argh! Crap bf advice in guardian.

[MoonFaceMamaaaaargh]

Sorry i can't link as i'm away and on mw phone but it's the "doctor, doctor" column on page 113 of yesterdays mag.

A lady who is struggling to bf a 1mo baby while looking after her toddler (who she bf for 11m) asking how the immunilogical benefits of bf will be affected as she plans to begin mixed feeding.

Dr Tom Smith begins "The immune benefits cross over in the first few weeks so you have done enough there already"

What is that supposed to mean? I genuinely do not understand what this is saying but the impression it gives me is that there is no immune benefit to bf after a few weeks? What? No antibodies?

He agree's that keeping some bf is good nutritionally...but offers no advice (or signposting) about how to mixed feed while not compromising supply. I would have though that would have been important this early on.

He does how ever suggest she might wish to consider expressing the bottle feeds as apparently "you can express far faster than your baby can suck." He says a mw or hv will advise on doing this efficiently...surely it isn't ever quicker to express, store, sterilise, bottle feed etc than just bf?.

No mention of trying a sling, that bf leaves a hand free to play with a toddler or that while you clean/make up bottles etc you are with neither child while you can be with both while bf... I'm not saying she should be pressured to bf, but just able to try making it easier before cutting back as it's a difficult decision to reverse.

Argh.

Think i might have to write in

Does anyone have suggestions for evidence i can site re immune benefits (or the rest) ?

These columns are all such crap, written by people who haven't got a bloody clue.

I wrote in to complain about one in the Times supplement a few years ago. It was an "alternative medicine" Q&A where people would ask if there was an alternative treatment for their complaint.

Someone wrote in saying that they had had anaphylactic shock to a foodstuff, and wondered if there were any natural remedies they could take that [the italics are because it's important] could reduce the severity of any future reaction should they once again come into contact with the thing they were allergic to.

The reply missed the point of the question entirely, and told the person asking that if they got anaphlyactic shock again they should take X, Y and Z natural remedies to counter the reaction.

I wrote in saying that this was incredibly dangerous and irresponsible advice - anaphlyaxis is a life-threatening medical emergency like a heart attack, the only thing to do is inject adrenaline and dial 999! If you don't, someone may die. And it wasn't even what the person was asking.

I didn't even get a reply.

Thank God that column doesn't exist any more.

Prunhilda, the reasons I mention slings (to bf in), bf with one hand etc are this...

I sort of imagined that though the writer of the letter says she plans to mixed feed, she must still be playing with the decision to an extent, otherwise why ask about the immune bennefits or not of ex bf? If it continuing with ex bf wasn't an option I don't really get why she would want to know more about the possible downsides of a decision she had already made. But maybe that's just me

Had his crap reply given the correct answer, ie more bm = more immune benefits, she may have wished to maximise the number of bf's she can give. As such suggestions about how to make bf easier with a toddler might be welcome.

If they don't work for her she is no worse of. She knows she has exhausted the possabilites and the best decision for her is mixed feeding.

As we all know cutting down is hard to reverse so I thought that she would want to try everything before going down that path.

He fails to discuss that at all.

Glad it wasn't just me. I will be writing. And tweeting @GuardianWeekend with details of NCT breastfeeding helpline.

The expressing bit is probably correct if one is talking about Jersey cows and milking machines but last time I used a pump it took ages and definitely quicker to just feed the baby. Or better still feed baby in sling!

Right, back now, slight namechange (long story).

HBW - what in god's name is "given the way she is protesting" supposed to mean???

What, exactly? I talk about MY experiences of breastfeeding and that's PROTESTING?!! How? How dare you twist my words like that! I came on here to say, actually, for some of us, bottle feeding is quicker than breastfeeding. And in yopur head that means I'm protesting? How dare you! How dare you speak about me like that, when you know nothing about me.

What a hideously pompous statement that is.

I'm actually incensed that you've made such a passive-aggressive statement about me, when you know nothing. I CHOSE to mixed feed, I haven't 'protested' about anything. That statement says everything about you, and nothing about me. Do you assume because I've used formula I have something to defend myself about?

Vile.

JV, I didn't say "protested". I said "posted".

And I remember you as huncamunca, I know all about what an expert you consider yourself to be. You are NOT an expert on me, you know nothing.

I don't protest. I am very, very proud of the months and months of breastfeeding I put in and never, never in a million years would I 'protest' about my feeding choices.

And you think you know how to use neutral language? Jesus.

Ok, sorry, you didn't say protested.

Don't EVER assume you know anything abouyt my choices though, just butt out ffs. You're not the expert on everyone who's ever had a breastfeeding relationship.

Please can you stop attacking me and read what I wrote?

I didn't assume. That was the whole point of that post - that I wasn't making any assumptions.

Thank you for your apology.

Just don't speak on my behalf, ok? You can apologise in brackets all you like but it still doesn't give you the right to assume you know anything at all about me or how I raise my children.

You don't know me ffs.

Right, I have finally written to them (now I'm back home)...my tactic is to crash their inbox with my huge rant ...

Dear Dr Smith,

You have clearly never tried to express milk, or you might realise that for the vast majority of women direct breastfeeding is by far and away the most efficient way to give a baby breast milk. Infact many women are never able to express milk, despite successfully breast feeding healthy babies.

As for the immune benefits of breastfeeding "crossing over in the first few weeks" I am curious as to your source for this as it is in contradiction to the advice given by the WHO (see pg 15 whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2009/9789241597494_eng.pdf)

Had you acknowledged that the more breastmilk a baby receives, the better the immune benefits it might have been worth while mentioning ways to maximise the number of breastfeeds the correspondent can give her baby. This could be made easier by using a sling in which she can breast feed, toddler-proofing the room in which she mainly feeds, keeping a box of special toys for during feeds only, and using the free hand during breast (as opposed to bottle feeds) to play, read, draw etc with her older child.

However you implied that there is only nutrition to be gained from breastmilk, as opposed to antibodies passed from the mother. You then go on to suggest that the correspondent express the bottle feeds as "you can express far faster than your baby can suck." I think you will find that this is not the case for the vast majority of women. When the extra labour of storing, labeling, defrosting, scalding milk as necessary for some women, sterilising bottles etc, is added in, this becomes a ridiculous suggestion for a woman whose aim is to save time.

You also fail to mention that the mother should seek advice as to how to manage mixed feeding in order not to compromise her supply and end up completely formula feeding. Instantly dropping three breastfeeds a day, as she proposes, is likely to cause mastitis though you neglect to mention this also.

I hope you are able to contact the mother very quickly to rectify these errors before she damages her supply, or contracts an infection, based on the poor advice you have given.

All in all it is sad that you chose to tackle this matter at all in three column inches. Referral to a trained Breast Feeding councilor would have been a better suggestion.

If this piece tells us anything it is this: GP's know nothing of Breastfeeding, and even less of when to say "I'm sorry, I don't know."

YOurs sincerely,

Moonface

Justventing this will be my last post addressed to you as I am repeating myself.

Please read it carefully.

"I came on here to say, actually, for some of us, bottle feeding is quicker than breastfeeding"

Fair enough for some/many ff is quicker.

But the doctor suggested expressing to bottle feed. One person on here has said they found that quicker than direct bf. The vast majority have said this is more time consuming and laborious.

My comment about washing bottles not being child friendly clealy didn't apply in your case but I think does in most.

I am sorry if you feel I have misrepresented bf or ff. I have learnt from all the comments on here including yours. I have used this discussion to inform the letter I wrote and feel I have given a balanced view.

"It took me approximately 5 mins to wash and microwave sterilise a bottle. Approx 2 more mins to make up a formula feed. And my toddler could be in the room, helping with these tasks".

Am fascinated with the idea of a toddler helping to make up formula feeds.

What bit did they do? Measure in the milk powder? Make sure the teats on the bottles were clean?

Your toddler must have been a lot more advanced (and trustworthy) than mine!

Spudulika - she could pass me the carton and the bottle from the cupboard. Does that help you to get you head around it?

Surprised you find that so fascinating, do you not get out much?

Oh, and we would count the scoops together while I put them in. Don't you ever count with your toddler?

I had wondered the same tbh spudulika.

MFM - good letter, can I be a pedant and correct a couple of errors, just before you send it? Councilor should be counsellor. GP's shouldn't have an apostrophe (IMO although many disagree)

Stealthy thank you, I appreciate your pedantry, it is most welcome.

However I have already sent it!

In my defence I was rushing off to bf ds...

"Spudulika - she could pass me the carton and the bottle from the cupboard. Does that help you to get you head around it?"

Yes, thank you!

I would also add Moonface, I hope your letter will start with an introduction, such as "I am writing to you because of a response you gave to a breastfeeding mother in your XX page, printed in the XX April 11 issue of the Guardian xx magazine"

ah well it makes its point very well
and I wrote "it's" point originally - it is time for this pedant to go to bed I think

balloonslayer i emailed so put a reference to the article in the subject line. Sorry, not very clear in the letter itself is it. Oops.

ah good . . . sorry my post was a bit rushed!

I was worried as the colour supplements are printed weeks and weeks ago before we see them and he may well have forgotten all about it - let's face it, it's not as if a lot of thought went into his response.

(Another column Q&A that bugged me to fuck was one by Dr Tanya Byron, for whom I normally have a lot of time. The Q was asking for advice because the mother thought her daughter, who was at boarding school, was developing an eating disorder. The answer, IIRC, took up most of the tabloid page and consisted of a patronising explanation as to the symptoms of anorexia and bulimia and redirections to Dr T's web pages. The main issue - the fact that the Boarding School were in loco parentis and should be consulted and involved - wasn't even mentioned. I think I might have even posted on here about it.)

dear me balloonslayer, that hi terrible. There needs to be more accountability for this sort of crap. I'm seriously wondering about how i can complain about the column and other crap bf advice from hcp's on here. Gmc maybe?