Exbrightonbell Please note that I am not trying to debate the topic here. As that is not my intention. I do sense that you are a little bit patronising but that is also okay too. Cos I realised that you must have been alarmed by what frankness I wrote here.
I already know that moms in the 20th Century were "encouraged" to use forumla in the UK. I also know that stillbirth was quite high too, and that is why most mothers would not risk this at all and follow the doctor's advices. I also know that in my mother's generation, she had to see her mother give stillbirth and I know that this also impacted her too in her situation. Sometimes, we should not forget that giving birth is a small miracle. I certainly feel lucky of the support and technology that is available to us in the UK. In other countries, citizens have to pay for these kind of birthing care.
I know that the NHS is so much more supportive now of BF and of the different options for mothers. e.g. giving home births and things like that. Or to give a waterbirth, but with caesarian options on standbys.
I do not know how you feel, but I do know that before and during your pregnancy, one should really be eating more proper wholesome food so that your child will also get the nutrients too. My mother is very supportive of this idea, and I know my sister had to eat this detox food to clear out her internals in the earlier days too as she breastfed. Culturally, we follow this. So my mom is aware to cook decent wholesome food for my sister to eat. And I of course help her cook this so that my sister can indeed focus on the breastfeeding. I know that if babies are jaundice it is related to the food that one consumes as well.
Actually, my sister did not know that about the stages of lactation. The information I wrote is based on what she told me. (My sister is also not this kind of person either that dig into scientific info. Whereas I am.) We did go through the choices that were on offer to her about how to give birth. She was based in London. So she had a choice on how her birth will go. I went with her through this process. She just wanted some support.
She was not aware of the tied-tongue situation and the breastfeeding as well. This was also new to us and we did not check this either. That was also why, in that singular moment, the doctors and the hospital would actually put pressure to her to use formula. I was also present at the time (and yes, you have no idea how much I fight for my sister's right to BF), when we visited her and saw what happened. But my mother and I was so concerned that her BF will fail, and I know that once she does not BF him, then he may take to the formula too, which the hospital was pressuring her to do, because a baby obviously cannot go hungry for so long. It is indeed quite upsetting for us all to see. It took a more mature nurse that checked the tongue to see if it was tied and helped my sister through that particular situation. Whereas there was another nurse who looked quite young and just qualified and had no idea what to do and to check. As my mother say, my sister truly did encounter an angel. We did not even dare speak out about this help, as I realised that the nurse was not supposed to be working in that section for that specific reason.
I am not sure if you are aware, but doctors or the hospital also have the pressure to make sure that the babies are fed as well. Because if you are in the hospital, the hospital still has a duty to cover that the baby is not neglected. Sometimes it is not a case of the doctor is misinformed but the fact that they are tied to obligation and procedures linked to the hospital. That is why I am also lending support to the OP here too. I am not saying those things because I thought that they are right. I am merely sharing also my family's experiences too for sympathy.
I also definitely encourage the OP to eat very wholesome food now and a lot of vegetables and things like that. As her baby will also get the nutrients that she gets too.
Sometimes it is NOT due to "misinformation" but people are pressured to "follow the rule" so to speak, especially where the duty of the nurse and the doctor is concerned. With my family, we follow a particular combined method of East and West for birthing. We do eat certain culturally "detoxing" food items after a woman has given birth to increase her blood flow and circulation and things like that. Also, do not get me started on the nurses that comes round every so often to check the babies when they have gone home. I thought that it was quite a lot of pressure as well on my sister. I do not know if this was just her area or not. As she lives in London. I did not know that the guidelines are now SO strict. You have no idea how much I had to bite my tongue and not kick off when she was subjected to these kind of checks, and quite intrusive questioning.
I dare say that if a mother can survive all these kind of intimidation in the UK, it is a miracle that she does not get antenatal depression. I just know that in my family, all or most babies are BF. The mother always have help as well in terms of cooking, and making sure she ate well and help with lifting and things like that until she recovers strength. It is so important for her to recover her strength. I know that this is a cultural thing more.