can't believe this conversation in the dr's surgery yesterday

[muslimah28]

little baby came in with his mummy for their 6 week post natal check. mummy is trying to wind baby in the waiting room.

another mummy with a c2 year old says to her 'i found with my son, just changing the formula helped'.

mummy to 6wk old replies, 'no i just use what i did for all 4 of mine, it can't be the formula.'

at no point did 2yr old's mummy say 'are you formula feeding', or 'how are you feeding him', there was just an assumption that she was formula feeding, and it turned out she was right.

i was just a bit shocked to see yet more proof of how much of a formula feeding culture we have here.

didn't want to add this to the other thread going on at the moment, its just way too long.........but interested in thoughts!!

It's not the fact that the baby was ff it's the fact that it was assumed the baby was ff.

"It's not the fact that the baby was ff it's the fact that it was assumed the baby was ff".

Yes - and you've got to ask yourself why a poster as shrewd as scottishmummy usually is hasn't noticed this.

but im not talking about the baby at the gp.im am indeed making a extrapolation

thinking about this holistically,imo so long as baby is well nourished,loved,made feel secure,given affirmation.then the mode of feeding isnt the defining factor

It may not be the defining factor for many babies.

I don't have the link, but someone posted about a prem baby who was going to die because he wasn't getting breastmilk. The foster parents pushed to get it and the baby lived.
It was the defining factor for that baby.

But who will play you in the film?

is that straight from hallmark channel?v extreme example and hardly applicable to all.as i said child development is complex and not solely defined by mode of feeding.imo as long as baby is well looked after,loved,kept safe that all goes a long long way

what is this paediatric nutrition bingo
enteral feeding
Gastro-oesophageal reflux
reflux
HOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i can do gladiator bingo
At my signal,unleash hell.
Yes, you can help me... Forget you ever knew me, and never come back here again
And now we are Free. I will see you again... but not yet... Not yet!
HOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, that is an extreme example, one in which it was the defining factor.

In most circumstances no, it won't necessarily make a discernible difference in one individual.
Across the population it does make a difference, and I think that supporting mothers to breastfeed is important, which includes changing the culture we live in.

Alice, I think that understanding reflux and getting the proper support for it is important too.

It's not the only important thing, but that doesn't mean that it's not important.

extreme examples that occur to tiny minority cant be held up as normative

You said 'defining factor' and it reminded me of that story.

For most babies it isn't possible to judge how important the breastmilk or lack of it is. You just don't know.

what about the five times as many babies who end up in hospital with gastro problems. what an arse for those babies, those little people have to go through the trauma of being in hospital because of the milk they are fed, what a ballache for those babies! we seem to often forget the baby in these conversations! and human milk must taste nicer than formula - surely! that is what the baby would choose in a taste test, no?

completely take the point about there being many parenting factors involved, but there are a lot of things about breastfeeding that benefit the actual baby and their enjoyment of their day to day existence.

i mean, am i completely weong about this or isn't it a total no brainer!?

i meant to say as well - for those babies in hospital with tummy problems, it is the defining factor isn't it!

gastro problems
trauma
HOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

are you watching house scottishmummy?

are you all played out?or any more paediatric feeding terminology up your sleeve

clickety click

The point about the total contradiction between the ff culture and the general health & safety paranoia surrounding every other aspect of parenting is a very good one.

Take the outcries surrounding vaccinations, for example, if there's even the tiniest suggestion of a risk (eg swine flu). And yet most people will quite happily give formula without a second thought - ditto to early weaning. (Big caveat - I'm not referring to people who have to give formula despite being all too aware).

I think the reason is that people are mistrustful of governments, whether advising them for or against something. Why they are not similarly mistrustful of multinationals goodness only knows. And yet there is huge mistrust of the likes of Glaxo Smithkline when they're providing vaccines, so why not Nestle, etc.? Unfortunately I think the majority of people are pretty selfish deep down. Not taking a baby for a vaccine "just in case" is one thing. Committing themselves to months of really hard work is quite another.

Crikey, that sounded really hard line. I guess I'm finally over my guilt "ishoos".

in what way are "the majority of people are pretty selfish deep down" are you saying ff is a selfish act?

Oh god, I'm so aware how difficult it is to word these things. I suppose I am - in a way - if, and only if, it is a decision taken from birth for reasons of convenience only. And I do know people who have done this.

I have given formula myself in the past due to bf difficulties, and in no way am I possibly implying that anyone who gives formula is selfish.

perhaps that assumption is why dvo and new mums feel bullied and pilloried for not bf

dvo??

I think new mums should be strongly encouraged - not bullied - to try. Even the colostrum if nothing else. That's a couple of days out of their life. Why would anyone not do that, I simply can't understand it.

Thankfully though, the figures show that most do give it a go, so the people I was referring to do must be in a pretty small minority.

denise van outen,reports she feels pilloried and bullied for not bf