To be annoyed at someone on the bf/bottle feeding forum saying that formula should only be available on prescription

[pigletmania]

That person obviously has found bf a complete and utter doddle and might not have encountered any problems with it. These comments do nothing to promote bf imo only reaffirm the stereotype of bf matrons. If formula were to only be available on prescription it would penalise those who are struggling to bf and need that extra to top up, or those who have made the choice not to bf though respecting their decision is a bit to me.

How do they manage in Sweden then I wonder? Are women there somehow different to us?

The vast majority of women start off wanting to breastfeed but most have stopped by the time their baby is 6 weeks old. I don't know anyone who gave up without a lot of guilt and sadness and these feelings can often last for years even decades.

Statements like wanting to have formula on prescription are really not helpful but what would be helpful would be a massive investment in maternity services so women could be properly supported to BF successful. Very often MWs/HVs haven't a clue about BF, some of the stories I have read on MN over the years have been shocking.

I wondered about that too... I got DD's Tongue tie snipped at 10 days, no problem.

The women are different, yes@Wilf. Their whole support system - everything from maternity (and paternity) benefits and leave, to the culture in the workplace, to relationships between men and women - are very different. I would think those differences make a huge difference to breastfeeding rates.

I agree MrsM. But not their biology. So the other things could - in theory and with the right amount of resource, training etc - be worked on. And should be worked on first, before such a policy were introduced. In and of itself, formula on prescription wouldn't work. But as part of an investment in increasing BF, it could work perhaps?

God - if I see this one more time "thread about a thread is bad form" - SAYS WHO???? Why is it bad form? What a load of utter shite. If piglet hadn't started this thread then I would have been unaware of the other thread and I am INTERESTED in what was said on that thread. I want to know about it and I am grateful to her for bringing it to my attention.

Thread about another thread is not bad form in my opinion thank you very much please stop with your sweeping statements .

what is usually meant is traipsing unresolved gripes across boards,point scoring and i said/she said.it can be a passive aggressive form of bullying too

but of course you are entitled to your opinion and yes one should post as wished

but i kind of agree with the notion of self contained threads.not merely rehashing of other topics

Doesn't bother me in the least. I wish there was more of it. I can't be on Mumsnet all the time you know.

Wilf, some women are aware of the benefits of BF over FF, but still choose to FF. There's already enough pressure on new mothers in terms of how they feed their baby.

Other than relation to providing information, how I feed my children is none of the State's business. Particularly given the appalling state of many maternity units, and the under performance of many social services units.

If the State is going to be more interventionist in child health and welfare issues, there's a long list of issues to be tackled before FF.

why all the BOLD face If you're not bothered

i more dislike the "we done that already" and troll patrol squawking are you new

I think it is bullying behaviour- it's like going into another room to talk about someone and not letting them in. I bet op doesn't feel she can join this thread unless she wants a real flaming.

Things like this irritate me.

nah, i think it's naff, bibbity, if it's a bunfight alert you want then just look in active convos. this is a shitty thread to start, the OP should have toughed it out on the other thread.

as regards the OP, i would have LOVED it if formula had been on prescription cos i'd have saved a flipping fortune. (if your child is allergic then you get soy formula on prescription, i don't see any great gnashing and wailing about that). not only that, i'd have felt like less of a loser for not being any good at bfing.

i don't really get the downside if it was being done as part of a general push to support women in their attempts to bf. what's not to like?

Why do some people think they know what's best for others? Thank God individuals like this just have a lot of guff to say and no real power to wield.

This person needs to ask herself why she feels the need to spout such dogmatic rubbish, and why she can't just breast feed into the sunset. I suppose if that's the way you boost your ego...

haven't read the thread but there surely isn't much dispute as to what is actually best for the baby?

I've not seen the other thread. But Rainbow is talking sense.
It'd be nice if mums who can't breastfeed got free formula, in hospital and then on.

@paisley - Free formula? Great! Prescribed formula? No. I don't want to have to ask my GP for formula and to have to make a case for it being 'medically necessary'. What if I just don't want to breastfeed?

well it would depend on whether that was considered a medically valid reason, which would actually be rather fascinating ethically i think.

"@paisley - Free formula? Great! Prescribed formula?"
? Not sure I understand - baby's prescriptions are free.
And of course you don't have to have it on prescription - you could spend your money and buy it over the counter, if that's what you chose.

I don't think many frantic new mothers would find it fascinating@Aitch

If you're saying it should be both free and available in [email protected], I still don't understand? Confused.com

The prescription will be for the baby, not the mother.

Having a mother who is not breastfeeding would make formula a medical necessity regardless of the reasons for not breastfeeding.

Not saying I agree with the policy but i just can't see a prescription being hard to come by saying that only 1% of babies are ebf at 26 weeks.

Actually, it is fascinating and tricky when you think about it. I guess a line in the sand dividing who needs it and who doesn't would be too difficult, so they'd have to say all babies are entitled to it. Then that would perhaps be like the NHS are endorsing formula.

Exactly@paisley. Either the NHS endorse formula, or you end up woith a situation where doctors play God and the power is taken away from (perhaps vulnerable) new mothers. I fail to see how either of these routes would benefit breastfeeding rates.

mrsm, they wouldn't be frantic though, would they? it's only that way just now because of the lack of support available.

a good scandi system where women and partner are transferred to a medically-staffed baby hotel for a fortnight or so to get bfing established would be fine. and if it were found that there were insurmountable problems in that time they'd leave with a script... no frenzy there, surely?

don't get the problem with the nhs endorsing formula?