To think this takes being pushy to a new level?

[SchroSawMargeryDaw]

May have worded that a bit odd, feeling off.

Mothers in some "deprived areas" are to be offered £200 in shop vouchers to encourage them to BF their babies.

Something feels a bit wrong about all this, I know MW's often bossily push BF and this just seems like it will give them an excuse to be worse. Surely if you don't want to BF then it's your body and your choice? If you are on a low income you already recieve "healthy start" vouchers so there isn't a worry that they aren't being fed correctly...

Link

How could they possibly police this? What's to stop everybody grabbing the cash and then doing what the hell they like which is exactly what'll happen?

It says that someone will be sent to vertify that the women are BFing! That just feels wrong, I hate people watching me BF.

It also says they will have to BF for the full 6 months to claim the entire £200...

Its a research project with 130 participants - so let's see what happens perhaps?

It's not even money given either, it's stupid highstreet shopping vouchers.

I had some of those "lovetoshop" vouchers and they're no use if you need food or cheap clothes etc.

I don't see anything wrong with trialling it. And MW's aren't "bossy" just making sure every new mother knows that breast is best - no one is forcing a mother to BF, it's just an incentive to try it.

I'm sure it will be rolled out further MrsCampbell, the smoking one has spread pretty far.

Red My bestfriend was refused a bottle of formula in hospital in the middle of the night when she was in agony because she had "already started BFing".

Some MW's are bossy.

As someone who couldn't properly breastfeed, I'm really annoyed by this. I feel rubbish enough about it without being implied I'm undeserving and inferior. I also think it's incredibly patronising, if a woman has chosen to FF why would she change her mind for a shopping voucher? As if we make our decisions based on free shoes rather than what is best for our and babies health. If they're going to throw money at this I would rather they use it training people to help women breastfeed, the help I received in the hospital involved shoving DDs face into my breast and after she unsurprisingly screamed for 2 minutes took her off me and gave her milk in a cup. I think I could have breastfed with the right support.

Well bf rates are very low - so I think research projects exploring different ways of increasing rates are fine really.

And you know, I was pressured to ff with my 2nd so its not all midwifes forcing bf onto people.

It's a small trial in an area where breastfeeding rates are very low, and it's to see what effect a "payment" like this might have.