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 understand how formula feeding can be perceived as being demonised when it's the cultural norm in this country. It may not be in your locality but it certainly is country-wide as the statistics show.

Lets be honest, it isnt the nutritional knowledge stopping women bf is it? Its the lack of support. So programmes showing the nutritional benefits are only going to serve to produce comments from both sides about how it makes them feel. Why isn't pressure being applied to the morons in charge who allocate funding instead of it being directed at mums who have a lot going on!

I really struggled with BF I got mastitis on day 3 and my milk never came properly in that breast, also mastitis reoccurred, had I watched that program at the time it might have really damaged my mental health!

After mix feeding for 6 weeks I went onto formula feeding.

Absolutely no 'demonisation' in that programme. It couldn't have been clearer that the issue was the vast majority of women wanting to BF and having a miserable experience and stopping before they wanted to. The stories from mothers - real mothers, real babies - and their tiredness and frustration were so moving....yet people posting here, some who didn't even watch the flipping thing, are jumping to the conclusion that ff women were being judged.
They were not.
The science bit showed the differences between today's formulas and breastmilk and explained that this had a health impact.
The support is so poor, and social attitudes are still so judgmental in parts...against breastfeeding. In reality, most people don't care if you BF in a public place, but the fear of comments is still affecting women.
And again, on this thread, we see spurious comments like you can't tell which babies have been BF when they get to two or three. Honestly - this is not an argument! plenty of things go on in babies and toddlers lives, good and bad, which you can't tell by looking at them!

Why we still can't have an adult, intelligent conversation about infant feeding frustrates me a lot.

I know what you mean must. The burden is frequently placed on the mother. And all the divisiveness, defensiveness on both sides and infighting doesn’t help anyone.

But that was the point of the programme, from my perspective. It talked about the lack of support and the fact that it can be intimidating to feed in public - and hence more difficult to EBF.

The section on formula focused on how the companies marketing it had developed follow-on milk as a sales ploy. Surely it is not demonising formula to illustrate that companies flogging it have a profit motive? That can't be a shock to anyone.

HowIWishYouWereHere
But in the programme it made it clear that the burden was not on the mother. It was all about the support system for people who needed it.

I'm not meaning to upset anyone with this question, I haven't had children, so have no reason to know. Where does formula come from? How do they make it?

Ah sorry unihorn, I didn’t watch all of it so I missed the conclusion. I was just responding to must’s comment really and talking generally rather than about the program, which I only saw part of and which I thought was really quite good in parts. Not so good in others.

@Honeyroar it is dried cows milk which is fortified with extra vitamins and minerals.

The previous poster who said most women reach straight for formula clearly didn't watch the programme. 80% of new mothers try breastfeeding at birth and this drops to 50% at 6 weeks and 30% giving some breast milk at 6 months. 1% ebf. So that statement is hardly true.

The vast majority of the mothers in the UK formula feed. Why is it acceptable for them to complain about the minority and accuse them of demonisation and guilt tripping, simply for stating facts. It's bullying.

@Honey, it's typically derived from cow or soy milk, supplemented with various vitamins, fatty acids etc to mimic breastmilk. There are other variants for babies with particular allergies.

Fed isn’t best - Supported and informed is best whatever you decide to do.

I’m a BF mum and tbh, the banging on about how Formula is demonised is hilarious. Formula is a multimillion dollar business- it’s not going anywhere.

YABU, formula is second best way to feed your baby, some people don't realise this and that's what I took from the programme regarding formula.

Peoples misconceptions about how good formula is for babies was challenged.

Women need support to feed their babies, but some women don't even want to try which I think is a little sad, if breast feeding doesn't work then that's Ok if you've tried, but to dismiss it as an option is unfair on the baby I think.

manaftermidnight-

Seriously? That is one of the stupidest posts I’ve ever read.

And I’m exclusively pumping for my 6mo ds (as I’ve already said), so am rather a fan of the old breast milk.

HowI
Ah I see. I agree, some bits felt a bit preachy and I found Kate Quilting a bit dramatic at times...

I watched it. Despite having BF 2 children, I thought it was a bit simplistic, dull and offered little new information. Just seemed to be the pet project of the presenter, having had her first baby and entered a world she hadn’t known much about before. BFing mothers can learn more and have more interesting debate and discussion during a sleepless, feeding, night on mumsnet.

I had hoped that we’d hear more detail and even some of the downsides of breast feeding, to balance the breast is best message. After all, even the RCollege of Midwives is moving away from this. For example, the weakness of the evidence promoting breast over FF, and some of the high profile cases in which women have felt so much pressure and guilt over exclusive breast feeding that their children have literally starved. Fed truly is best. Instead it was just a superficial glance at a complex topic, from a newbie. Perhaps interesting to those in first time pregnancies or with very new babies, but hardly deserving of a prime time slot or the promotion it received.

*Quilton, great autocorrect.

This thread proves that women are their own biggest downfall. Literally tearing each other down. It disgusts me to be honest. Comments like ‘but formula IS the second best way to feed your baby’ oh fuck off because it isn’t though, it isn’t a black and white issue.
Ffs when will we give each other a break and just say, you do you.

Totally agree aspergallus. Parts of it were very pet project by new mum. It’s all new to her but actually no new information in the bits I saw anyway. That said, I loved the interview with the Lactation consultant and highlighting how poor support is in some areas. Bang on I thought. It’s a bit of a lottery with bf support.

It's a fair question to raise - if 80% of women want to BF, but the numbers are far far below that within a few weeks after birth, why is that?

And i don't know how the tension between the fact that BF is best and that all women must choose for themselves can be reconciled.

I did mixed feeding - I used to say 'I know EBF is best nutrionally for my baby, but this mixed feeding is working best for our family situation' - I had made a choice and I was willing to own it - what I had chosen wasn't nutrionally best, but for my sanity and ability to cope and a variety of other reasons, it was the right choice for us.

I know lots of people have big trouble with breast feeding and it's very complex, because it's not just about support to find a way to do it, but also the fact that whilst you're not managing it, the baby needs to feed and be fed and in the early days there is a big fear about losing more than 10% of weight....how do we reconcile not giving formula and leaving the baby hungry? I think this leads lots of people to formula rather than a desire to stop or never start breastfeeding.

I found the programme to be interesting and informative. I disagree that the intention was to demonise formula milk. The presenter made this clear at the beginning. Rather the documentary was about supporting women who choose to breastfeed. Based on the low rates, people clearly need to be more educated about the benefits of breastfeeding and public support needs increasing. In addition to greater post natal support etc... As previously said, fed is best and women do what is best for them and their baby. This show was in my opinion a platform to support women who are keen to breastfeed.

YANBU
I didn’t breastfeed, and even if I could there was some confusion wether I could due to the tablets I take, as they weren’t 100% sure I didn’t wanna Risk it so stuck with formula, despite this I had the midwives pushing it on me everyday and I got pissed off told her so, she got piste doff and didn’t mention it, it’s not always right and I know many kids breastfed that still have illnesses etc.

It's Dispatches innit? Always starts from its agenda then works forward from that. In a former life when I was advising people on what media programmes etc. to agree to take part in I would always say "Dispatches - treat with a 10 foot pole". And if you insist on going be prepared for your interview to be edited to meet their agenda, however careful you are.

Since their agenda here was plain facts, that angle isn't going to work.