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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to wonder why people are so offended by Dr Christian's comment about breastfeeding?

251 replies

Justholdthesmile · 23/01/2014 20:17

He basically says that breastfeeding is good for the first 6 months as it helps a babies immune system. However after 6 months it doesn't have an effect anymore, but as long as the baby is getting a healthy diet then it's fine to continue. He then says that breastfeeding older children may make them psychologically dependent on their mother ....

The last part I have no idea about. I suppose it might could potentially be true? But ultimately I believe it's yours and your childs choice and if you want to listen to expert advice then by all means go for it, if you don't then that's fine too.

It seems to have stirred quite a lot of anger. I'm not trying to get into a debate about ff and bf - each to their own 100%.

I'm asking more whether someone would find this doctors advice offensive?

OP posts:
AnAdventureInCakeAndWine · 23/01/2014 21:39

They aren't, NinjaPenguin. He said (full quote)

"Breast milk boosts a baby's immune system, but only for the first six months. After that, it has no effect. As long as the child is having a healthy diet, there's no harm in breastfeeding. But breastfed older children risk becoming psychologically dependant on the mother. This could result in behavioural problems as they grow up."

He categorically states that breastfeeding has no effect on the baby's immune system after six months. Not after eight years.

redshifter · 23/01/2014 21:40

It offends me a little.

But this quote from a previous poster offends me a whole lot more. - men talking about bf is hilarious to me!

Faithless12 · 23/01/2014 21:46

It's factually inaccurate that's why people are annoyed at it. Also he says there is no harm in breastfeeding, of course there would be no harm in feeding your child naturally.

cinnamongreyhound · 23/01/2014 21:51

I don't know nationally but locally bf is certainly not common and is thought of as weird by several mums I know. By suggesting it has no benefit after 6 months just reinforces that you must be weird to fb after that time. I felt quite isolated being a bf mum and even if there was no nutritional value what about all the other benefits of bf?

And how many babies go from milk only to food only at 6 months? There is a weaning period and why would you stop doing what you and baby have been happy with for 6 months to give something different as milk of some kind is still a significant food source until 1 and beyond for lots of children.

Personally I didn't cosleep and rarely comfort fed my children but I was very sad to stop bf my boys ds1 at 14 months and ds2 at 30 months. Both are independant boys who are happy to go to school, with friends and family but love cuddles with mummy and why not?!?

I know lots of children who have bottles of milk at bedtime until they are 3-4 years, they don't need those and current advice is to remove all bottles at 1 but people don't comment on them making their children to dependant on mum.

I think he's well thought of by the public in general and has really given fb a negative image in a few sentences :(

Mmmbacon · 23/01/2014 22:01

If that is what he said he should get a right blocking from someone in the nhs,. Some sort of financial penalty and re training, its disgraceful that a doctor can get away with spouting such inaccurate dribble

Professionals need to register to keep their credentials, and mistakes like this should be highlighted as incompatible to the standards they are supposed to hold,

Blu · 23/01/2014 22:05

But he does not say that there is no benefit to breast feeding for longer than 6 months! His comment is solely about the benefits to the immune system being in the first 6 months.

And he doesn't say that bf 2 year olds will become dependent...

And there some posters earlier on the thread seriously misunderstanding the situation with iron. But not letting that stop their het getting up!

OxfordBags · 23/01/2014 22:12

Blu, the benefits to the immune system do not stop after 6 months. He shouldn't be stating or implying that they do stop. It's a myth that far too many people bandy about and believe in.

randomAXEofkindness · 23/01/2014 22:16

I can't stand him either, ever since I watched a bit of embarrassing bodies where he implied that having inner labia larger than outer labia should be a worrying state of affairs and warranted surgery Confused. So many young people watch that show. I will try to fish it out for a link. NB THIS IS FROM MEMORY AND MAY NOT BE THE EXACT WORDS HE USED!!!

So eroding the importance of breastfeeding and recommending designer vagina's. What a joy.

TheFabulousIdiot · 23/01/2014 22:17

M, because what he said is Olson andhe's a doctor and should know better. Plus he agreed with someone on twitter who said breastfeeding older children was 'weird'. His opinion is not backed up medically which is odd, given that he's a doctor. Then again there are loads of GPs out there who give out shot advice about breastfeeding.

You, OP, call it 'expert advice' but his advice wasn't that of an expert. That makes it dangerous and offensive.

Whistleblower0 · 23/01/2014 22:17

How very dare he have an opinion, and one that is shared by many at that..
He should be publicly hung drawn and quartered. [shocked]

AnAdventureInCakeAndWine · 23/01/2014 22:18

He doesn't say in so many words that there is no benefit, that's true.

He just
(a) categorically denies that one of the chief benefits exists at all,
(b) doesn't mention any other benefits and
(c) says that it "does no harm".

These are not the words of someone suggesting that there are any benefits to breastfeeding past 6 months.

Nor does he acknowledge in his clarification that there are or could be any benefits, and he actually adds in a misrepresentation of the NHS guidelines (actual NHS recommendation: breastfeed for more than six months; Dr Christian's version: breastfeed for six months).

FadBook · 23/01/2014 22:19

Analytical Armadillo responds with a great blog

I also agree with AnAdventureInCakeAndWine that I too am not offended just pissed off that he thinks he can spout this shit.

The ir

randomAXEofkindness · 23/01/2014 22:22

Genghis Khan was said to have BFed until he was 8; I've heard he was fairly tough and independent.

Grin
FadBook · 23/01/2014 22:23

Pressed send to quickly...

The iron debate earlier up thread makes me think that formula and cereal nestle marketing their products with added iron or fortified with iron to convince us that we don't have enough iron unless we eat extra. Which isn't the case at all.

AnAdventureInCakeAndWine · 23/01/2014 22:28

Whether there are benefits to a baby's immune system after six months isn't a matter of opinion, Whistleblower, it's a matter of fact backed up by research.

What the WHO guidelines on breastfeeding are isn't a matter of opinion, it's a matter of fact and public record.

What the NHS guidelines on breastfeeding are isn't a matter of opinion, it.s a matter of fact and public record.

When those guidelines last changed isn't a matter of opinion, it's a matter of fact and public record.

If he'd said that breastfeeding past six months was frankly a bit icky and creeped him out, that would be a matter of opinion, quite possibly shared by many. Saying that it has no immune benefits and isn't recommended by the NHS isn't. He can always hold a counterfactual opinion, I suppose - he can believe as a matter of opinion that the world is flat and the moon is made of green cheese, if he chooses, but doing so would make him a pretty scrappy man of science.

AnAdventureInCakeAndWine · 23/01/2014 22:31

One might, of course, suggest that Genghis Khan did have some eensy weensy little behavioural problems...

Anonimity · 23/01/2014 22:37

"He then says that breastfeeding older children may make them psychologically dependent on their mother .... "

He may be right. I bf a school-aged child. We are being treated because of it.

Caitlin17 · 23/01/2014 22:48

Personally bf was possibly the single most unpleasant experience of my life. I hated it. I put up with it for about 3 months and was miserable throughout. Completely exhausted, son seemed to be permanently feeding and permanently hungry.

Toddlers breast feeding gives me the creeps.

NiceTabard · 23/01/2014 23:00

At that point he is referring to older children in the "over 6 months" sense, clearly, having read the shot of the original piece.

I agree with others who say that he is putting forward inaccurate and false statements re BF, and doing so as a "trusted medical professional".

I wonder if he has any relationships with formula milk companies? They always bang on about 6 months in their ads too - "BF for the first 6 months is great but if you have any sense you will stoppit at 6 months on the dot and give them some proper scentifically proven cows milk with stuff in". I never get that - 6 months is when BF is getting easier and easier, and suddenly much easier than FF (speaking v generally of course). Why at just the moment BF becomes much much easier, people like this doc and unilever or whoever are pushing formula is anyone's guess. Hmm. Maybe because they aren't allowed to push formula before that?

FWIW I have no idea whetehr doctor whatsit is cosy with FF company inc, or has simply been taken in by too many cow and gate ads Grin

5madthings · 23/01/2014 23:01

The dr may not have links to formula comoanies, closer magazine does..

NiceTabard · 23/01/2014 23:07

Aha.

True, and interesting.

This "6 months" thing is from formula companies, and to do with the fact they can't market it to children younger than that, not before.

His statement "Breast milk is beneficial to a baby's immune system for the first six months, but there is no harm in continuing to do it as long as the child has a healthy diet." is STRAIGHT out of a cow and gate script.

NiceTabard · 23/01/2014 23:14

Should say at this point that personally in the West I think it's much of a muchness ff v bf and also IMO and IME the angle taken on BF in the NHS is badly handled and offputting.

That's another convo - just sort of pinning my colours to the mast.

However - If you have managed to get on with BF (despite lack of support & blah etc) and you have gone through the every 2 hours bit and you have made it through any difficulties you might have had and you're just hitting the bit where it starts to pay off and as they start eating & taking water you drop down to say 3 feeds a day and it's quicker and it doesn't hurt and yes it makes sense as actually at this point sterilising bottles and stuff would be harder...

WHY at this point are so many people right then you've done that pack it in now and move to formula...?

I don't get it. My own bloody mother said it! And she was a doctor and well aware of the benefits of BF!!!

Where does it come from????

legoplayingmumsunite · 23/01/2014 23:17

I wonder what he'd suggest for the 7% of infants that are allergic to cow's milk? Mean age for growing out of the allergy is 5. Are those mothers allowed to BF beyond 6 months Dr Christian?

The original quote is awful, not only for the 'advice' that contradicts the NHS and WHO advice but particularly for the suggestion that children BF beyond infancy are psychologically damaged and will have behavioural problems. Where is his evidence for that? Has there been a Cochrane Review?

AnyFucker · 23/01/2014 23:17

I refuse to take seriously the attention-seeking comments of a doctor who wears such tight shirts and has such a ridiculously obvious hair transplant

I expect to see him on "Splash" sometime soon in a teeny tiny pair of speedos

BlueSkySunnyDay · 23/01/2014 23:22

I'm not keen on him - I have a sneaking suspicion he doesn't actually know one end of a woman from the other.

I saw something years ago where a menopausal woman was concerned about her lack of sex drive. This appeared to be news to him and he said he could see no reason why it should be affected. [Hmm]