Demonisation of formula!!!

[Summertimehaze]

Don’t know if anyone watched the Dispatches programme last night on breastfeeding? The more I think about that programme the more annoyed I’m getting!!! The demonisation of formula really doesn’t help mothers who struggle to breastfeed and have to start using formula or even as a top up!! Most mothers want to do what’s right for their babies and know that breast is best. But some mums just can’t do it and so formula literally becomes a lifesaver. I’m sick of seeing mums feel so guilty about it and letting their children bloody starve because they surely can’t give them the evil formula!!!!!! The programme basically tells a new mum that it’s really tough to breastfeed, there is no support, they will be judged BUT formula is not an option!!! Grrrrrrrrr 😡. AIBU

thank god*

I couldn’t care a less whether other women breast feed, formula feed or mix feed as it’s their choice to make and not mine. I don’t understand why some other women feel it’s their perogative to get involved in what others choose.

But how do we explain the higher breastfeeding rates in countries where there is no national health service?

Because in countries where bf is more prevalent there is more natural support - family, friends, local women. if most of your community has bf the knowledge and support there is going to be so much more than a trained health visitor or lactation consultant. The trials and tribulations of breastfeeding and what is/isn't normal is also more known so the expectation are more realistic.

So yes, we do need more support for women who want to breastfeed, and this does not have to come from the NHS, but it's a good start, at least until communities have that expertise within in them.

Personally, I would always support a mum who is struggling to bf and wants to continue, in fact I have. I have not let the fact I hate it stop me from passing on my knowledge when asked for it.

@Summertimehaze - Please don't panic. Breastfeeding alone isn't protective against illnesses - it may make some less likely, but we will never know how much less likely. I was formula fed, as was my brother, he's diabetic I'm not, I had horrendous glue ear he didn't, he got tonsillitis every 3 months for years I didn't, I got a degree he didn't - just because we had the same milk doesn't mean anything! Please don't worry or feel guilty. You fed your baby, your baby is thriving, that is what counts.

• From a former midwife who is a staunch breastfeeding advocate but moreover an advocate of women whatever the heck they need to to survive and thrive themselves as mum's.

One more question for the people preoccupied with not questioning people's choices or making them feel judged.

a) do you think there should be any publicly funded research into the properties, function and possible health benefits of breastfeeding?

b) if so, how would you recommend any positive or beenficial indications should be conveyed to the public, if at all, so as to avoid making formula feeding mothers (by choice or otherwise) feel shamed and judged? Is there a way to give these facts without risking these feelings?

"Because in countries where bf is more prevalent there is more natural support "

Or no other choice.

Ennirem Information can be given on breastfeeding or formula feeding without any hidden agendas. I’m sure afterall most women make their choice as ‘informed’ as possible.

We’ve already had plenty of research. We’ve already had it ‘conveyed’

It didn’t work. Time for a new approach maybe?

BFing mum of a 15 month old here. I didn't want to comment until I had watched the documentary. I do agree it doesn't place formula in the best light. Although I do think it was trying to place the blame on the formula companies and lack of bf support not mothers for our low rates.
For me bf was hard at the start. Similar story to most women. I have always found feeding in public hard. At the start I barely left the house as DD didn't latch well initial and the thought of her coming on and off me screaming in public was too much. Even now I try to find somewhere private as I worry about being judge for feeding a toddler.
To me it seems we can't win. One side of my family all bf the other all formula. The side who bf were great as they understood my situation. My formula side all put pressure me to at least mix feed which I didn't want to. They often made snide comments. Now I think many of them think I should have stopped bf. Having said that I think if I had ff my bf side would have been judgemental.

I do think it is possibly a culture thing. We have lost the bf culture in this country. Most of my mum friends ff as did their parents. The two other friends I know who do bf their mothers bf them and have supported them.

One thing that does annoy me I must say is the feeling sometimes you can't say you bf without getting critised. A friend of mine recently posted how pleased she was she had managed to bf for six months. All she got was abuse saying she was showing off and making other mothers feel bad. That was not her intention she had found bf very hard and was proud of her self.

a) no there more worthy areas to focus on that have more direct and serious outcomes.

b)just report it like any other parenting choice then don't define motherhood and child health by that one choice. Also no scaremongering or stat inflating please.

And re the 80% who are allegedly lying about attempting to breast feed they are feeding in front of the health professional filling out the forms.Why would they lie about it? If that many mothers feel the need to lie clearly the guilt mongering re formula is at epidemic proportions.

How is the comparison false? The vast majority of people CAN produce insulin naturally, but the vast majority does not mean the same as everybody, and doesn't mean that we can or should simply dismiss the minority who physically CANNOT do something - however much support or encouragement they are given - as liars or attention-seekers

I didn't say it meant everyone, and the comparison with wheelchair users . Formula exists for a reason - to provide sustenance for babies that, for whatever reason, don't have access to breastmilk. But it's clearly being overused and breastfeeding rates should be much higher.

Personally, I would be interested in more research on breastfeeding and breastmilk. There are so many components to breastmilk that no one actually knows everything that it does. Perhaps there are many as-yet unknown effects (that aren't immediately visible ).

Clearly, the UK needs a shock to the system. Stricter formula advertising rules (that manufacturers and supermarkets actually stick to) would be a start, as would more training for health care professionals (less of an "all or nothing" approach when problems are encountered).

More women should feed in public too - the more you see something, the more normal it seems! I think the majority feel fear that they'll have people criticising them left right and centre so one of the perceived "negatives" of breastfeeding is that you'll be stuck at home with a baby constantly attached to your breast and formula gives you much more "freedom". Not the case! The vast majority don't care and won't give you a second glance!

Being looked at when bfing was the least of my woes. Didn't even register on the reasons to give up scale.

And frankly if there was money to splash around( which there isn't) I'd far rather it went on support or research on parenting choices you can already see have detrimental effects. Why waste yet more money on research that gets washy washy results which are sometimes debunked further down the line and are hard to research into accurately anyhow. We already get the message loud and clear,the majority try to breast feed. The support simply isn't there to facilitate that majority who try.

Oh dear. That's two posts challenging the idea that 80 per cent of women are somehow lying/pretending/not really intending to BF but are just saying or doing what they think HCPs expect them to say or do.

The initiation stats are recorded in the maternity unit. They vary massively with geographical location. In parts of (say) North East England or Northern Ireland, they are way lower than that. In some parts of the South East they are considerably higher.

They are not a lie.

Of course some mothers may BF with a lower level of enthusiasm for it - but why should they not give it a go? Why should they be accused of pretending to want to? You don't have to 'want to' to try it. What are you gonna do? Say to a woman, 'well, I don't think you really want to BF - you should give fOrmula'? Let women try it. Support them in giving it a go. Make it clear it is their decision - we all do things we are not keen on for the sake of our children, after all.

Then, if a woman decides her mental health is affected, or the pain she experiences is not being dealt with, or if she just does not want to persist....that's her decision too.

Don't then say by implication if not actual fact 'I don't think she really wanted to do it in the first place.'

@thereareflowers Great post, I totally agree with you. God forbid we should put our babies first and jump into motherhood with both feet (and breasts!) and not go back to our former life shagging, commuting, working, earning, getting pissed and generally being a good consumer.

tiktok but I know of 2 people who told HCPs they wanted to breastfeed but neither actually had any intention of doing so. They both admit to saying it not to be judged and because it was what they were supposed to say. One never even attempted it, and one did half a feed. They didn't feel able to say they just didn't want to. I really felt for them. Immediately after birth is not a time you should be worrying about people judging you.

Yeah - different stat. Eighty per cent is initiation, recorded in the maternity unit. 'Intention to bf' is not the same. According to Infant Feeding Surveys (successive) this is always higher than actual initiation.

Passthestarmix so is it inherently illegitimate/judgemental/shaming even to have the aim of increasing breastfeeding success rates at all? Genuinely not seeking to be goady, but obvs that is the "agenda" of all this public health campaigning... One could argue the method is wrong and unhelpful as per Goatinacoat (which I don't disagree with actually) but you seem to be suggesting even wanting more women to succeed at breastfeeding and trying to achieve that outcome (however you go about it) is inherently out of bounds as it is an agenda...

Goatinacoat what new approach would you suggest?

information is good as in women having all of the facts to hand and not being coerced/pressured one way or another.

In my personal experience I felt pressured. Nothing wrong with receiving information as long as it isn’t rammed down your throat so to speak. I agree with a pp that most people are aware that breast milk is nutritionally better than formula. People choose the feeding method they do for all sorts of reasons, it’s not black and white.

Haven't RTFT, but I have gone through the breastfeeding research/ studies in detail as part of my job. It is shocking to me how the benefits of breastfeeding have been waaaaayyyy overstated, and how flawed the research showing the benefits is.

When social class is properly controlled for, virtually all of the stated benefits of breastfeeding disappear (eg obesity/ IQ/ diabetes/ cancer etc etc). The only real proven benefit in full term infants is a slightly lower risk of non serious stomach bugs, amounting to this: roughly 1 in 12 breastfed babies will get one fewer stomach bug in their first year of life than formula fed babies. There is also some reduction in breast cancer risk for mothers who breastfeed.

Hardly worth the insane amount of guilt/ shame and tears shed.

For clarity I never said women were lying about attempting to breastfeed! I said that I don't believe every one of the 80% who initiate bf really want to bf, even before they try it out. I think a lot of them would be just as happy formula feeding, but feel they should 'try' because that is what people keep telling them they should do (guilted into it, you nioght say) - by actually they were FF, their friends and family and neighbours all FF and were FF before that, no-one has any problems from that, and they aren't really comfortable with the idea and anticipate it being difficult and unpleasant and inconvenient. All of which of course it can be.

To be fair I'm not saying that those women shouldnt bother; colostrum is precious and perfect food for newborn babies - if that is the extent you breastfeed for its still a fantastic start for the baby. I am not some sort of extremist where only 6 months ebf "counts" - any amount of BM is better than none, and mums should only commit to it to the extent they actually feel able.

But what I mean is people shouldn't start if they really would rather not, and ideally not say they "couldn't breastfeed" if they just made a decision early doors it was just too painful, restrictive, etc for them personally - I get that at the individual level that meant they, that mum, couldn't breastfeed, but if a different mum having the same difficulties but who really needs to bf for the good of their mental health (I was such a one!) hears over and over again that cracked nipples, or low supply, or tongue tie, or cow's milk intolerance or whatever challenge it is, meant all these women COULDN'T breastfeed - when in actual fact it just means in some cases they decided on balance it was not worth the cost to them individually and their families to throw more time and resources into trying to solve those problems,or were unaware there were possible solutions they could try - this creates an expectation of failure which means still more women give up when they would far rather not have but felt they had no further options. Like he started that the vast majority try but most have stopped before 6 weeks. These are demoralising stats for a mum starting out, and the personal narratives that accompany the stat augment that demoralising environment. It's a vicious circle.

Fwiw my solution is to make choosing formula a much less loaded choice - to try and remove the heat from the mummy wars - so the people accessing bf support services are the ones who really, really want to bf and are willing to jump through every hoop before letting it go. Because then more of those women will likely succed, as support will be there. And hopefully then we'll start to see rates rise and approach the tipping point where bf is just seen as the way people feed babies all else being equal, whereas now the universal symbol for 'baby' is 'bottle'.

Passthestarmix

So if increasing the amount of information available isn't the way to increase breastfeeding success in the UK, what would you say is the correct approach to do that? Or do you think there is just no need to do that at all?

@JellyBaby666 thank you. I think this is all mothers who “failed” to breastfeed need. X