To think the breast is best strategy is all wrong

[SheepOrWine]

Just back from the health visitor clinic where I was at in front of an entire wall (no exaggeration) telling me why breast is best. Apparently for one young woman it was the best decision she EVER made. This morning I read about another study which "proves" that breast is best (presumably because the many, many existing studies on this are not enough and they needed another one?) At my NHS antenatal breastfeeding class, more than half of the allocated time was dedicated to the benefits of breastfeeding.

Has anyone ever been persuaded to breastfeed by a poster or a news article? Is there anyone out there who seriously has not yet heard the "breast is best" message? Does the NHS just think women are a bit stupid but if you tell them to do something enough times they will do it?

Wouldn't this money be better spent on helping those women who want to breastfeed to do so successfully? Three months ago I was on a postnatal ward with DD where I received conflicting and often incorrect breastfeeding advice. Every time I buzzed for support a frazzled looking HCA or midwife would come and glance at the latch say "yeah that's fine" and walk off. I asked four times to see the breastfeeding advisor but she never arrived. I was discharged without anyone observing a feed.

8 weeks on I gave up breastfeeding as I just had enough of all the various problems I was having with it and for which I was completely unprepared. Before I had DD the posters were useless as like most women, I already knew I wanted to try to breastfeed. And now, post-breastfeeding, all these posters do is just make me feel guilty. What a waste of money.

Sorry, thread moved fast while I was typing!

the risks that come with formula feeding should be more publicised because it might encourage more people to actually try breastfeeding initially - I wasn't aware of them at all until I did my own research into it.

Could you enlighten us as to these risks eggy?

Sheep I'm not sure they do do they? I hardly know anyone who breastfed. I agree these posters shouldn't be so preachy and yes more support is needed in the early days! I gave it a go but found it far too painful and DS wasn't getting enough so I stopped after a month.

Sorry - bolding fail

YY to more support postnatally! I managed to feed my DD for 19 months but had a very difficult start in hospital. The MWs asked at every appointment (including the first at 7 weeks pg!) "How are you planning to feed your baby?" and gave me the leaflets etc. but after the birth I had conflicting advice and a new "plan" every few hours when new midwives came on shift (use a breast pump, hand express, keep trying to put the baby to the breast, that's a "hungry cry", do skin to skin and repeatedly pressing formula on me, being made to feel like a nuisance every time I rang the bell for help) that was utterly bewildering.

I think the "breast is best" message is important for countering the conflicting messages you get from unsupportive friends/family (Maybe your milk isn't good enough quality? Are you sure she's getting enough? Babies need juice/water/food - thanks Mum!) but it's the practical support that will change whether people who want to breastfeed will succeed if they're finding it difficult. Without that it's just setting people up to feel guilty and like they've failed.

I agree with op.. There isn't enough support on the ward.
You are bombarded with information before the birth and I'm sure there is loads of support when your home/ able to get out.

I was adamant that I was going Bf, I didn't even look into formula but after a traumatic birth I really struggled and only managed for two days. I still beat myself about 2 years on. The midwife took my baby from me to give him a bottle and that was it. A lady came round two days later and said I see your FF here's a leaflet and left me to it.

I had no idea that I could keep trying to BF or express the option wasn't there for me, it was so black and white. I even tried bf my baby at home two weeks later in secret and never told anyone because I thought it was an awful thing to do... How wrong I was!

J0kersSmile
I don't think you can avoid people gravitating towards others that are going through the same parenting decisions though. Saying that I have friends who FF and not any who BF but at baby groups in the early days BFing DD2 it was a comfort to chat to someone who also knew what it was like to be BFing. I think the good/bad labels are self-made. I don't judge anyone for FFing and I don't know anyone who does but I always see FFers saying they feel judged. Maybe that's me being naive though.

jellycat It's the opposite for me, I hardly know anyone who has done it.

I actually know of a woman (sister of a good friend) whose child was eventually hospitalised because he wasn't getting sufficient nutrition from her milk (not sure exactly why) and had barely doubled his birth weight by 4 months old. She was so scared of and guilty about FF that she refused to stop BF until her child was basically starving. Food is food, even if we acknowledge the marginal health benefits of one form of feeding over another.

Trifleorbust
Anecdata. Every single person I've met who doesn't want to give a single bit of breastmilk has said so from the beginning or even before getting pregnant and that's fine, as that's their choice. How do you know that they have? Isn't it better to put the information out there just in case?

I don't think the strategy is all wrong. It's important to promote awareness as much as possible and I don't think everyone is completely clear about 'breast is best'. For example, some people don't realise that breastfeeding is better than expressing breastmilk and feeding that to the baby.

I completely agree that there should be more, better quality, consistent practical support after the birth and for quite some weeks to help see mothers and babies through any setbacks or new problems as they arise.

spooky the last infant feeding survey said that 81% of babies in the UK are breastfed at birth.

Gruffalo: Well, I'm related to some of them so I know they have done their research and made the best decision for them.

I planned to BF but it didn't happen for a few reasons and we formula fed from day two. The HV told me she was not allowed to tell me how to make up a bottle of formula because they have to promote BF. I called another team to see if she was just being difficult and I was told that no, they are not supposed to show people how to make up formula because the NHS promotes breast is best.

I think BF is great but it's not the only way.

My formula fed child is extremely bright, has a great immune system and has never had more illness than a common cold. So far I can't really see that she has been at a disadvantage by being formula fed.

Wow. I'm really surprised how different all our experiences are. Still not clear what the 'risks' of formula are...

What I am saying is that if the NHS really wants to increase breastfeeding rates it should take a proportion of the "posters and leaflets" budget and instead put it towards proper, well-informed, qualified post-birth support.

I'm not saying they should stop promoting breastfeeding over bottlefeeding, but that at least as much effort should be put into helping women to breastfeed (if they want to) as is put into persuading them to do it.

Wtf are "the risks of formula"?

The only risk of formula I can think of is when it is not prepared properly.

Which is why it's important that the NHS provide advice and support to new parents about preparing formula, and not just refuse to and make them feel shit that they are not breastfeeding

Waiting to hear biscuit. On the edge of my seat. 2 formula fed boys upstairs.

I am one that NEVER even contemplated breast feeding either of my children and no amount of advertising posters would have made me change my mind.

My sister tried to breast feed after a traumatic birth, she and son struggled with this. She kept trying and had twice daily visits. I initially thought this was very supported until I heard their comments when she decided she could not do it. She was exhausted and was informed that she clearly didn't want what was best for baby. It was such a bad experience that her second daughter was FF straight from birth.

I advocate free choice and a happy mummy equals happy baby. :)

I agree.
The research has been done now, I don't think they need more. But it had gone too far over the other way now and there is little support for those who can't or don't want to breastfeed. I struggled but there was no one to help at all. And when I did eventually give up about 6-8 weeks down the line I was just given the great is best line and no help at all, and no one would advise regarding formula feeding options. You have to sort that out ok yourself. Not even information of the safest ways to prepare and store, or anything.

Breastfeeding was covered in my NHS antenatal sessions a lot and they would not speak at all about other options at all, not even when one couple specifically asked.

I have a colleague who bottle fed her first dd...who then developed a dairy and wheat intolerance....she has since had a second dd and has also bottle fed her.....and guess what?.... She too has dairy/ wheat intolerance....and I'm getting a bit fed up of her going on about problems getting right formula....wouldn't it have have been easier if she'd at least tried to bf?... I know it's tough in the first few weeks but it's so much easier in the long run

This is just my experience. I knew I wanted to breastfeed but had problems with it, my baby wasn't getting enough, before that my milk wasn't coming in, trouble with latching, this went on for weeks, I was so frustrated and upset. I was so determined though that I kept on with it and one day it just worked and ended up breastfeeding with no more problems for 15 months. It felt right. Breastfeeding somehow enabled me to bounce back to my body before. I lost all the extra weight and got my stomach back in no time at all. And that was from still looking like 7 months pregnant right after birth. The benefits to baby and mother and the special bond and nutrition/nurture benefits are worth the awareness campaign. Sometimes when I hear women bash breastfeeding it makes me wonder if they are angry that they didn't breastfeed or had problems. I too had problems, but don't give up and supplement with the bottle, and you know what, if you want or need to do all bottle, nothing wrong with that either. There are good reasons to not breastfeed either. Neither is wrong. I would just recommend it to mothers who aren't sure what they want to do.

or who are tempted to give up on bf too soon.