To think adverts for and more info on formulas should be allowed?

[StrictlyBoogying]

I couldn't and didn't breastfeed either of my DCs for many reasons and when in hospital I was asked which formula I wanted DD1 to have. I had no idea which to choose and the staff weren't allowed to suggest or recommend one brand. I think it's ridiculous. People who want to make an informed decision on formula aren't being allowed to.

[pooexplosions]

1. fuck off curryfreak.
2. scottishmummy try to understand that repeating facts is not havin a go ay pt those that don't agree or fee bad about those facts.
3. lots of people are in fact exceedingly dim. At a baby clinic recently there ere 3 mothers talking about formula. One asserting as fact that x brand is actually dried breastmilk, pretty much convinced the other 2.

[EyeballsintheSky]

"the thuird world has nothing to do with it. yes, millions of children over there die every yuear as a direct result of formula feeding, which I for one do not wisdh to support by lining their pockets."

Well lucky you . Another stick to beat us thick, ignorant ff mothers with. Like we've got a fucking choice?

I fucking hate MN sometimes.

[slushy06]

If you have no choice then why feel guilty or like you are being beaten with a stick you did your best there is no more any one could have asked of you.

What does it matter what someone else says you know the truth.

[cory]

verytiredmummy Wed 11-Nov-09 13:32:49

"I've also found out that the hospital no longer supplies formula, so while I think that my son would have been ok if I'd agreed to him having a couple of mls in a sippy cup that first day, that option is no longer open to me. Either I breastfeed, or I formula feed. No middle ground."

Are you sure there is no middle ground? When dd struggled breastfeeding for the first day, she was given donated breastmilk in a sippy cup. So there was middle ground after all.

[AvrilH]

Cory - I had no help in feeding my DD, though she had already been identified as being at high risk of hypoglycaemia.

When she eventually did develop hypoglycaemia, and was admitted to the SCBU, I was told to choose a formula for her tube feeds. I asked about expressing colostrum, and they said I wouldn't have enough. I asked about a milk bank, and was told the hospital had one, but it was "not for babies like mine"

There is no guarantee that the hospital staff will care enough to proved ebm, even for very sick babies. As it happens, I went on to produce lots and lots of milk, and would have volunteered to donate milk to the milk bank, but for my lack of faith in the hospital, and what they might do with it.

[slushy06]

Avril That is awful I would make a complaint.

[AvrilH]

I did make a complaint to the Queen Mother's hospital in Glasgow - but about the lack of postnatal care, not about the lack of access to the milk bank. They say the guidelines for babies at risk of hypoglycaemia were followed.

Those guidelines state that the baby should be fed 3 hourly - I tried to get my baby latched on about three hourly but failed, and was fobbed off when I asked for help*. I think that my experience proves that definitions have to be clear and spelled out around breastfeeding, everyone seems to think that my unsupported, and failed, attempts at breastfeeding count as "feeds". IMHO, the guidelines need to be updated to give an idea of duration of feeds, and that the latch should be checked, and if necessary supplementation with expressed colostrum or EBM.

I spent eight days in the hospital and most breastfeeding support on the postnatal ward seemed to be provided by untrained health care assistants, whose support was counter productive. This is at a fully accredited UNICEF babyfriendly hospital. They make sure that the necessary boxes are ticked but that is all.

• I did manage to get her latched on with help from the midwife who admitted us to the postnatal ward. She left immediately afterward, and I later realised that DD was not latched on properly. I was told to move her to the other side after twenty minutes and could not get her latched on again. This was the only time she was latched on.

[AvrilH]

Anyhow - back on topic, I still don't agree with advertisements for formula, but think a simple table of the relative casein/whey contents, nutrients and any additives would be useful. If anyone cares enough about it, they could probably produce this, by simply phoning the main formula companies and asking them for the info.

[ZippysMum]

My twins had low blood sugar when they were born, and although they were given my expressed colostrum, their sugars continued to fall. At 4am I, like Avril, was asked which formula they were to be tube fed with (I had said no bottles as I was determined to breastfeed) and I asked if there was any alternative to formula. I was told they could have a dextrose drip through a vein in their scalps, but that they would need to have one or the other soon as they were in danger of fitting due to their low blood sugar.
Predictably, I chose Aptimil on the basis that my SIL chose it for her DD and she had a while to choose. I was so sure I would bf that I didn't research formula at all. I'm sure I was also swayed by the adverts (I know it's mad, but those Aptimil ads actually seem to support breastfeeding) .

However, I DID have absolutely first-rate breastfeeding support from EVERY member of hospital staff, in the NICU and on the antenatal ward, and this excellent support was ongoing after we all came home. Due to this, my twins were discharged from the NICU, after 3 days and completely breastfed from 4 days. I am still fully breastfeeding at 8 weeks despite thrush and mastitis. (and my lovely mum bringing round an 'emergency' kit of ready made formula and bottles "just in case")

Despite my huge determination to breastfeed my boys, I needed a massive amount of support - and I got it. I really would have quit (several times) without the practical and emotional support from an NHS employed NCT lactation consultant, a bf support worker and a bf peer supporter (and the ladies of MN ) Cornwall NHS Trust, got it right for me and my twins. From reading on MN, it seems many do not get the great support we did .

[cory]

Sounds absolutely awful Avril I know I was very lucky to give birth in a hospital committed to breastfeeding. Also had the breastfeeding counsellor from the hospital visit me at home after dd developed problems. Makes me to realise how rare it is with even a much lower level of support.

[Tryharder]

Another reason why I would object to formula companies advertising their wares is because they would be able to portray themselves even more than they already do as lovely, caring, philanthropic organisations who provide a service for women who "cannot" breastfeed.

As often quoted on here, formula is not poison and a baby given formula in this country will thrive well no doubt due to the long list of special ingredients such as immunofortis (whatever it is), prebiotic, probiotic and fatty acids.

However, the very same companies are flogging tins of formula in developing countries which are not on sale in this country and which contain a very different list of ingredients - skimmed milk powder, vegetable oil, sugar, iron and that's about it - not much different from a tin of Marvel really. Formula companies are there to make money, they don't want women to breastfeed. I wouldn't let them advertise follow on milk either if it were up to me.

Did someone earlier on this thread recommend "The Politics of Breastfeeding" which highlights the unethical practices followed.

[alexpolismum]

I have been lurking on this thread and have been following it with interest.

I am curious about what sort of information people want on formula. A list of ingredients? I have looked at the ingredients on a formula tin and some of them mean absolutely nothing to me; 'polymumbojumbo' 'monomumbojumbo' 'wierdlatinsoundingword' etc etc. Even those that can be easily recognised such as iron mean little without a context.

For example, if we know that formula A contains x iron, formula B contains y iron whereas breastmilk generally contains z iron. Then we can make a comparison. Similarly, if we are told that 'polymumbojumbo' is required by the body for X reason, and is contained in breastmilk, z amount, then we can make a more informed decision.

This sort of information should be provided by an independant body, such as the NHS, and not as a company advert, so as to guarantee impartiality.

[BertieBotts]

Yes alexpolismum, that's the kind of thing I'd like to see available, the reasons for each ingredient included - though I don't think it's quite as simple as saying Brand A has X amount of iron, Brand B has Y amount and breastmilk has C amount, because (in that particular example) the iron in breastmilk is more readily absorbed by the body. So it seems that nutrients in different forms are absorbed more easily than others, and in the case of iron the way in which it is absorbed is affected by other foods consumed at the same time - for example, vitamin C helps iron absorption and tannin (found in tea and coffee) prevents it being absorbed properly.