the benefits are greatest in the first 6 months- after that the benefits become less significant apart from comfort which is arguably an important benefit but nutritionally- if you can get 6 months in, that is the most important 6 months- all the docs I have seen here in the US have said that.I saw a quiet look of shock on my doc's face when my son helped himself at about 11 months during an appointment.
Honestly I think people just think whatever they did is the right or appropriate amount of time.....Miriam is oldschool isn't she, they all bottle fed in the 70s according to my mum whose nurse discouraged her when she wanted so desperately to b feed in 1970- she said they just wanted all the babies on a schedule to make their jobs easier as you were in for 10 days back then.

I think that the case is that the benefits are greatest in the first 6 months- after that the benefits become less significant apart from comfort which is arguably an important benefit but nutritionally- if you can get 6 months in, that is the most important 6 months

This is untrue I'm afraid! Loads of benefits after 6mths, if I can I will link (on phone!)

Ooh, I might be Extreme Parenting if I carry on breastfeeding aswell as sharing a bed and using a sling. That sounds dangerous and sporty, I've always wanted to be sporty.

Apparently she still advises that you state in your birth plan whether you are happy to be given an enema and a full shave during labour.

Not the most up-to-date expert around.

I read this earlier and thought exactly the same. Ridiculous, innacurate viewpoints from her, which sadly some people will believe. I bf for 14 mths (plus solids after 6m, obviously!) and completely believe it was one of the best things I did for dd. I also carried her round continuously in a sling - not cos I intended to 'extreme parent' but cos dd had severe reflux and it was the only way I could keep her settled and in any way comfortable - no doubt Dr Miriam is one of those doctors that would deny the existence of reflux......

She wrote another article in the Mirror not long ago in which she went on about genetic abnormalities in ICSI (type of IVF) children - totally written as if this is inevitable, intending to scare people off having ICSI. I assume she gave no thought to the fact that some of us reading it might already have had dcs born as a result of ICSI - like my dd. I thought it was the most irresponsible, scaremongering article I'd ever read - I intended to complain at the time but didn't get round to it. May still do, if it's not too late.

I was desperate to bf mine but milk never came in-I later found I had cysts on milk ducts and eventually developed breast cancer.
I have always felt I let my 2 dc down badly by ff-sometimes mn confirms that opinion.

I guess she has an agenda. Something to do with Nestle?
WHO doesn't say to only breastfeed for 6months which is what her article implies. Who guidelines say Breastmilk ONLY for the first 6 months and recommend weaning much older, it used ot be age 2 but I think they upped it to age 3.
I'd go by LLL info www.laleche.org.uk/

thegreylady, don't feel you failed you children. Trying to breastfeed saved your life by discovering the cancer. You did the best you can for your children, I have one bottle fed (third one after two bf'ed) and no guilt what so ever. WHO makes these guidelines for moms with no access to clean water a lot of the time and companies like Nestle who give away samples and sabotage bfing, then these moms are left with no clean water source to make up milk and no money to buy powder and sick babies.
Bottle feeding is a much more acceptable and safe option for you or I, but not for more vulnerable populations.

I have a book of hers, picked it up at a second hand book swap thing as a joke present for DP. It's called "The Best Years of Your Life" and apparently is a fully illustrated guide to happiness, sex, fitness and health in your fifties and beyond. It has some cracking quotes in it

According to wikipedia she is 75 years old! no wonder she has some outdated ideas... but surely she should keep in touch with new developments?

Hahaha, at my being an "extreme parent"!

Caz-I am not saying there are no benefits-I BF beyond 2 years just that every time I explained I was doing this when I saw doc's for my son they went to great pains to explain that the majority of the benefits are in the first 6 months- so beyond that of course you provide good things but it is those first six months that really do bestow the maximum share of benefits from a medical perspective- I guess that is how docs look at it.Personally I think comfort is as important as nutrition even though I know that is not the only benefit beyond 6 m...and of course babies who are FF get comfort in other forms through whatever their parents choose to use.
I think that might be why recently there was some talk of just trying to say 6 months was a better target for women to aim for as so many do struggle and maybe being told 2 years is overwhelming somehow and maybe puts off people who are less confident.....but again because the lion's share of all the benefits are indeed received in that first half year.

I completely reject Miriam's opinion by the way.

lovebunny actually 6 months is a good effort I think. Some people really struggle with bf (myself included so sorry if I'm a little over sensitive) and comments like that are not helpful. I was damn proud of myself when I got to 6 months.

twelve years as a breastfeeding counsellor. if it comes up again, let me know, and i'll be on your cheering squad.

^thegreylady - I was desperate to bf mine but milk never came in-I later found I had cysts on milk ducts and eventually developed breast cancer.
I have always felt I let my 2 dc down badly by ff-sometimes mn confirms that opinion.^
no you didn't. you did what you could, and lived. you didn't let them down. Muslims (i'm not one) say that God looks at a person's intentions as well as the effect of their actions. religious or not, i find the idea that 'intentions matter' very comforting.

What's this Nestlé thing all about?

Silly Mare ... Both mine peeled themselves off around 10 months or so and nothing I could do would convince them to keep going!

Is she actually a medical dr?

Utterly ridiculous woman, and yes, totally to do with the fact she works for Nestle. Eugh.

TheGreyLady - I'm as pro-bfing as you can get Please please please do not feel that you let your children down in any way whatsoever. A health condition prevented you from doing something that otherwise you would have done. You cannot blame yourself for that. A health condition prevents me from running after my son, and doing things I wish i could do - so I do understand to an extent. I hope you are entirely recovered from your cancer now. x

Yeah, me too. My DD suddenly refused to bf at a week short of her first birthday. Her decision, not mine.

I am very surprised at MH spouting this crap. And staggered at the implication that you're some sort of nutter if you carry your baby in a sling! Tell that to most of the world!

My sentiments exactly sirboobalot. Greylady - I'm very very pro breastfeeding but please please do not ever feel like you did anything wrong! Like someone upthread said, you tried and fortunately you discovered your cancer and I hope you are well now - you sound like a brilliant, brave lady x

Odd woman! What if as in our case you have a baby intolerant of milk, soy etc and who refuses to drink the hypoallergenic milk? Bfing is my only option right now. I have done the dairy free diet, baby is very happy and healthy and I will probably continue to bf as its suddenly become very convenient& easy(dd3 is 4 months) but does this mean I am now going to be depriving my child of iron and vitamins according Miriam Stoppard? I even read something this week that I found very reassuring regarding iron and babies, their store BEGINS to deplete at 6 months hence weaning and by the time they are 12 months food should pretty much provide it. It doesn't mysteriously all disappear bang on 6 months. For goodness sake woman, read up on the topics you decide to spout your misguided comments about. also chuckling to self about being an extreme parent maybe we should start a club...