Does this kind of thing undermine BFing?

[Olifin]

Interested to hear others' opinions.

In the supermarket today, I saw a 'New Baby' card featuring an image of a large bottle and the following verse (also on the front of the card):

'Bottle Feeding
Story Reading
Baby Holding
Dreams Unfolding...'

Now, apart from the fact that it is a shite poem, is it reasonable to suggest that such images are part of the media portrayal of bottle-feeding which can have a detrimental effect on BFing initiation and continuation?

I am aware, by the way, that bottles can and sometimes do contain EBM but I believe that they are far more likely to contain formula and that formula milk is what most of us would associate with the image of a bottle.

I would just like to make a disclaimer at this point to say that I am not anti-formula; I recognise it has a place in baby feeding. I understand and respect that not all women are able to BF or to continue to BF and that some women make an informed choice not to BF at all, as is their right.

What I'm interested in finding out is whether such images can have an effect on BFing rates. If yes, is there some research somewhere I can read on this?

I very much doubt a sleep deprived new mother will scan her baby cards on the shelf and think 'Why yes, a bottle is the answer. Thank you shitty card.'
It is a shite poem and I am more that you actually remembered it

The symbol for baby feeding in this country is a bottle. All of this stuff adds up to bottle feeding being 'normal' and breastfeeding being unusual, is bizarre.

It's all part of the bottle-feeding society we live in, part of the drip-drip-drip effect.

And it's truly shite.

BooBooGlass...I meant on a subconscious level!

I have a good memory. Especially for irritating rhymes

It is actually quite hard to find baby cards that don't have images of bottles on them. I wouldn;t give a friend who was bottle feeding her baby a picture of a woman breastfeeding. so why would I give a friend who is breastfeeding a picture of a bottle?

Oh and that's a terrible 'poem'!

Awful. Undermining? possibly.

Imagine the outcry if it was:

'Breast Feeding
Story Reading
Baby Holding
Dreams Unfolding...'

Its totally undermining. It makes me quite angry that there is this air of normality around artificial feeding, whilst breastfeeding is shunned into the corner.

Someone should do a range of new baby cards showing breastfeeding!

Have to say I don't remember seeing bottles on my new baby cards - am interested now. I kept some so will go and dig them out and check . . .

Anyway - agree it is undermining.

Its just a card ,its not undermining ..baby cards have pictures of storks on them,I think people know where babies come from really

IME often the symbol for babies is a bottle. I've been to a few cafes over the past few months since DS was born and and notice it.

On Sat I was in a cafe and saw a sign on a door with a bottle on it. Turns out it was the disabled toilet which had a baby changing mat on the wall! Random.

yes all part of the irritating assumption that a bottle is how you feed a baby.

I agree this is bad but i'm not sure it's that widespread. I've got somewhere between 20 and 30 new baby cards up at the moment and none of them have bottles on (none of them have breasts either). Maybe all my friends and family have just bought carefully but i doubt it!

Most of my baby cards had bottles on, and yes; I agree it's all part of the bottle feeding culture which keeps breastfeeding as something abnormal/something 'too good'/too unachievable for most.