Mrs Hinch....perfect prep :-(

[caroline161]

I feel so angry with Tommee Tippee that they've "gifted" her a perfect prep machine. Completely undermines her wish if she wants to breast feed. Plus she's such an influencer how much will this reduce our national breast feeding rates? Pregnant women will go and buy one just because she has one and not give themselves a chance to breastfeed

Guess what actually produces milk at a perfect temperature for babies and actually doesn’t carry a risk of mould? Boobs! Yup- guess what, human milk for human babies is sterile and delivered at just the right temperature and with the exact right antibodies for each individual baby. THAT is what Mrs Hinch should be promoting

How, precisely, could she do that if she's physically unable to breastfeed? My knowledge of her is limited to skim reading MN threads and one magazine interview, but the woman's been through the mill with a number of medical issues- it's not a given she's actually able to do it. And anyway, it's not her responsibility to promote BFing simply because she's having a baby, has a public profile and a pair of boobs.

I'm expecting my first and whilst I'll give it a go I'm not putting any pressure on myself to BF at all costs. I know it's the "best" option, but it won't be best for me or my family unit if it doesn't work, baby is losing weight and my mental health is taking a kicking, will it?

Isadora that kind of ranty 'guess what ' style is really off-putting. If you are wanting to promote bf, and convince anybody who is wavering, it would be better to tone down the ire a bit.

Craic baby's naturally lose weight after birth, it's not a sign BF isn't going well. I think this is what people mean when they talk about education - when I had DD I knew squat about BF and when my supply established after 6 weeks I thought I'd ran out of milk as my boobs went from Mitchell-brothers-down my-top to normal again. No one told me that's what happens. There's a huge amount of misinformation that spreads about BF and not enough people giving women clear facts. The "not enough education" isn't saying women are uneducated. Why some people take it as that I'll never know

@Isadora2007 - not everyone wants to bf - there is a choice. Perfect prep aren’t rubbish. It has been designed to make life a little easier and does a brilliant job. I’ve given several as presents and they have make one job better for new parents.

Why can't some people accept that some mothers just don't want to breastfeed?

The perfect prep machine isn't fine, it's a known danger for babies and NHS does not recommend it for formula parents.

If Mrs Hinch wants to promote FF then that's her prerogative but I object to her doing it so unethically with dodgy products and even dodgier companies

I've breastfed. My youngest is 2yo and is still feeding, mainly just bedtime now and when she was newborn she had formula top-ups for around six weeks as part of a feeding plan. DC before her was breastfed until two and a half. DC before that was BF until my milk stopped at 7wks due to lack of interest on her part then she was FF. First DC was FF from birth.

Each time I've made the feeding choice that best suited me, our circumstances as a family, and that particular child. This is the choice I think all women should be supported to make and it shouldn't matter to anyone else whether that is formula, breast, or a mix of the two.

The perfect prep is safe - they would have been withdrawn from sale if there were safety concerns. It’s not a dodgy product. As with any piece of equipment you need to use it properly. It makes life easier and at the top of list of favourite baby items for a huge number of families.

My midwife said it's not just mould concerns with PP , it's that it doesn't dispense enough hot water to guarantee the milk powder is sterilised. She actually said if you can't make to order it is better to make them with freshly boiled water cooled to no less than 70 degrees, up to eighty is fine, and put them in the back of the fridge but for no more than 24 hours, NHS website reflects this advice. We mainly used ready made as it was only top ups.

I only combi fed for a few months and then managed to get over to ebf after some health issues with DS early on and a tongue tie that needed snipping, but even if I had gone on formula feeding I wouldn't use a PP.

Mrs Hinch's overuse of chemicals is damaging to the environment and anyone who lives in her home or that of one of her followers. DB had an asthma and eczema flare up having not had one for years, after SIL started her regime, and their dog started losing patches of fur

@Parker231 by that logic cot bumpers wouldn't be sold, nor sleepy heads etc but they are

@Bearfrills and others, you might be happy to hear - I’m 37weeks pregnant. Recently attended an NHS antenatal class on Infant Feeding. We were given equal information on both Formula feeding and Breastfeeding. The midwife explained methods to sterilise, how to make formula etc. And also covered many aspects of breastfeeding. Pros and Cons for both. It didn’t feel biased in any way, no judgement on any of the mothers who attended.

Op please go and get a life. Or perhaps just enjoy this crisp cool air we are having this weekend.

That's good sweettalkingwoman

I remember when I was about due with my eldest, ten years ago now, and the HV did her pre-birth visit. I said I was planning to formula feed and she said that was fine but had to give me a leaflet on breastfeeding anyway and talk me through it because that was the mandate they'd been given. She did however get me a very old, tattered leaflet from the boot of her car on how to make up a formula feed and how to sterilise bottles. She told me that she was no longer allowed to give this particular leaflet out as they weren't permitted to give advice on bottle feeding.

I'm glad things are starting to move back to a more balanced view. The "breast is best" slogan was always destined to be divisive and inflammatory, implying to people that the choice they've made for their child is inferior is only ever going to put their backs up and create an attitude of us versus them.

She said this..

**Guess what actually produces milk at a perfect temperature for babies and actually doesn’t carry a risk of mould? Boobs! Yup- guess what, human milk for human babies is sterile and delivered at just the right temperature and with the exact right antibodies for each individual baby.

My boobs didn't! With 1 of my DC I had no milk supply at all!!

My other DC was too premature to breastfeed. And what little milk I produced dried up by the time she was strong enough to latch - despite me buying and using an expensive electric pump!

Self righteous idiots like you fail to understand there are many many mums suffering medical issues, as well as babies which prevent breastfeeding!!

And I was given a perfect prep before DD was born prematurely despite deciding to breastfeed. Having it didn't change my mind to formula feed, my DD's inability to feed because she was premature changed my mind...eventually.

I now have 2 perfect preps, one for downstairs and one for the bedroom. Makes my formula feeding life so much easier. As for the mould you bang on about, DN is 3 and never had any health issues caused by the perfect prep. My DD is nearly 1 and hasn't had any health issues either.

Ah yes.l...the ongoing fucking tedious obsession with how other people feed their babies.

Medical issues, mental health issues, premature babies...that’s what formula is for right? And it’s amazing that we have this, so our babies don’t die.

But. Somewhere in-between the breast is best mantra, and formula to stop babies dying, the feeding method for those that have a choice (i.e there are no physical problems) is overwhelmingly formula. I think the UK is at 0.5% BF at 1 year. Lowest rate in the world.

Someone on twitter said why wasn’t formula celebrated in the same way as the pill, liberating women from their babies. It made me sad.

I found BF incredibly hard, but I figured they’re only little for a short time, and BF is better. If our rates were up we’d save the NHS millions. Not only that, but for the environment too. All the plastic bottles. All the formula being made.

Feels like BF will be obsolete soon

BF will never be obsolete, that's doom-mongering right there.

Perhaps if the NHS backed off and gave honest advice about all methods of infant feeding then rates would go up.

At the BF group I attended the HV asked what we wish we'd known and overwhelming the replies were that we wished we'd known BF might hurt to begin with, that it can be a grind being the default parent when you're the only one who can feed, that growth spurts often mean an all night cluster feeding session, that nipple confusion is not a real thing and you can give a bottle (of either formula or expressed) here and there without it totally buggering up breastfeeding, and that it's okay to rack it in and stop if it's not what you want to do for whatever reason.

HV agreed these were all valid points and that they should be able to discuss these at the antenatal breastfeeding class but that they're not allowed to as they're only allowed to promote the benefits. The reasoning behind this is that if they tell women any of the potential downsides then they won't breastfeed so instead they paint a rosy picture, setting women up to fail before they even begin when they find that their reality involves cracked nipples, mid-feed explosive shitty nappies, and a let-down reflex that feels like you're lactating broken glass laced with battery acid.

Be honest and impartial then let women decide for themselves.

Someone on twitter said why wasn’t formula celebrated in the same way as the pill, liberating women from their babies. It made me sad.

I actually do agree that it should be celebrated. It enables women to have agency over their own bodies and to maintain bodily autonomy, thanks to formula we have a choice.

If breastfeeding rates were up, we'd save the NHS millions

That's a new one on me. I thought I'd heard it all.

Bear that is so shocking your health visitor revealed that. 'Failing' to breastfeed is a proven factor in postnatal depression, I can't believe health workers are complicit in fucking over women by lying to them by omission and deceiving them. It's scandalous.

The theory on the money saving is about all the health problems "caused" by formula and "prevented" by breast milk e.g. ear infections, childhood obesity etc. However as someone uothread explained, the research is all massively flawed and does not prove causation over correlation in relation to benefits of breast milk.
(NB my actual view is that breast is probably best if you and baby both can, but formula is fine too if made up safely. And better than suicidal post natal depression. Formula shaming is not fine.)

www.nhs.uk/news/pregnancy-and-child/more-breastfeeding-would-save-nhs-millions/

It doesn’t mention childhoood obesity, probably because this can not possibly be attributed to ff alone or even at all. I don’t think this study is outrageous in its claims and it was peer reviewed. I think it’s accepted that b/f reduces rates of infanthood illness particularly gastro infections and ear/respiratory. And it certainly prevents NEC in premies, which is why if the mother can’t produce milk they are often fed donor milk. £6million of the saving was attributed to getting b/feeding rates in premature units to 75%. I think it factors in a reduction in breast cancer rates in women too.The thing that’s not (and can’t really) proven is long term benefits of b/feeding (if there are any). But this study doesn’t mention this.

The moral of the story is whatever way a Mum decides to go is HER choice and who the fuck are we to judge?!
Get over your fucking self righteousness jeez!!

There are very few medicines which mean breastfeeding is a total no-no. Off the top of my head these include lithium and chemotherapy drugs. With most other common medication like antidepressants, pain medication, antibiotics, there are ways to keep breastfeeding and keep taking the medication. It's a balance thing. Balance of benefit of the breastmilk to the baby and the risk of transfer through the milk, which you can do a lot to minimise.

But there are a lot of women who don't get professional advice from someone like the BfN pharmacist and just take the word of a GP, who has little to no training on the issue.

It’s not about that though. The thread is about advertising with morally questionable companies, but of course it’s turned into a ff/b/f debate. It wouldn’t surprise me if tomee tipee post some of the more inflammatory comments simply to turn the discussion away from the actual issue.

Oh is that what it is. Yeah I don't go in for all that personally. Not only is the research limited and flawed, it doesn't tally with my anecdotal, lived experience.
You could say the same money-saving statement about smokers, people who take part in hobbies which run the risk of broken bones, obese people, ect ect yadda yadda.
Also, I don't know anyone who makes the best personal choice for them based on saving money for the NHS who spunk money up the wall on poor management to the extent that the service is on its knees. 'I hate breastfeeding, I physically cannot do it, I can see my baby isn't thriving and in not happy, I feel like a lactating zombie but I'm feeling charitable so will continue in order to save the NHS a few pounds, if only others would be martyrs like I am' said no one.