'why bottle might be better than breast' - GMTV this morning

[babyignoramus]

Hasn't even been shown yet but can't imagine it's going to go down too well here!!!!

Anyone else going to watch - it's going to annoy the arse off me but I can't seem to tear my eyes away......

babyignoramus- I'm not an expert, but I think sometimes in nature if an animal cannot feed her young, the young just die of starvation. I'd like to think we've moved on a bit...?

OK don't shoot me but I was more annoyed with GMTV for the choice of guests they choose. Why a tiny glamour model and a slightly plump BF mother who feed longer than the 'norm'........... just stirs the debate even more I think.

I found breastfeeding tiring. But then I stupidly didn't listen to MN enough. Next time, the only things I shall be buying are a sling and a bedside cot.

Isn't GMTV sponsored by Nestle?

..... also animals follow the advice we are sometimes given when we have problems. For example: let them (.)(.) hang loose and rub a little milk on them to soothe them. I don't see many sheep, cows, pigs etc rushing to get their breasts dry, padded up and put back in to their bras.

Maybe it is just my area of Yorkshire though.

Also many animals do reject their young. That is why in farming sometimes young offspring are given to a lactating mother who has lost a natural offspring covered in the natural offsprings skin. Sorry if TMI If not they are often bottle fed by the farmers.

I think from the pigs I have seen they are advocates of co-sleeping as well, well if you had that many babies to feed and that many breasts you may as well lie down for the duration hadn't you. They do often get penned in though to avoid squashing the littlies.

[http://www.dkimages.com/discover/previews/969/10016084.JPG]

DOH! this little piggy

GMTV weather is sponsored by Nestle and from looking at their website (GMTV) it seems the feature was about safely making up formula (I have never been told either) but its title is "Is breast best?".

I don't see how the two are linked? Safely making up formula has nothing to do with the benefits of breastfeeding. Perhaps they are influenced by their sponsors? [cynical emoticon].

here

sabire - I breastfed my 1st for 2 weeks and only managed to cat nap for the odd 20 mins here and there. I spent the whole time trying to keep my eyes open and was constantly light headed and dizzy with tiredness. When I accidently poured hot water on my hand I decided enough was enough, I'm just glad it was me that got hurt and not my baby.

No I did not co-sleep - maybe in hindsight this could have helped but it was something I was scared to do at the time.

I was expressing to increase my milk supply but would still run out after 15 mins with my baby still crying and hungry. I'm sure that if I had continued that this would have righted itself but at what cost? I wasn't prepared to take that risk any longer.

BTW I have never got out of bed at night since formula feeding, DH passes me the bottle and baby and goes back to sleep while I do the feed and put baby back in his moses basket without leaving my bed - this works well for us

I have combine fed my youngest from the beginning and whilst I do not feel guilty for ff my 1st I do wish I had tried combining then also. The midwife and health visitor support I have received this time has been a lot better.

Holy moly...Each to their own and whatever works for the individual...surely? As long as we are making informed choices then people should feel confident and happy they are making the right decision for them and their family whether they decide breast or bottle. I hate all this lecturing and self righteous crap.

'But unfortunately animals don;t get the choice but just have to get on with it! ' some reject feeding their young. Our dog had to be held down as she refused to feedthe puppies. We ended up bottle feeding them.

Bloody hell, comments on GMTV's website aren't moderated prior to publication. Whoops

Emmahugs, it's the 'informed' bit we're worried about

Not wanting to get involved in the wider debate here and I really detest the way in which GMTV sensationalises every damn thing - i didn't watch the piece this morning but I can just imagine the smug idiots presenters and their banal and unelpful comments.. anyway...

What i was going to add is that on my post-natal ward the treatment that some of the mothers who had decided to FF was pretty shocking. I didn't get great breastfeeding advice either, but at least they were willing to try and show me. One of the mothers who had just been brought up from the labour ward (she had a canula and catheter so possible an emc?)was shouted at, and I mean really shouted at, when she told the nurse she wasn't sure that she wanted to breastfeed.

The nurse ranted on to her about the negatives of FF, possibly a point worth making, but it was in no way done in a supportive and encouraging way. She was given a ready-mixed bottle and left to just get on with it. How that was helping her to make informed choices I will never know.

I think it is that kind of attitude that gives breastfeeding a bad name. I fully support it, but people have to be given all the information, and the right information at that to be able to make a proper choice. I only really know the little bits I know from coming on here and doing my own research. Alot of people don't have the motivation to do that.

I FF as I had health issues but I am aware intellectually and from reading medical data that breast milk is superior for several reasons but I have yet to see evidence of FF babies being less healthy.Of all the kids I know with allergies asthma and other illnesses there is not a clear divide between how they were fed and in fact the majority were BF.these threads always descend into chaos!

GMTV is largly presented by morons for morons.

The day that I take its content as anything more than 'sleb gosspi with a bit of current affairs thrown in is the day that I will have to take a lump hammer to my TV.

How can anyone take a programme seriously when it has Carla Romano on its payroll???

but noddyholder your post contains a huge contradiction. if bf babies are healthier then surely that means ff babies are less healthier...in general I mean!

I think people expect to be able to take health outcomes at a population level and apply them to tiny groups - "all the babies I know". It doesn't work like that, I'm afraid.

noddy that's why the medical data and stats are important

it's the 'the plural of anecdotes is not data' thing again

I didn't say BF babies were healthier I said I accepted the data and stats on breast milk and all the reasons why it is good but i have yet to see physical evidence amongst friends childrn of better health.

What's the name of that book about risk and health? I'm sure someone on here has mentioned it before.

My ds got frequent ear infections and was fully bf until 13 months. My attitude is to think how many more infections he might have got if he hadn't been bf.

He only had one bout of d&v in 12 months.

He also slept through from 2 weeks - actually too early so I had to wake him up to feed him!

I am passionate about bf - but do not evangelise as I don't want scared of some of the comments evidenced here, that "you are trying to bully me into it", which make me very - both at myself, for not having the guts to stick up for what I know is best and for people, like my SIL, who just don't "don't like the idea of BF" (and I like my SIL very much )