To think it’s disingenuous to say breastfeeding is free?

[Jerrui]

When pregnant encountered lots and lots of breastfeeding promotion- often it’s cited it being free as a benefit.

I have personally found as soon as you actually have a baby and are feeding it there is absolutely zero support. In my area there is no infant feeding team etc just community midwife who told me to substitute BF with FF at two weeks old when baby failed to regain birth weight.

I have spent hundreds of pounds on lactation consultant, double electric pump, milk storage, trying to keep breastfeeding going.

I have added formula top up and was shocked how cheap it is. We got bottles for free in those Emma’s diary type packs, and Aldi formula costs £2 a week.

I think trying to promote breastfeeding as a more economic option to pregnant women is stupid.
I feel actually public funds would be much better spend on training and recruiting to provide actual support to mothers trying to breastfeed, rather than health promotion with misleading, simplistic and dumbed down messages.
I feel it’s no wonder breastfeeding is mainly the preserve of the middle classes when you have to invest so much money to get any help!

@AllTheUsernamesAreAlreadyTaken

I think, *@TotalRhubarb*, if I was breastfeeding and:

Having to spend double the amount of money on my food shopping to sustain my ferocious appetite

Losing so much weight that I got stuck down the back of the sofa

Having bleeding nipples that require a weekly blood transfusion

Have such engorged breasts that the leaking requires me to wear wellingtons

I’d probably give up breastfeeding and switch to formula.

It sounds like you had a torrid time. What a trooper.

She doesn't sound angry; she is simply arguing her points very eloquently (and this from myself who has disagreed with one or two). You, however, are being unnecessarily patronising.

@Somethingsnappy
Sorry, I disagree. They’re being ridiculously argumentative. Stating that very unusual occurrences are the norm and being becoming increasingly provocative and aggressive in their argument.

[quote planteen]@TotalRhubarb

I had those things like the baby swelling blood and excruciating nipples with baby 1/2. HCPs should be more forthcoming with that info and support because it is very difficult.

But it's really not be force for anyone to be spending in excess. Once/if it's established, it will be cheaper as there's few to no recurring costs.

It doesn't have to be 100% free to be worthwhile, otherwise people wouldn't be choosing to throw money at lactation experts trying to do it. [/quote]
This is exactly my point!

Don’t sell bf as ‘free’. Not least because isn’t necessarily, quite often, but also because it’s not the best reason to do it.

Be honest. Accurate.

If you do feel the need to me took the possible financial advantage, then be balanced about it. Something like ‘quite often it can work out quite a bit cheaper than formula feeding overall’ would be honest and more accurate wouldn’t it?

Why can’t we be honest?

[quote AllTheUsernamesAreAlreadyTaken]@Somethingsnappy
Sorry, I disagree. They’re being ridiculously argumentative. Stating that very unusual occurrences are the norm and being becoming increasingly provocative and aggressive in their argument.[/quote]
It isn’t being ‘ridiculously argumentative’ to want official information to be accurate and for women to be well informed, now, is it?

Ah, I’d missed this.

It’s rather spiteful. I’m sorry that my posts have left you feeling the need to lash out.

I in no way feel I’m a trooper. I do want honest and as curate information from HCPs. And also not to be patronised by them. Trying to sell me bf because it’s supposedly free is a bit of a con and really rather condescending.

[quote AllTheUsernamesAreAlreadyTaken]@Somethingsnappy
Sorry, I disagree. They’re being ridiculously argumentative. Stating that very unusual occurrences are the norm and being becoming increasingly provocative and aggressive in their argument.[/quote]
Which very unusual occurrences do you mean? The rapid weight loss with BF? I don't think that's particularly unusual, to be honest.

YANBU- my baby can’t latch but I consider exclusively pumping to still technically be breastfeeding.

Double electric pump- £150
Hands free electric pumps- £160
Various replacement flanges- £40
Nipple shields (when I was trying to get her to latch)- £11
Silver nipple cups- £27
Nipple cream- £12
Bottles for milk storage- £30
Brush for cleaning bottles- £5
Pumping/ nursing bras- £30

Equipment for resolving clogged ducts:
Haakaa- £11
Epsom salts- £5
Lactation massager- £30

I’m sure there’s more. I can probably sell some of this but not for much as it’s been used.

YANBU all the extra nutrients breastfeeding moms need alone makes it not free!

@Ginandtonics

It was over 25 years ago and things were better then, better staffing for a start. We had a post-grad student come along to our antenatal course who was looking at BF as part of her dissatation. She was very keen to make sure we knew how to BF and there was excellent support for BF after the birth. As a consequence I BF both mine exclusively for 6 months plus on demand thereafter. It was free, easy and no washing up required, but most of all a lovely relationship with both of my sons. I know I'm one of the lucky ones who had good maternity provision and was then able to work pt etc but, really, it shouldn't be a priveledge, or a lottery, we should be making having a baby an easier and less stressful process where we have real choice about what we do which isn't based on cost or time. Good professional support isn't cheap but IMHO not providing it is more costly in terms of general happiness and good mental health for people giving birth/parents and babies. How sad that midwifery is so under resourced and undervalued and it's so hard to give babies and their mothers a really good start in life.

Spot on x

It is such a silly pointless argument. Obviously it is free for most women, it is why we were born with breasts. Ok it isn’t for some women but for the majority the costs are marginal. What could possible be controversial about that?

@TheRemotePart sorry off topic but did you do anything different when your baby finally latched? DD 14 weeks still tries but she just chews my nipples and it hurts!

@HeadNorth

It is such a silly pointless argument. Obviously it is free for most women, it is why we were born with breasts. Ok it isn’t for some women but for the majority the costs are marginal. What could possible be controversial about that?

Saying it’s usually cheaper - that’s accurate, so I’d be happy with that. Saying it’s free, as if that’s always the case, is a lie and does women a disservice.

I just want the information given to Rome to be accurate. That’s all.

Women, not Rome!

@HeadNorth

It is such a silly pointless argument. Obviously it is free for most women, it is why we were born with breasts. Ok it isn’t for some women but for the majority the costs are marginal. What could possible be controversial about that?

If it were a silly and pointless argument, I don't think there would be 20 + pages of posts from intelligent women debating the matter!

Just wanted to add i got plenty of support from the NHS breastfeeding helpline and La Leche League - both free. There is a lot out there if you research and are stubborn. I also think saying formula feeding saves time is ridiculous - there is so much faff with the bottles / water / temp/ amounts etc. and you have to do the whole production even if you're out of the house or being woken at 3am - saves a lot of time to just whip the boob out haha.

I know there are people who can't breastfeed but please don't put people off by making out its expensive when it doesn't have to be.

NOT free on several levels!

My time is important- I delayed going back to work to breastfeed on demand and will likely do so again.

Resources- lactation consultant, private midwife, tongue tie practitioner, pumps. Hundreds of pounds.

It’s naive to say that you just need to be “more assertive” to access that stuff. Our local breastfeeding support/tongue tie clinic wiped out by Covid.

Ive heard it all now....people are so self absorbed nowadays..breast feed or don't breast feed, if you are going to be so invested in if its free or not, or if it takes up so much valuable time doing whatever you choose, the solution is to not have a baby surely..ffs

Intelligent isn't the word I would use.

@kikisparks

YANBU- my baby can’t latch but I consider exclusively pumping to still technically be breastfeeding.

Double electric pump- £150
Hands free electric pumps- £160
Various replacement flanges- £40
Nipple shields (when I was trying to get her to latch)- £11
Silver nipple cups- £27
Nipple cream- £12
Bottles for milk storage- £30
Brush for cleaning bottles- £5
Pumping/ nursing bras- £30

Equipment for resolving clogged ducts:
Haakaa- £11
Epsom salts- £5
Lactation massager- £30

I’m sure there’s more. I can probably sell some of this but not for much as it’s been used.

This is quite a lot, a lot aren't necessary ... even so, could've been bought second hand/passed on, so I wouldn't say this is the expectation if you choose to breastfeed.

In terms of hours I saw an interesting TikTok where at least in the early days, all the feeding, preparing to feed, burping, cleaning spit up, changes etc works out to be more hours than a full time job

I get it… if you don’t store milk and don’t need a pump & can get help from hospital/MWs so you don’t need private help then it is free in terms of cost but not of time or effort

10000% agree funds should be put in place for all mums to be fully supported to feed should they choose to do so rather than just the “oh FF” at first problem

@kikisparks
I had to use shields as Baby was tongue tied ( was told it would be the magical cure, but it wasnt ((also another expense if you didn’t want to wait for an NHS apt))
At one point I gave up trying for about a month? Just accepted combi feeding and shields.
Then one day the baby was chill and cooing and pawing at me ( both nakey) we were lying side by side in my bed and I just gave it a bash-fully expecting it to be a failure, but no. Was joyous.

Have you had baby checked for tie and position? I had mine by zoom and it wasn’t great but better then nothing. You know somethings not right as it’s not supposed to hurt-so don’t accept that it will.
Best of luck, but read my warning ! Don’t drive yourself mad trying ! x

Even if you needed a pump you didn’t need two electric ones. I used a basic hand pump, think it was about £30. They’re often for sale second hand. So apart from that and some nipple cream it was free.

@Lemonlady22

Ive heard it all now....people are so self absorbed nowadays..breast feed or don't breast feed, if you are going to be so invested in if its free or not, or if it takes up so much valuable time doing whatever you choose, the solution is to not have a baby surely..ffs

You appear to have completely misunderstood the point of the debate. Funny that you're questioning the intelligence of others...

I was lucky in in the sense that I had bf groups close to where I lived with a very supportive health visitor and health workers at the group who would visit at home whenever anyone needed. I was also very lucky that I was told by 1 in particular that 'dont expect bf to be easy, it's not a natural instinct, it's a learnt skill. Even correct latching is going to hurt for up to 6weeks while both you and baby get used to it (boobs not used to being full of milk and sucked constantly for 45mins+ 12+ times per day). My first DC latched perfectly from day 1 but the pain for 6weeks I very much felt! My second DC was horrendous, very painful, she struggled to latch (tongue tied but not bad enough to cut). Was told child would get it but in the mean time I got mastitis twice in 1 side, once in the other. 4months later she finally got it. It would have been easier to give up but I felt I did my 1st for a year I was going to do it for this 1 also. Currently pregnant with third and I will go through it again if I have too. I know ff is absolutely fine but in my mind I want them all the same. But expense wise, even when it goes well, I needed to buy nipple cream and breast pads as I leaked a lot!! Works out at about £6-£10 per month. But it is easier just to pick up baby and latch them on then have to go downstairs and make up a bottle.

I spent nothing on breastfeeding apart from two nursing bras and a few pads and nipple cream at the start. Fed for four years today and never owned a bottle, or a steriliser, let alone a breastpump. I was fortunate that it worked out relatively easily for me.
I guess I might have eaten a bit more than I would if I hadn't been feeding (but then conversely I probably saved a fortune on nights out and booze!)