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

Christ alive some of the comments on this thread are horrendous.

I FF one child and BF (still am another). I don't need to justify my choices and it doesn't mean I care less about one than the other. And the BF one gets poorly a lot more than the FF one!

Breastmilk cannot be replicated, that's a fact, BUT formula is as damn close as it's ever going to be.

It's got sweet FA to do with anyone else how a woman feeds her child and fucking hell isnt being a parent hard enough without other mothers bringing each other down for how they choose to feed their children!

Nobody's "slagged off breast milk" at all.
Breast milk is fantastic, but it's NOT always best.
It's the "better than yow" attitudes displayed and insinuating women can't think or know what's best for themselves and their circumstances.
I'm glad I live in a country where there is CHOICE

I had my eldest child 21 years ago, and was shamed by the 'breast is best' nazis then, despite having issues during the birth that meant breast feeding was impossible.

I really hoped we'd moved on.

Disgusted by the OPs stance here. Additionally, my siblings and I were all bottle fed in the 70s. We ALL have PhDs and successful careers, so it hasn't done us any harm.

I can't believe the infantilisation of women and the assumption we're all fucking stupid in 2019. A perfect prep is only going to be of appeal to formula feeding mothers. It doesn't appeal to bfing mothers. It's a gadget to cut time for formula feeders. It doesn't relate to breastmilk. Ffs.

Btw... I’d love to BF. I really would. I might be totally unable to due to medication I’m already on at this stage of my pregnancy (first trimester). So FF might have to be the choice we make. And I refuse to feel shamed for it. If anything I feel incredibly fortunate we live in a society where women who can’t or won’t BF have options other than their babies dying of malnutrition. What a relief to know I can still feed my child. Imagine being in a place without access to formula and being terrified about what’ll happen to your baby in case you can’t BF. It’s a great peace of mind for me to know I can FF if I am told I medically have to :)

She's specifically said on her Instagram that she'd like to try bf, but is preparing in case her medications leave her unable to. Imho that's all new mums can do, give it go (if they want to) and if it doesn't work out, change to another way. There's no need for all the angst or feeling defensive about how a child is fed.
Once DC are past 1 year it doesn't matter anyway. No one asks you on school admission forms, or the like, how the child was fed. Feeding my teenage DCs now consists of trying to keep them away from super noodles, and headed towards the odd vegetable!

Exactly Sagradafamiliar. It honestly disgusts me that some people think women have no greater intelligence or capacity for critical thinking beyond ‘ooh a celeb said they like this machine I’m buying it’. Funny how you never hear that said about men, right? Never hear anyone complain that Just For Men hair dye adverts will cause millions of greying middle aged men to run out and dye their hair almost without thinking. Can’t think of a better example sorry 😂

It is blood clots that she has, which is why she has to have stents in and inject herself. I'm guessing when she's no longer pregnant she can use the tablets that are not safe in pregnancy bur mean BF'ing may not be possible.

@ethelfleda quote me where I've slagged off breast feeding. Come on, I'm waiting.
Why is it that someone saying they're proud of formula-feeding is interpreted as slagging off breastfeeding?

But BF is different for everyone whereas Ff is the same. You might find bf easy but shouting about how fab it is and how easy just makes people who cant do it or cant get the hang of it or just dont enjoy it feel shit.

Saying formula is great doesnt shame anyone else because its the same for everyone.

And tbh theres nothing inherently wrong with saying how you feed and why you like it but its v easy to come across as condescending and mean when singing the praises of breastfeeding

@Tinyteatime 'ethical baggage'? Formula feeding does not come with ethical baggage. It there's nothing wrong with it. It's as valid as breast feeding and can be celebrated as much.

You're right though Emerald. This would never happen to a man. You'd never see other people's expectations placed on men, their parental choices being used as a stick to beat them with, shame them etc. Ever.

The advertising of BM substitutes comes with a massive amount of baggage, yes. If you’re unaware of this please educate yourself. It’s not her individual choices that are being criticised here, it’s the advertising.

Fed is best!

A perfect prep is only going to be of appeal to formula feeding mothers.

This just isn’t true is it. Around 80% of women in the U.K. start breastfeeding and want to breastfeed. Most of these people are ff by 6 weeks. So TT target market is women who plan to ff and women who plan to bf, in the hope and knowledge that most will be switching to using their products. People here are talking about mums making choices, lots end up feeling they have no choice for a whole host of reasons but that is another thread.

It’s the same reason they’re targeting breastfeeding mums with ‘freebies’. It’s not out of the goodness of their hearts is it? It’s because they think if they can get their products in your home when breastfeeding inevitably fails you will already have a brand loyalty to them which mean more £££s.

Most of these are ff by 6 weeks

Formula feeders then. Like I said.

No @Tinyteatime it doesn't come with 'ethical baggage' because there is no ethical reason to not formula feed. It comes with criticism from people who believe that formula feeding is wrong. There's a difference between criticism and ethics. So please educate yourself.

People switch to ff for a whole host of reasons. They doesn't involve you or anyone else. Those reasons are valid. Do you suggest a lack of knowledge around ff products so that women will be forced to carry on breastfeeding despite illness, not liking, or being unable to?

But around 80% of women (maybe slightly less if you remove women that might feel they have to give b/f a go but don’t intend to carry on past a few weeks/days ) don’t intend to ff when they start out. I think you’re being deliberately obtuse and it’s making you look a bit silly tbh, or, like you work for those friendly people at Tommee Tippee.

whoha you haven’t slagged off breastfeeding. Sorry if that wasn’t clear, I wasn’t attacking you or your posts. It’s the general tone. The use of breastfeeding ‘nazis’ the fact that I got jumped on for talking about how proud I am for breastfeeding but you didn’t jumped on for talking about being proud of formula feeding. Neither of us is wrong, both of our experiences are valid.

plantpot I don’t see why I should be told I cannot talk about the positive sides of breastfeeding. I will continue to do so while not judging anyone else. I haven’t judged anyone on this thread for their choices but you’re essentially saying I should talk about mine??

That was to tiny for the avoidance of doubt 😂

whohaa you’re talking rubbish because you have very little understanding of the issues surrounding the subject and it has nothing to do with formula feeding being ‘wrong’. I have nothing whatsoever against formula. It’s great. I’d love to see very low cost formula or ideally free for those that want to use it/need it. The ethics of the industry is the problem.

@Tinyteatime I think you're being deliberately thick and prejudiced. Formula feeding is not an ethical dilemma. That is fact. Your attitude is the problem here. The fact that you demonise a valid way of feeding. You are encouraging mothers to feel like a failure for doing what is best for their baby.
EVERYONE has a right to feel proud of their choice- whether they breast feed or formula feed. Your attitude is disgusting and judgemental.