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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

I Object!

14 replies

colditz · 01/01/2006 10:32

I object to being given a cartoon strip about breastfeeding in my Bounty pack from my antenatal clinic!

Why do I object? Perhaps it is because I am not 8, and don't expect to be treated as if I was 8.

And teenage mothers, illiteracy etc has bnothing to do with it, I would feel just as patronised if I could only look at the pictures, or was only 15.

It's absurd. Who's bloody idea was that!?

OP posts:
Twiglett · 01/01/2006 10:34

but as a mother you surely do not have the ability to read complete sentences do you?

feastofsteven · 01/01/2006 10:35

maybe someone who fancied themselves as a bit of a cartoon/anime artist

Blandmum · 01/01/2006 10:35

Trouble is, there are lots of people out there who can't read, and in many cases they are the people who most need information about bf.

In the school I work in (1300 kids) over 100 are functionaly illiterate, with reading ages well below 12. About 40 of those are girls.

I agree that it isn't idea, but it is hard to get information to people sometimes

wilbur · 01/01/2006 10:36

Yes, it's infuriatingly patronising, but I think it's mostly aimed at women who do not speak english at all (there are loads giving birth at our hosp and they need some way of communicating bf stuff). Maybe they should make it a Photo Love Story. Or Photo Boob Story.

sevensuzyswongsaswimming · 01/01/2006 10:37

Well I think the low-literacy campaign is very inclusive and if it's spreading a message about the benefits of bf then it's a good thing

However colditz, I loathe the ENTIRE bounty pack idea, being bombarded with brand names and impersonal advice and blanket impressions of what kind of mother/woman I am.

I also have a special, dark and cold, place in my heart for the over zealous ( on commission from Huggies I suspect) bounty pack woman who followed me in to the shower on the maternity ward to ask for my address and age so she could tick me off her effin list.

wilbur · 01/01/2006 10:42

She followed you into the shower!!!! Blimey, I hope you gave her a post-natal piece of your mind. I hate Bounty packs too - our local hosp hates them and tried to get rid of them as they felt they pushed women to buy things they often can't afford. Sadly, there was an outcry from the women wanting their freebies and they had to bring them back.

Original poster
colditz · 01/01/2006 10:43

But even if I was illiterate, I'm still 25! And even if I had a reading age of less that 12, it doesn't mean everthing else about me is aged less than 12!

My 15 year old sister PHSL when I showed her this.

There is a better way to do this, there must be. What is wrong with a simple leaflet, with simple words and messages, that is simply informative? with clearly drawn, informative pictures or photos about positioning, etc.

OP posts:
Original poster
colditz · 01/01/2006 10:45

(Actually I like the Bounty pack, I use all the freebies then use what I would have used anyway. As my friend's mum says to her "You were kept in my pants drawer for 10 weeks, dear, and you are fine!")

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Blandmum · 01/01/2006 10:46

True. It is very hard though, I'm struggling atm with preparing work for kids who have a reading age of 6....trying to explain Chromatography (FFS!)

In the end I always feel that I am patronising them, but it is hard to escape when yuo can only use words from years 1 and 2

and some of the mothers will be children anyway (even sadder emoticon)

Original poster
colditz · 01/01/2006 10:51

I see where you are coming from MB, but I think with something like breastfeeding, it needs to be discussed with somebody, then they can approach it at an appropriate comprehension level, rather than handing a comic to them and expecting them to take it seriously.

OP posts:
Blandmum · 01/01/2006 10:58

Yes, I agree with that. And when looking at BF there can often be very entrenched opposing views to overcome. A sad number of the teenagers I work with think that BF is 'disgusting' and 'gross'.

suzi2 · 01/01/2006 16:11

I remember that comic strip! Why, in all the breastfeeding blurb I was given, was there only drawings of boobs and babies - some 'comedy' ones, some serious ones. What's wrong with giving people photos of correct latches etc?

And those videos they show you... I thought I was doing things all wrong as I couldn't get as much boob in DSs mouth as the video. Until my mum pointed out that the baby in the video was about 6 months old and had a far bigger mouth than DS. A video of a newborn being fed would have been much more useful.

Rent over thanks!

suzi2 · 01/01/2006 16:12

Pants! my typos are getting worse...

RANT over!

Original poster
colditz · 01/01/2006 22:12

Bump for the night shift (I'm shameless)

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