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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

I want to do something positive... Who's with me?

118 replies

poppydog10 · 21/09/2010 20:21

Following on from Funny's recent thread and others, it is obvious that so many of us are passionate about breastfeeding and frustrated that it is not seen as 'the norm' in this country.

I really, really want to help change things, but just don't know where to start. Collectively, we might be able to make a difference. Any ideas?

OP posts:
MoonFaceMama · 21/09/2010 20:38

i'm in. The most obvious thing i guess is bfing out and about. But i'd like more ideas too...just don't have any at the moment!

crikeybadger · 21/09/2010 20:39

Good on you poppydog for the suggestion... having read all the various threads I was thinking this afternoon that for all that discussion and mud slinging, nothing had been changed or achieved.

How would you measure a difference though? Would it be by an increase in bf rates?

Original poster
poppydog10 · 21/09/2010 20:47

I suppose an increase in bf rates would be the ideal, but other tangible examples aswell. For example: better breastfeeding facilities, more signs in cafes/supermarkets saying breastfeeding welcome. It would be good if the rules on formula advertising was tightened up too.

OP posts:
crikeybadger · 21/09/2010 20:49

I'd just love Kate Evans (author of the Food of Love) to do a shortened version of her book in a leaflet form. This could be handed out to every new mother- gotta be more useful than the usual rubbish you get in the Bounty bag. Smile

There's a bit about her thoughts on why women give up breastfeeding a bit further down in page from her website

thisisyesterday · 21/09/2010 20:52

we shouldn't need breastfeeding facilities tho. if breastfeeding was "the norm" then people would do it as freely as they give a baby a bottle.

while i totally agree that anything that helps a mum feel comfy and breastfeed her baby is a good thing... i also feel that while we present "breastfeeding areas" and such as a necessity we are actually implying that people should hide away.

i think the easiest thing anyone can do, as moonfacemama says... is breastfeed in public! it might not seem much, but it's about the visibility. about it becoming normal to see someone BF. you never know who is watching... that mum who is scared to bf out and about might see you and pluck up the courage to do it, a pregnant lady who hasn;t decided how to feed yet may be swayed ever so slightly about how easy it looks (and how you have a hand free for your own coffee!!!)

oh... and get in touch with your local LLL and train as a BFC!!! Grin

mrsissue · 21/09/2010 20:58

What an excellent post! Thank you so much for a lovely post, I was thinking the same thing I?m new to MN and I had really difficulties the first time I tried BFing DD but thanks to MN support and reading the politics of breastfeeding I am doing much better this time with my ds and it has really help me understand why I didn?t succeed to BF my DD.

I picked up from Funnys thread that many BFer?s don?t feel comfortable feeding in public and keep it more of a secrete. I think anything which gets mums feeding in public would be good and help normalise it. but I also think some soft of BFing awareness campaign that involved something like a BFing picnics with mums feeding on mass would be excellent : )

SirBoobAlot · 21/09/2010 21:02

Hopefully an increase in breastfeeding rates... But I would (personally) hope that it would be simple things, like seeing more people breastfeeding in public, seeing adverts along with formula ones for things like breast pads and Lansinoh, bottles not being used to symbolise babies all the time... That would make it normalised IMO.

BoobyMcLeaky · 21/09/2010 21:12

No ideas, but I would like to see a little more about breastfeeding older babies/ children than just the usual newborn stuff. My DD is nearly eight months old and I am sick of having to say 'not just yet' already (to people asking me when I'll stop).

I'd be happy to do a breastfeeding on mass thing, but I think sometimes people see things like that and get a bit put off (just thinking of some of the insults hurled about here recently) Sad

thisisyesterday · 21/09/2010 21:14

breastfeeding picnic

already many regional ones set up :) lots of them are on FB if you have an account

organiccarrotcake · 21/09/2010 21:16

I like the "breastfeeding welcome" signs. Back when I had my first they gave me the confidence to feed in public knowing that I wouldn't be asked to leave or confronted by the cafe owner.

Nowadays I wouldn't be bothered about that as I would just tell them where to put their request (and point out it was illegal) but I didn't know that then.

I worked with the local NCT to get local companies signed up for "breastfeeding welcome". It's not just a window sticker - it needs backing up with an internal policy so staff know what to do.

Maybe on an individual level this is a good way forward.

Original poster
poppydog10 · 21/09/2010 21:20

Mrs issue, you've just made me smile!

OP posts:
mrsissue · 21/09/2010 21:23

TIS thanks there?s me thinking I?m original Wink .
I there needs to be more done to help mums feel confident about feeding in public, my DS is nearly 8 weeks and I still haven?t fed in public. The thought makes me anxious that I might get kicked out of somewhere or thrown off a bus and I think lots of new BFers feel this way.

thisisyesterday · 21/09/2010 21:32

you're right. i felt the same way with my first.
THEN i stopped when he was about 4.5 months, and felt awful every time i gave a bottle as i thought people were judging me lol

i think partly it is just new mum paranoia that kicks in. but you are absooltuely rtight, the BF welcome stickers DO help. I wonder if you can get them and distribute them to local places? or whether they have to request them themselves?

i have to say, by the time i was onto my second baby i was so grateful that BF was going well i just didn't care and did it anywhere! am on baby 3 now and have never, ever, ever even had a negative look or comment.
shame, as i've been waiting for one so i can tell them off lol

littlemissindecisive · 21/09/2010 21:34

There should be more on tv that shpw bf as being normal, like on soaps and dramas, instead of babies with bottles, have mums feeding etc

BikeRunSki · 21/09/2010 21:34

Have you thought about donating or delivering for your local milk bank/SCBU? Even if you are not bf'ing any more, then they need volunteers to pick up and deliver milk from mums who can't get there.

littlemissindecisive · 21/09/2010 21:35

I think tv adverts for products is a great idea too

passionberry · 21/09/2010 21:38

I'm with you poppydog10! Thanks for starting this thread.

I was on my own with a hungry crying dd yesterday (22 weeks) and realised that although I feed quite confidently in public now, I have always had mum, sis or DH with me. Had a moment of panic, then thought "why am I being ridiculous?" and marched into nearest cafe, ordered coffee and got on with it! Such a small thing but was quite proud of myself!

Anyway, none of us should have to feel nervous about it, it should be as normal a sight as bottle feeding I agree.

mrsissue - I know, it's hard at first - have someone with you or go to a baby/ breastfeeding group and everyone else will be doing it!

MoonFaceMama · 21/09/2010 21:39

organic i think that would be a great start. Maybe we could lobby our local councils to create a bf welcome scheme? A policy template could be provided and ways of getting staff involved/trained (roll play, some basic bf knowledge, extras like where to put the drink, maybe badges for staff etc) prob worth pointing out stuff like their being enough room to get the baby in front of the table iyswim...

I think you're right mrs, lots of new bf's i speak to express that concern.

passionberry · 21/09/2010 21:43

Sorry mrsissue - just read thread properly and see your baby is 2nd one so clearly you already know all about baby groups etc!!

Woodlands · 21/09/2010 21:44

the only local place i know which has a bfing welcome sticker in the window is an albanian football cafe! might try it one day...

Original poster
poppydog10 · 21/09/2010 21:45

bikerunski,

I did start donating. Birmingham hospital sent me out bottles and I started filling them, however they rang recently to ask how I was getting on and as I didn't have as much as they would have liked, and because dd was now over 4 months, to just keep the milk. :(

OP posts:
MoonFaceMama · 21/09/2010 21:45

yyy about it being on telly more. Apparently it was on eastenders recently and enmerdale a bit back, though someone got kicked out for it or something (haven't seen my self) so hardly positive Sad. Other wise it's only the poor third world woman stereotype. Like the guardian at the weekend.

BoobyMcLeaky · 21/09/2010 21:48

What happened to the breastfeeding adverts that they had on the TV a while back

and there was another one, I think with the man who read/s the news on channel 4?

MrsIssue find a friend to go with you, they don't have to be breastfeeding, but it stops you from sitting there and thinking everyone is staring (they aren't BTW Wink)

BuongiornoPrincipessa · 21/09/2010 21:54

A feature on a This Morning or Lorraine type programme what to wear when bf - not that you need to wear special clothes though, more to make bf seem more mainstream and inspire confidence for first time mums.

Definitely need more positive images of bf on tv.

thefirstmrsDeVere · 21/09/2010 22:05

I am not being very original here, I have blapped on about this a few times on MN. But I am going to say it again anyway Grin

I am working class, I live in a working class/area with very high rates of teen prg/economic inactivity/distrust of social and healthcare professionals.

Hardly any of the white/uk mums bf. I havent met any negativity because I bf but people think its a real novelity. They make friendly jokes like 'shes getting em out again' etc. Its all in good humour and it doesnt bother me (I am 43 and a mum of 5 though).
On the quiet, a fair few have whispered that they would have liked to bf. The way they talk about it though, its more like some sort of impossible, faraway thing. People like them dont do it. I think thats why they are suprised I do, because I am like them.

Anyway to the point - Who bfs on soaps? Pretty girls who wear slinky clothes? No overweight ones who only got pg because someone was pissed enough to have sex with her.
Does Victoria Beckham, Katie Price? I am no fan but many, many people are and copy just about everything they do. I firmly believe this would even run to how they feed their babies.

If we could get soaps etc to show bf as normal and NOT make a big deal out of it, if we could get slebs (however tacky) to casually bf their children, I really think it would have a huge affect on bf rates.

We live in a society were celebrity is all. Like it or loathe it, its the way things are. Women round here love their babies but they dont trust professionals. They feel intimidated and this often translates as hostility 'Im not going to do what some stuck up bitch tells me'.

I think it has to be indsidious IYSWIM. Not so in your face.