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

I don't think it is a case of lack of education. And programmes bigging up bf are fine...but as pointed out without the support it is useless. I can fully understand why people on both sides get defensive & actually that's really sad. If you stick a group of 5 year olds together in a room you cannot tell who was bf & who was ff. I am firmly of the opinion 'fed is best' because it is true. Bf IS nutritionally better but if you can't do it for whatever reason then the nutrition of it doesn't matter because baby isn't getting it

How do you know the 'fed is best' brigade arent getting behind the cause??? You don't

Exactly Teddy, when I had my first over 11 years ago, and went to the NHS parentcraft classes, this was never covered. Problems encountered when bf (milk comming in later, latch, mastitis, tongue tie), it was put out as being so easy, that most women can do it. The reality was different, dd had a traumatic enterence into the world, she just would not latch, and hated working for her milk (We then discovered later, that she has ASD and learning difficulties), which could have affected her. So after a week, or trying and my exhausted, baby loosing weight, we had to on advice of the Midwife, give formula or she would be admitted to hospital. That meant the end of bf.

A lot of the time, natural defensiveness is why these threads break down, which I totally understand. It's a really sensitive subject for any mother, especially if they have been carrying guilt around over their choices. But it's important to disassociate it and take a breath and realise that people are not judging you.

There is a real issue with breastfeeding rates in the UK – that is a fact. Whatever your personal circumstances are, it doesn't change the fact that so many women want to breastfeed but feel they don't have the support to continue (or that some women just don't want to breastfeed at all). Trotting out platitudes like 'fed is best' doesn't help. Of course you feed your child –I'm pretty sure most women don't need to be told that they should feed their child. But it's always repeated on threads like this as a way to turn the focus off breastfeeding, which isn't helpful.

For my second dc, I was prepared with an electric breast pump just in case, he was admitted to hospital with severe jaundice and had to be fed every 3 hours. So i would express my milk in hospital and give it to him, by the time he left, he got so used to the bottle, that he did not want my breast, so I just expressed for him using my breast pump for 9 months until my supply stopped.

It’s true though, when I was watching it i knew that there would be a lot of folk upset - however, it’s all true.
Formula is totally fine - but breast milk is much much better. Simple

Formula is not as good as breast milk. Breastfeeding is the best way to feed your child, of course it is, it comes from your own boobs for your own baby!

I say this as someone who was cracking open the Aptamil after 3 weeks with both my kids, who are now the healthiest kids I know by far, and I feel no guilt for it.

Formula is not 'demonised' in this country, quite the opposite. Most people formula feed their babies, the breastfeeding rates in this country are very low.

mustbemad17 my point is knocking programmes that are trying to help people bf more, implying they are there to put ff mums down, isnt helpful.

It wasn't demonising formula at all. The programme investigated something interesting in our society - that there are clear scientific benefits to breast milk (which there are - this is proven by Science!) and that despite these benefits, as a county, we have very low breastfeeding rates (which we do, statistically). It then went on to propose that it is because of the stigma attached to breast feeding.

By all means try to get rates up and state there are benefits but over inflating benefits,scaremongering belittling how hideous it can be alongside demonising formula no. None of it works. It's as simple as that.

It's a bit like discussions around obesity. You can't talk about the problem of obesity in the UK because its 'fat shaming' or whatever.

Discussions around how to keep more women breastfeeding for longer does not equate to 'demonising' formula. Its kind of an immature view to take.

People get so defensive if you even mention breast is best etc. I wanted to exclusively breast feed but I made it to six weeks and then went 50/50 until 6 months when I went full formula. Completely not my plan but Breast feeding didn’t come easily to me and I faced every obstacle going with it.

Because I used it that doesn’t mean I need to suddenly become delusional in its defense.

Let’s face it, it’s a synthetic mix up of chemicals and additives that has been boiled and preserved within an inch of its life. It’s shite, just like all the shite most of the World is eating now.

Do I feel guilty? A bit but what’s done is done and we do all manage to stay alive although we eat all this fake dead food (somehow).

However, at least I can admit it. I don’t feel the need to delude myself that formula is equal to breast milk and to make it a big deal or get defensive or angry if someone dares to suggest it’s not as good as breast milk.

Let’s face it, if there was no other option most babies wouldn’t die from lack of mother’s milk as this doesn’t / didn’t happen when there is or was no formula. You just have to push through all the pain, the infections and the fear they’re not getting enough etc. But we (myself included) give up too easy.

Before you are go bonkers, yes there are SOME babies that would die through problems with Mums milk supply but these amounts are way way off the numbers of people who say they tried breast feeding but “couldn’t” do it. If there was no formula most the people who say this would soon realise that indeed they could breastfeed.

I’m not interested in starting a war with people who say that couldn’t and try to prove why to me. I don’t know you so perhaps you were the person in that small percentage that couldn’t.

I also couldn’t care less if you chose not to, your baby, don’t know you.

But come on, let’s all not but so crazy and admit in some ways we aren’t angels and don’t live our best lives?

It wasn't demonising formula at all. The programme investigated something interesting in our society - that there are clear scientific benefits to breast milk (which there are - this is proven by Science!) and that despite these benefits, as a county, we have very low breastfeeding rates (which we do, statistically). It then went on to propose that it is because of the stigma attached to breast feeding.

The actual facts are that in developed countries of the Western World, and in well educated, comfortably off families, a BF baby is statistically speaking no better off than a FF baby. They are equally healthy, bright and loved as each other. I think the percentage benefit was 1%.

The WHO advice is really focused on low income families, and those in the poorer countries of the world.

Everyone needs education and support, but then must be allowed to make their own choices.

Gets ready for roasting......

There was no demonisation . Just scientific fact around what is in each . Obviously they are not made up of the same, one is human and one is cow's. The programme's topic was breastfeeding. Therefore breastfeeding was going to be discussed. If you didn't want to watch them you should have chosen to watch something else. If the programme was about formula then that would have been the main topic and equally would breastfeeding mums be looking to feel offended.

Feel confident in your own choice as a parent and stop overthinking about how the world views you. It really does not matter.

The actual facts are that in developed countries of the Western World, and in well educated, comfortably off families, a BF baby is statistically speaking no better off than a FF baby. They are equally healthy, bright and loved as each other. I think the percentage benefit was 1%.

Yes, this is true I believe.

Surely the message that should come out is acceptance. We are all mothers and everyone makes the best choice for them and their situation.

Breastfeeding is best. When it works. And this can mean the woman's situation too. Mental health, need to share feeding responsibility, need to return to work and much more. Women have many caring responsibilities and need to be allowed to make the choice that is best for them without judgement.

We judge those who bf and those who ff.

I ebf dd1. She weaned from bf at 22 months.

I ebf dd2. When she was 10 days old I was blue lighted to hospital and I am so glad that she had formula to keep her fed while I spend a week in hospital. It was one less stress for my DH who had to worry about how ill I was and care for a 2 year old who had never spent a night away from me.

I was determined to bf as I had found it so easy with dd1 so I pumped and dumped while on morphine in hospital and luckily we managed to maintain bf and she is still ebf at 7 months. However if she was dd1 I imagine she would have ended up on formula permanently as there was very little support for bf while in hospital.

I have lived in Scotland with dd1 and the bf support was amazing. I live in NI with dd2 and support is very minimal. With the exception of my HV who bf herself everyone assumes I am ff. from midwives to gp's. The assumption if I ff.

I have friends who did extended bf to 2 yrs plus. And I have friends who ff from the first feed and had no interest in bf. All babies are happy and healthy.

I believe in choice. I also believe that there should be a lot more support available for those who want to breastfeed and struggle.

I think you need to be determined to BF and to have done some research about the difficulties you may encounter.
It also takes confidence as you will have to do it in public.

@mustbe because 'fed is best' is almost exclusively parroted online to detract attention from the fact that breastfeeding rates are awful. 'Fed is the minimum' would be more appropriate: very few mothers starve their babies.

I don't believe formula is demonized - it is used by the majority of mothers, so it's clearly not having much of an impact if it is - and the statistics reflect that breastfeeding is the underdog here. What are healthcare professionals supposed to do? Pretend it doesn't offer benefits so as not to upset those who couldn't?

I was relieved that at last there is a programme that looks at the stigma attached with breastfeeding still. How it's not as easy as just sitting down anywhere you like with your baby and getting on with it. How so many mothers do still feel uncomfortable about bf in public and why that is.

Rosieposy4

Breastfeeding rates are appallingly low in this country, many mothers reach straight for formula. An occasional reminder that formula is a poor second best is not a bad thing imo.

Is it really such a poor substitute for breastfeeding though? Where's the evidence for that? Hundreds of millions of adults were formula fed as babies. Do you think anyone would be able to tell which ones they are? How do they differ now from those who were breast fed?

We do need to be sensible about formula. Obviously it doesn't contain everything breast milk contains and therefore isn't the same but to call it poison or toxic is equally wrong. I don't get why expressing or mix feeding isn't talked about more, I don't think breast Vs bottle is the whole story.

Pretend it doesn't offer benefits so as not to upset those who couldn't?

maybe it does offer health benefits, but do we really notice those in real life?

and its all well and good breastfeeding your baby but then what about after that?

is a breastfed baby who now has an ok diet with some crap actually any healthier than a formula fed baby who now has an excellent diet with no crap?

I watched the programme and it didn’t demonise formula at all. Really the only mention of formula was when the lady from Baby Milk Action came on to explain why follow on milk isn’t necessary and was only invented for marketing purposes, and if a baby isn’t breastfed then first milk is what’s needed. No judgement of formula feeding parents at all.

Breastfeeding support in this country is utterly dire, and therefore the rates are low.

Formula feeding has become so much the norm that now breastfeeding mothers and supporters are told they are “demonising formula” just for wanting better support for THEIR feeding choice. Ironic really.

But fed is not best- breastmilk is best. That's a fact. The programme was about the low rates of breastfeeding in this country. If you can't breastfeed for whatever reason and have to rely on formula that's fine- but it isn't as good as breastmilk. I think women need to sort out their guilt issues, rather than expecting it not to be mentioned!

When I give formula to my little one- he vomits all over the place! Breastmilk is gentler on his tummy and has prevented him from getting ill etc. If I had to use formula, I would've been gutted, yes. But I guess you just have to get on with it if its your only option.