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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To believe that formula companies have PR agents working the BF/FF threads on here?

999 replies

CocoDeMoll · 02/08/2018 20:53

They are a multi million pound set of companies that are invested in keeping Britain’s low breastfeeding rates down and keeping their profit margins up.

Any positives about breastfeeding seem to be shot down in flames on here.

So much pro formula and anti breastfeeding rhetoric.

They can easily afford to and have the best at the jobs be it lawyers, pr teams or spin doctors on their sides and they’re not exactly renounced for their ethics are they (nestle?!?!).

Or am I just getting a bit tied up in conspiracy therorys? Grin

OP posts:
Redteapot67 · 04/08/2018 22:49

Flaming - I agree - it’s at population level not individual. My baby was bf for 2 years and was horrendously and seriously ill (infectious type things that landed her in picu) So bf did nothing to help her - but whose to say what she would have been like if I had ff from the start.

Grandmaswagsbag · 04/08/2018 22:49

*starting

Redteapot67 · 04/08/2018 22:52

Grandma - can’t they put an extra column then and put immune benefits etc?
Also also formula has very similar vitamins etc - is it as easily digestible as breast milk?
Like if I take a vitamin tablet with x amount does it provide the same amount of vitamin when I’ve digested it as eating a fruit with x amount?
I don’t know. I’d love for more open and honest conversations based on facts! I guess there isn’t the big money available to study breastmilk

AlmostAlwyn · 04/08/2018 22:58

Breastmilk changes composition over the duration of a feed, depending on the age of the baby and from mother to mother. But here is some detailed information about the ingredients of breastmilk:

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3586783/

An article comparing breastmilk and formula (US based I think but largely the same as the UK? Correct me if I'm wrong...)

themilkmeg.com/ingredients-in-breastmilk-versus-artificial-breastmilk-formula/

Follow on milk typically has higher levels of iron and vitamin D.

Redteapot67 · 04/08/2018 23:03

That’s great - thank you!
Does follow on milk have more sugar too?

Redteapot67 · 04/08/2018 23:26

And yes to the pp who mentioned pumping - surely those struggling to bf should be encouraged and shown how to pump properly and feed with a bottle (ie x8 times a day, using a double, hospital grade pump (which you can hire). Pumping is definately under used in this country and could up bf rates if people were encouraged to do so

BertrandRussell · 04/08/2018 23:32

I absolutely disagree about expressing, unless the baby is poorly or can’t suckle for some reason. I think that it just adds another layer of complexity and just more work . And yet another opportunity to feel you have “failed” at something. And nothing stimulates supply more than a baby suckling!

Redteapot67 · 04/08/2018 23:46

Betr - I know several people who have ebf by pumping - one very premature, and one who wouldn’t latch but their mum was a dr and was determined for their baby to get breastmilk.
Absolutely boob feeding should be promoted but pumping should be a second option and formula a third

hotfroth · 05/08/2018 00:42

Well I for one think that breastfeeding is a good thing, and that new mothers deserve all the help and support they need to bf if they want to.

I also think it is just as well that formula exists as alternative for those who can't produce enough milk, or who have a physiological reason why they can't breastfeed at all, or for those who try it and give up in despair, or hate every moment and think 'stuff this for a game of soldiers'.

There are also those who decide at the outset that they don't want to breastfeed, including the few (including myself) who have a complete aversion and can't abide even the though of it. Yes, that is natural too, and happens with other species as well as humans. You get animals who reject their young, caring for them in every other way but refusing to let them suckle.

My feelings were not in any way influenced by marketing of formula or the promotion of ff. And I had my dc 20+ years ago. People tried to persuade me to give bf a go but I simply couldn't. The whole idea absolutely revolted me. The relief when I found that I didn't have to was overwhelming.

Everyone has their own reasons for bf or not, and all are equally valid. I will support my dd's in their future decision, whatever that is, in the fullness of time.

Pengggwn · 05/08/2018 07:11

Redteapot67

There you go again with should. It is an individual choice, bugger all to do with you. This is why women get annoyed.

LisaSimpsonsbff · 05/08/2018 07:40

Absolutely boob feeding should be promoted but pumping should be a second option and formula a third

I wondered why more people didn't feed by pumping, until I met someone with a small baby who is exclusively fed expressed milk. It's an extraordinary amount of work - far more than either breast or formula feeding. I think it's probably unfair to sell it to women as a realistic third option for most people, let alone a second.

Aeroflotgirl · 05/08/2018 08:18

I pumped for D's for 9 months, it was hard work, I had to supplement with formula when I did not have enough milk. Expressing, you might not get much, it not that it flows like a river.

Pengggwn · 05/08/2018 08:19

It's an extraordinary amount of work - far more than either breast or formula feeding. I think it's probably unfair to sell it to women as a realistic third option for most people, let alone a second.

Exactly. It takes more time and energy and when you are pumping it's harder to be with your baby. In the round, it is a crappy option.

Aeroflotgirl · 05/08/2018 08:24

I pumped, because D's had nipple confusion and would not go on the breast, as he had severe jaundice and had to be hospitalised and I could only feed every 3 hours, so had to pump my milk into a bottle, or formula when there wasn't enough.when he left hospital he would not go on the breast.so I pumped.

Aeroflotgirl · 05/08/2018 08:25

Until my supply just stopped at 9 months.

BertrandRussell · 05/08/2018 08:35

I may be drummed out of the golden boobies club for this, but expressing then bottle feeding for every feed (can’t bring myself to say pump-don’t know why) strikes me as the worst of all worlds. All of the downsides of both ways of feeding.

Aeroflotgirl · 05/08/2018 08:46

It is hard Bertrand, as I was determined D's would get my milk, and it was sheer determination.i look back now, and feel happy I was able to do that for him, give him my milk for 9 months, whereas dd just a week before everything feel to pieces.

Aeroflotgirl · 05/08/2018 08:47

I didn't express every feed, 4 times a day, than formula when not.

MrSpock · 05/08/2018 09:22

I may be drummed out of the golden boobies club for this, but expressing then bottle feeding for every feed (can’t bring myself to say pump-don’t know why) strikes me as the worst of all worlds. All of the downsides of both ways of feeding.

That’s what I found too. It’s the most difficult way to do it. It’s useful for the occasional bottle/night feed but in general I hated it.

zsazsajuju · 05/08/2018 09:44

I tried pumping (it was the solution to not being able to breastfeed apparently). It was such an enormous amount of work it was totally unfeasible to do and look after a baby and do that. And I got a dribble which was no use to anyone.

I don’t think we should be putting pressure on women to breastfeed or pump. Formula is fine.

zsazsajuju · 05/08/2018 09:56

Grandma- formula has a whole host of things in it that cows milk doesn’t. Like iron and vitamin d. If you buy cheap vitamins possibly that would be cheaper together with cows milk than formula but formula is an easily digestible complete food that they are used to drinking.

Lots of people give children formula when they can drink cows milk. Why would you give cows milk to a child when there is a milk especially tailored for their needs? That’s just bonkers. Particularly when you consider how fussy toddlers are. Why wouldn’t you want them to have all the vitamins they need.

There’s no sugar added to formula in the U.K. (although there are milk sugars from the milk). The follow on varies from brand but generally isn’t aimed to make them feel less full.

In Spain they have special children milk in the supermarket (cows milk with vitamin added) which is effectively a formula equivalent for older children. I don’t drink cows milk so if I was buying it for my dcs I would have to buy it specially.

In short, formula is a highly nutritious food which is tailored for human needs. We should probably all drink it!

BertrandRussell · 05/08/2018 10:06

"I don’t think we should be putting pressure on women to breastfeed or pump. Formula is fine."

I agree. So long as you don't regard being positive about bf and offering help as "pressure".

Xenia · 05/08/2018 10:09

We certainly have very low breastfeeding rates in the UK. I enjoyed breastfeeding my children and I wish more women did.

I don't think parents need to get too concerned whatever choices they make but there certainly seems to be too much pro formula arguments around probably because so many women use formula so not surprisingly want to justify their choices so it becomes self perpetuating.

Pengggwn · 05/08/2018 10:15

there certainly seems to be too much pro formula arguments around probably because so many women use formula so not surprisingly want to justify their choices so it becomes self perpetuating.

Again, this "too many" - there is nothing wrong with it.

Seasawride · 05/08/2018 10:17

It always amazes me that anyone gives a flying fuck how any other mum feeds her baby.

Seriously why would you care?