To think the 'information' the midwife gave me is almost propaganda?

[ethelfleda]

Recently had 24 week appointment. This is our first. Midwife asked if I had thought about feeding yet. I said I plan on breastfeeding. I say 'plan' because (as with everything else baby related) I am trying to keep an open mind as from what I hear, things don't always go according to plan! So I will try hard to breastfeed but I won't beat myself up if it doesn't work out for us.
She handed me a 20 odd page pamphlet thing and said it contained useful information on caring for a new born.

I started to read it today thinking it would be basic NHS info on how to feed, wind and change your baby etc. It was actually 20 odd pages of info telling me basically that if i don't breastfeed, my baby is more likely to develop cancer (as am I) as well as be admitted to hospital in their first year of life etc etc among other very scary statistics.
The language used was shocking IMO! And seemingly designed to make women who don't/can't breastfeed feel awful! Has anyone else had this information handed to them and thought it was way over the top??

How can a synthetic milk be better than a natural one designed for the baby

This for me is the simple key, it can't be assuming breastfeeding works well.

Presumably BF for 12+ months will reduce the risk of oestrogen-influenced cancers. Therefore it won't affect breast cancer that isn't oestrogen-dependent? I have heard that the longer break in having periods stops the cumulative effect of oestrogen potentially causing breast cancer. There are many types of breast cancer.

There's tonnes of things that are not "natural" but we still allow people the choice. Taking antibiotics is not "natural" but you'd be dead without them most likely!

it makes me laugh, in a modern world full of choice... gay marriage, we can even decide not to have a gender these days. And people still feel the need to be bitchy about people that didn't breast feed.

Riding - I empathise with you not having a great experience with breastfeeding. I read that article you posted the link to, which was an interesting insight into stigma faced by women who are formula feeding and women who are breastfeeding. At the bottom of the article there is a link to another article: Swansea academic asks governments to help increase breastfeeding rates - also a good read which in learning from women feel has recommendations of how to promote breastfeeding. Here's the link if anybody wants a read.

www.swansea.ac.uk/media-centre/latest-news/swanseaacademicasksgovernmentstohelpincreasebreastfeedingrates.php

How can a synthetic milk be better than a natural one designed for the baby

Because there are many factors involved in giving your baby the 'best' start in life and it's a combination of those factors that amounts to 'this is what's best for this individual baby' rather than 'breast is best, full stop'.

For some babies formula is the best option, for others it'll be breast milk, and for others it'll be a combination of the two. For some babies cloth nappies work best and for others disposable are the better option. Some are best off in a pram, other in a sling. Cosleeping is better for some and others are best sleeping in their own space.

Ultimately we're all doing the best we can with the information and resources available to us at that time. What is best for my baby isn't necessarily what's best for yours and visa versa and that is why all the 'breast is best' campaign is pure gubbins because for some babies and mothers breast is categorically and unequivocalably not the best. To still push it as 'the best' sets formula up as 'inferior', success versus failure, and causes arguments like this one where no matter which side you land on, you're in the wrong.

The NHS would be better off putting less pressure on women to conform to a one size fits all checklist and instead be more supportive of doing what works best for each individual woman and her baby, acknowledging that formula is best for some and breast is best for others with neither one being an inferior choice. I'd be interested to see what would happen to BF rates if the pressure was removed, I think they would increase.

Having had a little google peruse this IS NOT nhs standard issue. It is also not given out in the area I live in. I'm all for giving out info to folk but this is not definitely not balanced advice. Yes BF is ideal but info about feeding you're newborn should include all options. Not beat you over the head with the boob!

What is even more worrying than that leaflet is that when you have serious problems breastfeeding due to medical reasons and your baby has not put on weight for five weeks, the doctors still don't suggest a bottle and continue to go on about breastfeeding technique making you feel like a complete failure. In my case, it was a baby with severe reflux. The doctors gave DS1 lots of drugs to try and resolve it (including an anti-sickness drug that my sister in law was prescribed when she had cancer). However, using a bottle (easier to keep DS1 upright) with thickened formula (easier to keep milk down) did the trick. An experienced mother had to give me this advice and make me understand that it was nothing to do with my technique as she had successfully breastfed two babies herself but had to use formula with a third who had severe reflux!

I have never seen this document myself and I was blessed enough to have my mum as my best friend, a very supportive husband, a midwife godmother and the most down-to-earth realistic breast feeding specialist, who, when she knew I was struggling told me to send husband out for a breast pump. Even then, after all that and a Good combi-feed schedule in place, I cried my little heart out most days at the thought of her not latching!!! No matter how prepared you are for this game we call motherhood there really isn't a right answer so try not to get too consumed by this type of thing. You will be fine!! Throw guide in trash if it's getting on your nerves and move onto something more enjoyable to read :-)

Good luck!

Not NHS here, but I've seen posters in the maternity/prenatal wing saying that giving just one bottle could negatively affect your supply, yet when I reported symptoms of a poor latch in DS2 (as described in their own leaflets) to a MW and asked for advice she shrugged and said it looked OK to her. I was offered to stay on the ward for a couple of days to get BF established but I had a 13 month old to go home to and DH only had a day booked off after the birth so I went home and FFed.

Babies are a part of a family, the family needs to be looked after too. I didn't see how neglecting DS1 to try and try to establish BFing was fair and I still don't.

My goodness. Fed is NOT best. Fed is the minimum!

Breast is best but not always easy. Your milk is made for your baby. How can this be the same as mass produced formula?

Most (not all) women can breastfeed but the post natal lack of support is a real shame. The UK has really poor levels of breastfeeding and it's a shame IMO. Perhaps it contributes to an increase in obesity rates in this country? Obviously not all FF babies will be obese or v.v.

The NHS would be remiss if it did not point this out. It's a leaflet though, you don't have to read it!

I say this as someone who has no qualms about using formula on occasion but I am under no illusions it is second best.

Second best, yeah, but a pretty close second and then they're weaned at a year, big whoop. My DM EBFed the lot of us, then her really horrible food attitudes kicked in and those of us who moved out dropped weight very quickly.

If only the NHS would put as much effort into supporting women to learn to breastfeed as they do into fricking leaflets.

When our mums had us they got a week in hospital to learn. Now you're booted out in less than 24 hours and they wonder why people struggle to bf?

This attitude without any support makes me so cross. It's like "well we've told you so don't blame us if your baby gets ill."

Jakey has hit the nail on the head! Could not agree more

I agree with OP on this. I also recall something similar back in 2000 with dc1. And nothing prepared me for the downright difficulty I had. Badly cracked, sore bleeding bullets. And then developed severe mastitis that meant I had to stop after 3 weeks. It was horrendous, but they don't tell you that when they're pushing it.
Dc1 has been very heathy nonetheless. With dc2, after another rocky start, ended up bf for a year. And she's been anything but healthy...certainly not made any difference on that score!

It's not always horrendous. I don't think they should be telling everyone that cracked bleeding nipples, mastitis etc is going to be everyone's experience, or that it's typical. No one in their right minds would try to breastfeed if that was what was expected for everyone.

I felt a hell of a lot of pressure to breastfeed especially with my 1st and with my 2nd when I was more aware of things I got extremely annoyed with the NHS literature. Even though I knew i had a healthy 3 year old who hadn't been solely breastfed I still felt guilty when struggling with my son.

I think with my 1st I would have ended up with PND if I continued. It wasn't a straight forward ride by any means and I did persevere for 4 weeks (and then a further 4 weeks slowly introducing bottles)
I remember speaking to HV who had phoned me and being scared to tell her I was stopping breastfeeding. Actually she was brilliant and told me I had been through a lot and tried my best.
With my 2nd I always said I would introduce the bottle if it didn't go well. Again I felt so so guilty doing so and held off for as long as I could. In the end, I knew I could give him the bottle but I couldn't give my eldest the attention when the newborn wanted fed constantly (not the normal constantly but bad reflux constantly)
I even remember the breastfeeding support worker being surprised at how unsettled my boy was in the Moses basket. And of course every time I held him he wanted fed - little and often!!

I know breast is best but I think the NHS need to look again. I don't think I'm the 1st mother worrying about her mental health as a result of the need to breastfeed

No it's not horrendous for everyone, but it is for many. And certainly has been for many people I know.
My midwife at the time, did say that in her experience, fair skinned ladies seemed to fare worse. Not sure if that's true, but certainly was for me!

My goodness. Fed is NOT best. Fed is the minimum!

Very unhelpful comment Captain, and does nothing to help a mum struggling to bf, or who had to switch to formula for whatever reason, in fact it serves to make them feel utterly crap. The fact the baby is fed, is the main thing, that it is alive and thriving, growing and getting stronger each day. Whatever that source is, so what! Your child will not be sick, ill and thick!

For me, and it was a long time ago, the best thing I had was a midwife who sat down beside me and helped my baby latch on. Both times, as I managed to forget how to do it in between. But it took quite a bit of time and patience for her to help me. No preaching, just time. Which they don't have any more. So guess they have to do a scary pamphlet instead. Which is of no help. Not sure I'd have managed it without their calm help and giving me time.

It's really too bad that there's not more support there for actually making breast feeding happen. Where I live, there's loads of "breast is best" info but there's also loads of (free and accessible) support. I haven't been through it yet so I don't know if they put their money where their mouths are but so far it seems like they do.

Oh my goodness, Firstly, to obvious that the op is not saying, for one minute that the NHS shouldn't hand out leaflets relevant to breast feeding. The point op is making is with regards to 'the way in which it is written' Balanced information is always the best way. Most of us are led to believe breast is best, but Not Always'! Hense formula milk was created and is now of incredibly excellent quality. It's an emotional and physical journey having a baby and trying so hard to get everything perfectly right that for millions of ladies formula is best. We don't receive leaflets outlining the benefits of formula do we?
Vaginal, drug free deliveries are best when compared to major surgery drugs or having your food cut.., yet we receive equal info on c sections, drugs, interventions etc. That was the point the op was making. YANBU op

I find the UK's attitude to breast feeding and formula really weird. I've had three children and struggled for the first 3 months for each and then it got easier and I carried on for a year.

The disconnect between nature and convenience is growing wider.

Right Sofa, have you read the 25 pages of posts here, some explaining what a harrowing time them and their baby had bf, babies failing to thrive and having to be hospitalised. Mothers having severe depression over their perceived failure to bf. No probably not, with that I'll thought out comment!

I find it weird also sofa but for different reasons to that.

It is the way that someone (actually very often other women) has a pop at women however their babies are fed. FF and you are lazy/ don't care about baby's health/ your baby will have a low IQ/ you are missing out on bonding etc. BF and you are a militant who just wants to get your breasts out in public and cause a scene. It's a bit of a no-win situation really during a difficult/ stressful time.

I think if society just supported new mums rather than many having this attitude that they shouldn't be seen/ parenting in general is some kind of weird competition then the breastfeeding rates would go up.

What the leaflet shoukd also include is problems or difficulties mothers and babies can have with bf, what can happen, and who can support them. That is not explained, nor was it in Parentcraft classes within the NHS, when I had my daughter over 10 years ago.