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

@riding just read your posts, what s horrible thing to go through. So frustrating that you had such poor care, I'm sorry. DS took formula and colostrum for the first 7 days and it made no difference to me being able to BF him or my supply. Healthcare professionals should absolutely know better.

Final word from me! scrolls frantically through the full thread Someone said they'd never seen formula being advertised. Check out magazines. My copy of Heat usually festures a formula ad. Along with articles on celeb mums looking thin and fabulous weeks after giving birth, out drinking and keeping their men happy. Targeted advertising at itsworst best...

As one of the women who breastfed for hours and hours over several days non-stop and whose baby was then admitted to SCBU with hypernatraemic dehydration...

Yes 1-2% physiologically can't breastfeed. As in don't have milk at all. But there's also a sizeable percentage whose milk will be delayed and/or won't make enough. Just like some will make vast quantities. My milk took weeks to come in, so I had to supplement. This also happened to a friend - her milk didn't come in until six weeks, after that she went on to exclusively breastfeed. There isn't research that says what that sizeable percentage is but I've seen estimates of between 15 and 23%. Those women will have some milk, and some may be able to go on to exclusively breastfeed after initial supplementation. Once upon a time those babies would have been 'failure to thrive'.

And it can't really be compared with BFing rates in developing countries because here some women are trying to feed babies that just wouldn't be there in those countries - because of fertility problems, or birth problems.

A good point about developing countries, but the stats from other developed countries show that we could do a lot better (Norway, Sweden etc). Clearly, the UK's current approach is not working and is leaving lots of women feeling guilt or other negative emotions at a very sensitive time.

Ah thank you @WhoAteAllthePercyPigs I've never actually picked up a celeb magazine so I haven't seen any of the ads (or about how my post-baby body is meant to look!). I did wonder where all this formula advertising was taking place having not come across it myself!

I've been wondering about those
countries too @MairyHole
Are they comparing like with like though? There is huge pressure in this country to exclusively breastfeed (I've ended up supporting a lot of women to combi feed who thought initially they might as well give up BFing because they were using formula too) yet the stats in Sweden seem to indicate that a lot of babies are breastfed, but not exclusively. They are having formula too.

www.socialstyrelsen.se/Lists/Artikelkatalog/Attachments/20663/2017-9-5-english.pdf

I'm convinced BFing rates would be higher in the U.K. if the obsession with 'exclusive' was dropped. Although I may be biased as it was that obsession by midwives that made my DD so ill.

I do think there is a big problem with how the UK approaches this, but it is I suspect a range of factors and the statistics do show a huge difference for exclusive breastfeeding too.

According to that link you posted, breastfeeding at 1 week in Sweden is 95% (compared to initiation in the UK of 81%). At 2 months, 63.6% of infants are exclusively breast feed with another 21% partially. In England, exclusive breastfeeding at 6 weeks is 24%. At 4 months in Sweden, 51.2% exclusive breastfeeding. In UK, 12%.

The marked improvement in Scottish breastfeeding rates published in 2018 show they are getting something right. Apparently, 8 out of 10 UK women say they stop breastfeeding before they wanted to. That's awful and combined with the huge drop off between initiation and 6 weeks makes me think that part of it is the lack of preparation and support for those difficult early weeks. Women aren't told about things like cluster feeding here and I wonder if it's because the NHS thinks it will put people off even trying. Why not just be honest and let women make an informed decision about what they want to do? Also, (to echo your point Riding) you are made to feel like even one bottle of formula is the worst thing ever. Then you feed one and realise it's fine. So you lose trust in what you're told. That's my take on it anyway.

I think consumer culture plays a big role in this - people see a breastpump, a set of bottles, a sterilsing unit or those new perfect prep machines as newborn essentials. All a newborn needs is a blanket and a boob.
People see a formula ad and trust the messaging, and again think they'll stock up 'just in case'.
I didn't buy anything like that for the arrival on my LO and luckily didn't need any of it.

Very good point- riding my bike- I was told no bottles, no dummies in first six weeks- nipple confusion, affecting milk supply... blablabla.

A more sensible midwife (who actually just rung me for admin reasons) advised that actually it is best to introduce a bottle before six weeks and to do it several times as otherwise it may be difficult to get baby to take bottle.

@rubyroot yes I was also told all of that about no bottles or dummies for first six weeks or nipple confusion. As it turned out DD ended up being tube fed formula from day five, then bottles once she was stronger. And she switched happily between bottle and boob for the whole first year, after which we stopped the bottles.

I also found it distressing when I discovered dummies were recommended for SIDS prevention but seemed to be forbidden for BFing. Kind of receiving mixed messages?? When you're there with your first baby trying to do your best and a bit scared and freaked out about it all confusing information like that doesn't help.

The untruths I was told about BFing in advance compared to the reality really affected how I viewed and interacted with HCPs because they'd lied to me, so how did I know to trust them about anything else? I actually got the best support from a book by Clare Byam-Cook, which was the first thing I'd come across that offered a realistic and practical approach to BFing and really helped me keep going. I later found out from SIL (a midwife) that midwives really don't like this book!

@MairyHole yes, I met with the Chief Midwife after I'd complained about our awful experience and she acknowledged that they'd managed to achieve high initiation rates for BFing at that hospital, but the six week rate hadn't improved - so all they'd done was increase the number who'd started BFing, which meant more were stopping!

My area actually seems quite well supplied with support, although I personally found it hard to access (Christmas/NY closures, none actually in my town, non-driving DH meant I had to wait to drive myself to one when I'd got past cluster feeding as I was too sleep-deprived to risk driving). The trouble is - BFing support on the early days often means the most helpful thing would be someone there in your house at the difficult moments, whenever they may be. And I don't think the NHS is resourced for that. Some areas aren't even providing home visits by midwives after the birth any more but expect the Mum and baby to go to them. My experience of the home visits was the midwife flying in, quickly ticking her way through a sheet whilst ignoring my concerns, then hurtling back out the door ten minutes later!

I think there needs to be some sensible discussion of the risk of nipple confusion and the risk of bottle refusal.

Ambs
I have bought a perfect prep machine and bottles etc even though I plan to breastfeed. It was a life saver to have it last time.
I'd rather be ready in case I need them, I combi fed my DS from 4 weeks because I was in so much pain and literally sobbing in between feeds so taking a couple out for formula gave me the extra time I needed to recover - still breastfed until he was almost 9 months old.

I also think the obsession with exclusive breastfeeding is ridiculous and why a lot of women just quit altogether.

I didn't give any of mine a bottle before six weeks and they were still all ok with bottles when the time came

We combination fed, due to hospital advice due to failure to thrive, from two weeks to four months with no real issue with nipple confusion.

Quite re obsession with exclusive BFing. I asked a HV whether it was better to have EBF for six months (which I didn't do) or breastfeed for 2+ years having used formula too (which I did do) and she didn't know...

Riding some of the medical clinicians haven’t got a clue have they? It’s terrible. My baby had mild jaundice (missed by the hospital and spotted by a health visitor who came out to do the next day visit at home. It was due to an infection at birth that they didn’t pick up (the jaundice was nothing to do with not getting enough colostrum or anything.) infact despite being so poorly ds was hydrated with full nappy when we brought him in because I’d nursed him all night (his first night home.) The consultant even commented on this yet still I had misinformed nurses telling me he must have been dehydrated when I brought him in not hydrated and making it out to be my fault. They hadn’t read my notes and made assumptions based on the jaundice. We were very lucky we spotted the symptoms of sepsis so quickly or my baby wouldn’t be here today. So many symptoms were missed at the hospital after the birth.

As a new mother I sat zombified with sleep deprivation and stress, cried my eyes out trying to pump milk that hadn’t come in yet for my baby on a hospital double pump, all of the nurses care in around the clock asking ‘have you got anything? Is your milk still not in?’ They made it seem weird I hadn’t when i’d only given birth less than two days ago. My milk came in on day 8. I felt like an absolute failure. To this day I am left traumatised by my experience. I hope if I have another baby it will be a better experience, I won’t be able to breastfeed next time due to my mental health taking such a battering.

came in*

Some of the studies that have shown breast milk is best are a bit limited so while i think logically it is probably much better i don't really buy into all the scaremongering about how your child is more likely to grow up and develop x,y and z if formula fed.

Also i think for many women especially when going back to work breastfeeding is just inconvenient.