Read this shocking article about the damaging effects of formula and the immoral practices of the companies who peddle this junk.

[moondog]

From The Ecologist magazine.

Here.....

Grim reading.

Good point, LadyG - it's the whole 'crazy business' of modern life that really needs to change, rather than individual women struggling with it, so breastfeeding becomes compatable with modern life.

That said, I very much suspect those figures are for exclusive breastfeeding....the 58 per cent of Scandi mothers who on these firgures appear to be not breastfeeding at 6 mths are still breastfeeding, but giving other foods/drinks alonside.

If I get time I'll look into this, but I would be really surprised if the majority of Nor/Swe/Dan babies are not getting any breastmilk at all at that age.

Thanks Tiktok. I am still rather at my rant much further down - and anyway it's good to have some questions answered, at least in part. I noticed my PCT is not on that chart so perhaps they are one of the ones with the lamentable data-collection protocols...this would not surprise me!
I am not that into stats (dh is the professional) but as someone said stats are about likelihoods, not absolutes. So you tend to see on MN the people who've fed formula on one side, balancing the risk factor with the trauma they're going through with feeding, and the breastfeeders on the other, talking absolutes. And never the twain shall meet, perhaps.

So glad that this thread has finally turned into a discussion about the article & is no longer a battle ground.
There is definitely alot wrong with our "crazy" lifestyle. I was thinking last night what would have helped me with breastfeeding my two & could only come to the conclusion that I needed looking after. I needed calm, quiet, non-judgemental experienced support. A warm loving soul to mop up my tears and allow me to get over the hideous trauma of the birth and then guide me in the right direction with breast-feeding.
I felt so isolated after the birth of my first. Utterly clueless & frightened. I'm sure that those things contributed to my difficulties with breastfeeding, as well as the fact my poor DS had horrific bruising from forceps meaning that just holding his head to the breast made him scream.

I have not read the article and will not be doing so.

FFS have you lot not heard of the phrase live and let live?????????????

I was unable to BF due to various reasons and seeing this thread title did upset me but what upset me even more was the way this discussion started to turn horrible. I have come under fire from certain MN in the past (I do not normally get involved in any threads like this and I've always sat back and bit my tongue).

The way we raise our children is down to us as individuals, we are all presented with different choices and how we choose to do it should never ever ever be brought under the microscope and dissected (sorry if that sounds strong) I absolutely applaud every women who BF but I should not be made to feel guilty by a title such as this

Bugsy, yes. I said somewhere on this (?) thread that I believe that partners need educating re breastfeeding too, they should be our ultimate support. Don't know about anyone else but my dh seemed very surprised that I struggled to breastfeed - seemed to think that I would automatically know how to do it. And the baby too.

I'd agree Bugsy - I'd even risk saying we seem to be meeting somewhere near the middle

I seem to have joined the flurry too late. My son had a tongue tie and whilst I should have been able to cope with the feedings lasting 2 hours every 3 hours until he could get it snipped 2-3 weeks after birth, strangely enough I didn't. I am therefore obviously a selfish lazy bad mother who doesn't care enough about the welfare of her own son . I was racked with guilt about it and it still hurts now.

Of all the new mums I know everyone desperately wanted to bf and those of us that didn't it was for totally valid reasons.

My Dad had a sensible point which was that if everyone can BF and produce enough milk for their baby how come FM was ever invented in the first place ?
Again I know I am covering old ground but does anyone seriously think that 90% of mums don't know that bm is better than formula ?
Arrggghhh rant over

"Epistemology: is knowledge knowable? If not, how do we know this?" (Allen, 1972, p49)

The trouble with 'scientific' research is that we are asked to accept research conclusions as absolute truth, often out of context and inevitably without the detailed knowledge of the techniques, variables etc, which we need to actually form some reasonable judgement of our own as to whether we accept them.

Or wait, is this why health professionals like them so much...

...sorry, am I too cynical?

Please lets not drag this up again

Whyever not? It is an interesting discussion

whatwho - I agree but its just that you've posted twice on the boards (under that name) so ..............

WW it's an incredibly emotive discussion and a lot of mumsnetters have polarised opinions on the subject. We have lost a few valued members to this thread already and trust me it is better left. By all means start a new thread perhaps with a less contentious title and we can have a debate with a different tone

It?s only in the last 60 years that we have begun to give babies & children the highly processed convenience food called crisps, frozen pizza, carbonated sugared drinks, etc, etc.

Uh, no offence intended. It has taken me this long to read the article and thread, and I had an opinion

I missed this thread whilst on holiday oh what a shame [not]

Sorry WW if I sounded a bit harsh, I just never wanted to see this thread again iyswim.

no probs. Leaving now!