Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Infant feeding

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

Original poster

^^Extraordinary breastfeeding - tonight on C4 ^^

843 replies

harpsichordcarrier · 01/02/2006 17:27

new thread for RTKM

OP posts:
Blu · 02/02/2006 11:47

What was it about the programme that put you off, Lilacbump?

nanneh · 02/02/2006 11:48

If the British public were generally impressed with BF and thought it was normal (as say in Scandinavia) a programme like Ch. 4 would never have been made. The fact that it is done this way, showing mostly extreme case rather than the average mother breastfeeding a toddler, says something about public perceptions of BF in this country.

A whole programme about the beautiful job done by volunteers like the Little Angels, the NCT, LLL, Baby Cafe's, etc would have done more to impress mothers to breastfeed than what we saw last night.

But then Ch. 4 isn't that bovvverrrred about whether women breastfeed or not, its interested in money and ratings, so I guess we all have to be realistic about what it was trying to achieve.

MissChief · 02/02/2006 11:49

oh lilacbump don't be put off! It wasn't representative - after all was entitled "extraordinary.." Make yr own mind up, don't take this as typical. When I've been out & about feeding my v young baby it's mainly been a positive experience - interest, not disgust from others. It's been a lovely way of getting so close, and is so convenient. If you choose to bottle-feed, fine, but pls don't decide on the basis of this unusual programme!

nanneh · 02/02/2006 11:55

lilac - I am not surprised you weren't impressed. I don't think the programme was actually trying to impress you. Sad, but true.

If you have reserves about BF already, then the programme would most certainly not have helped you because it was showing mostly unusual cases, not the average woman who breastfeeds beyond 1 years old.

Eulalia · 02/02/2006 11:56

Just read down a few posts - hunkermunker and in the middle of composing an email to the Wright Stuff.

Bugsy2 · 02/02/2006 11:57

Well, I would just like to reiterate that I found it improved my view of extended breastfeeding, which I have always felt squeamish about.
Those with very entrenched views about it aren't going to change their minds because of one programme on Channel 4, however well made it was!

nanneh · 02/02/2006 11:58

lilac - I am not surprised you weren't impressed. I don't think the programme was actually trying to impress you. Sad, but true.

If you have reserves about BF already, then the programme would most certainly not have helped you because it was showing mostly unusual cases, not the average woman who breastfeeds beyond 1 years old.

tiktok · 02/02/2006 12:00

Lilacbump - if you breastfeed, you are not forced to continue for any longer than you want to

Don't know why the programme would put anyone off starting bf.

Good points, Euliaia, about dynamics and relationships. Toddlers need boundaries and breastfeeding a zillion times a day at the constant expense of your convenience and comfort is not on....the twins mum wanted to stop because it had got to the strage where it was very inconvenient and uncomfortable and making her very, very tired. She could have cut down, and got it under control, but she decided the best thing for her would be to stop - fair enough.

A toddler 'demanding' to be fed in a supermarket can be asked to wait until it's more convenient - just as you wouldn't give in to a request for chocolate, or a story, or a game of ring 'o' roses in the middle of your shopping. You'd say 'later' and the toddler would learn to accept that. A young baby doesn't understand that and nutritionally, cannot wait for long either. I suspect the supermarket-feeding-toddler shots were set up to make a point.

Eulalia · 02/02/2006 12:53

Have emailed The Wright Stuff - will post my email if anyone is interested.

LucyJu · 02/02/2006 12:55

Plesae do, Eulalia

hunkermunker · 02/02/2006 12:58

Lazycow, I was talking about The Wright Stuff - were you?

Aloha · 02/02/2006 13:06

Tiktok, can you honestly not see why this programme would put women off? I find that really strange. It is obvious that lots of people find the idea of breastfeeding pretty strange (it always seems really strange to me when I'm not doing it tbh) and are concerned about embarrassment etc, and to see that 'people who breastfeed' are freaky folk with eight year old daughters with a breast obsession, and with toddlers who feed 20 times a day and to hear the expressions of disgust that this programme was designed to elicit by its choice of case studies, will obviously put people off.
I completely stand by what I say. Channel 4 has a lot to answer for.

bosscat · 02/02/2006 13:07

I didn't think it was nearly as bad as I feared actually. I thought the family with the twins were really nice and thought the mother was being quite sensible about stopping, realising she needed to spend some time with her other two children. I'm not sure about the complete withdrawal of it though, although they did say they had tried once before and failed.

I thought the family with the 8 and 10 year old were quite odd but well meaning. My heart actually stopped when the father said he breast fed alongside however and I really hope he was joking.

I felt slightly uncomfortable about the Spanish lady trying to breast feed her adopted daughter but sort of understood why she wanted to do that, I think her heart was in the right place.

Kirsty from Little Angels was a total star.

Aloha · 02/02/2006 13:08

And Lilacbump, I breastfed my son and am breastfeeding my daughter and the idea of breastfeeding an eight year old makes my skin crawl tbh. Don't think this show was representative of breastfeeding at ALL.

bosscat · 02/02/2006 13:11

Aloha do you remember the extended BF thread a while back? There are quite a lot of MN'etters who were extended BF'ing. I was really surprised by that at the time. Actually seeing it though is a little shocking.

bundy · 02/02/2006 13:14

this programme was more about bad parenting, imo, and how putting one's own needs/desires before that of a child (esp with the adoptive child) is not a good idea

Tinker · 02/02/2006 13:20

Was quite relieved by this programme. Not heard anyone in real life discussing it yet though...suspect views will be rather harsher.

juice · 02/02/2006 13:20

did i hear correct last night that the lady from cumbria with the 8 and 10 year old dd's let her mother feed one of them.

FairyMum · 02/02/2006 13:25

I thought I heard that too....Not sure if she let her son-in-law suck too. She didn't say.

juice · 02/02/2006 13:27

sorry but if she let her mother bf one of her children that is gross. talk about nana 'bitty'

LOOBYLOU2 · 02/02/2006 13:31

Don't think she actually "fed" the baby - it just sucked .....

Tinker · 02/02/2006 13:33

It's unusual, not gross!

hunkermunker · 02/02/2006 13:33

If feeding a baby was done with your little finger, would people be as grossed out by it?

No. It's because it's bosoms.

NannyD · 02/02/2006 13:36

There were complications at the birth and for whatever reasons the cumbrian woman couldn't nurse the baby but didn't want the baby to have formula or a dummy so her mum helped out.
Unusual nowadays but not once years ago.

popsycalindisguise · 02/02/2006 13:37

we are quite happy that mens wilies have two functions......you would never get jiggy while your man was taking a pee so why do people confuse the two functions of boobs