Turning the benefits of Breastfeeding into the risks of formula LIST

[rubberduckduck]

What do people think of this?

here

Just how much of this can be proved with current studies? eg.less likely to be alive on their third birthday.

Talk about scare mongering?

I've been thinking about this over dinner. Yes there is a difference, in tone and in effect IMO.

The thing is that if you can't breastfeed you can't breastfeed. I think most women would accept that there are some increased risks to their baby that result from this, but as with a C section they are risks that can't really be avoided one the situation exists. As with a C section some women may even actively choose this option.

But if you express the same message in terms of spelling out the risks of formula, well that seems a little mean spirited to say the least. It is one step removed from the woman's choice, if indeed one exists at all. Women who don't/can't breastfeed may or may not have some control over that, but once they are in that situation they rarely have any control over what is available to them as a substitute, despite the risks.

Am I making sense, or over analysing?

But you have said it yourself. They are "depriving" their baby of colostrum/breastmilk. THAT is the point. They can't help that their only choice is to give powdered cows milk and fish eyes (to coin a phrase). So whilst the risks of formula per se may be factually correct, I don't think it is helpful for winning hearts and minds.

When you start being scathing about the reasons women give up breastfeeding, that's where you and I part company (opinions wise). I was a woman who ended up giving up breastfeeding for reasons many would (and do) dismiss as not good enough - a lot of pain (painkillers?), PND (bf hormones meant to be good), undiagnosed tongue tie (I should have done more research and been more persistent) etc. I know I went to hell and back, so I try very hard not to make judgements on another woman's reasons.

god where's hunker or tiktok when you need 'em??

They are the voice of reason that are FULLY supportive of breastfeeding and promoting the benefits of it........but seemingl manage to do so without offending/pissing off anyone that has (for spurious or not reasons) FF any or all of their children

understand the harsh reality of what they are choosing!! god listen to yourself, comments like that and saying formula is inagequate and harmful how can they be anything other than putting mums who formula feed down?!!

it isnt inadequate as we can see by the thousands of babies who do just fine on it everyday!

no its not the optimum but it is a pretty good subsititute when needs be!

and as for saying you think they are poor excuses, walk a mile in their shoes!! try having post natal psychosis, trying to kill yourself and your child and being admitted to hospital is that a 'good enough' reason to stop bfeeding?!!

what one person can cope wiht another cant, everyone is different, everyones family dynamics are different and there are many and varied reasons why people end up bottle feeding, for you to say they are poor excuses is hugely judgemental and critical. and to be blunt it is NON of your business how other people feed their babies anyway! if they ask for you help great give it to them, in a pleasant manner perhaps, but to simply tell them formula is harmful (when made up correctly it is not) is simply trying to make them feel inadequate, whether you mean to or not, you need to watch your tone and your language.

exactly baroque, tiktok gives advice, help and support she does not condem formula or those that use it.

same with hunker (she who owns the "howbreastfeedingwork" blog/website)

You're comparing ff with the risks of smoking?

Utter utter nonsense.

And you have no right to sit on your high horse and judge other people's excuses as 'poor'.

The stats on bf and are not without contention either and to believe or contest otherwise is arrogant/ignorant nonsense. There have been studies that show that some of these supposed benefits are hugely exaggerated but, of course, these are shot down in flames cos it's not what you want to hear is it?

We all now breast is best but ff is not the poison you want to promote it as being and I really don't know who you think you're going to convince with your patronising nonsense.

Tiktok is a trained bfc. That's one of the reasons they are trained, because it is very very easy to make women feel bad by poorly chosen words. I'm sure I do it myself, although I try very hard not to.

it does actually say on formula that it is to be used after speaking to a relevant health professional and that breast feeding is better for babies.

but formula if prepared correctly is safe to use, ffs!

Yes, that would really help leonie. How about big posters in maternity wards saying "Breastfeed or your baby will die"?

That would really get the message across and stop all those lazy feckless parents jacking in bf at the first sign of a sore nipple.

I'll write to my local hospital and suggest it.

oh yes - taht's a superb idea KnittingRocks - just give a new parent another stick to beat themselves with and increase their chances of PND because they feel so shit about it - woohoo - great job.

Sorry baroque, did you miss the sarcasm in my post?

Difficult to get across tone on an internet forum but it was supposed to be very sarcastic and aimed firmly at the bullshit spouted by leonie.

Apologies to you if you took it any other way.

no no no Knitting - sorry I meant to put a and at the end

(btw - I exbf DS1 for 14 months, DS2 for, ermm 3 days, DS3 exbf for about 2 months, then mix fed for another 2 or 3 and then FF) (just incase anyone wondered which "side" I'm on )

baroque i 'think' that kintting rocks is being sarcastic?! or i hope so!

seriously tho leonie, did you read my post, i had severe postnatal psychosis after my fourth child, parlty CAUSED by bfeeding as my prolactin levels went sky high, so high i had to have an emergeancy mri as they thought i could have a brain tumour! i totally lost it and had to be admitted to a psych ward, is that a good enough reason to stop bfeeding? seriously how is for YOU to judge and say that someone has made a poor effort to bfeed, you are NOT them, so sod off with your judgemental bullshit.

again I shall retell the story of having a baby born 8 weeks prem and spending 6 weeks in scbu..despite expressing, the milk dries up, it happens as your baby is not with you...so the scbu give you a prescription for forumla when you go home, the very same formula they give the baby when in their care..... specially made blah de blah...

What is the alternative, ooohh my son should have starved..silly me !

So am I talking any sense at all? Can't anyone see my point that it may be less mean spirited to explain the risks of not breastfeeding a baby rather than rub in the risks of formula? DH knew what I meant straight away.

Believe me, as a mum who struggled with breastfeeding and ended up giving some formula, it would have felt even worse to be giving him a foodstuff that was actively being called "risky" in itself. I knew it, but seeing it in the literature would have finished me off.

baroque i am similar to you, bfed ds1 for 18mth, ds2 for almost FOUR YEARS! ds3 for three years, ds4 for three months and then dd for two months. its all horses for courses, i LOVE bfeeding when it WORKS, but there are many reasons why it doesnt and formula IS an ok alternative, not as good as breast milk but a perfectly acceptable alternative.

gaelic i get you, it is fine to tell people the BENEFITS of bfeeding and obviously those who formula feed undestand that there baby wont get all those benefits, (but every little bit of bmilk counts) but to tell someone they are HARMING their baby and that the milk you are feeding them is inadequate, how is that not critical? and its rubbish!

gaelic - you are talking perfect sense.

Well, I don't really subscribe to the benefits of breastfeeding thing because breastfeeding is the default. So really it is normal and suboptimal, rather than exceptional and normal IYSWIM. That's why I do think that it could be explained that there are some risks to not breastfeeding, but that does not have to be judgemental if it is handled sensitively. We weigh up risks all the time - drugs in labour for example. The key thing is how the message is delivered.