Another article about how awful breastfeeding is, this time in a feminist publication

[Caligula]

I thought some of you would like to read this.

This misinformation bugged me:

"Times change though, and the formulas on the market are hopefully as close to what comes out of your boob, as they will ever be".

Wonder what the rest of you think

the new breastfeeding taboo

lol Norkmaiden!

Kathy, I agree about helplines. That was true in my experience. Also I think wouldn't occur perhaps to many health professionals to recommend them as they may have no experience of them or think that they have given out correct info, therefore no need to call in a 'specialist'. And if the general attitude is "bf if you can but don't worry if you can't" then sorting out problems in order to continue isn't necessary is it?

Caligula that midwife does sound wonderful!

Tatties
It's a bloody good article though! the bit about the Bush govt and formula companies is shocking (as if people need any more ammo to despise him...) and was news to me.

Caligula, I love the fact she said "don't hang about here in the hospital"

norkmaiden i've read bits of your mahoosive copy and paste and it is good (haven't read it all, my eyes started to bleed )

Norkmaiden, if you do delete the article, could you post a link/reference? It looks good but I can't read it right now.

I didn't notice that Kathy!
Sad state of affairs though - so with a good dose of too

Kathy, I couldn't link to it, hence giant paste job, but could def leave a ref up.

For Kathy:

Jacqueline H. Wolf - 'What Feminists Can Do for Breastfeeding and What Breastfeeding Can Do for Feminists', Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society 2006, vol. 31, no. 2

also interesting

It is a good article Norkmaiden.

at Bush. Actually no, not really. Very but I am not surprised.

Thanks for posting the article - the historical bit about how advice on feeding by the clock almost invented the phenomena of "not enough milk" was really interesting.

"And it does annoy me when people try to perpetuate the myth that breastfeeding is incredibly difficult for a lot of people. I do sympathise with those who have difficulties, and I had initial problems myself (but only for a few weeks). IMO, the reason so many people give up early in this country is because formula is so available."

Socci - do you have ANY idea how insulting that is to every woman who has struggled and struggled to b/f?? I have just found out, 5 months on, that my DS has tongue tie. Apparently not one of the so-called professionals, nor the NCT bfc, thought to check for it. Breastfeeding was agonising for me, and distressing for him, but I struggled to continue with at least some for 4 months. If you think having severe difficulties b/f is a myth, just look through the MN archives over the last few months.

And btw, when b/f is so difficult and painful it definitely CAN prevent you from bonding with your child. Having said that, I don't agree with everything in that article and I'm disappointed that the writer isn't going to give it another go with her next baby.

I don't understand why she wants to ff from day 1 with number 2 if she thinks that the main problem she had with number 1 was the fact that she was prescribed antibiotics which she felt were unnecessary and that the antibiotics made her milk taste funny. Is she sure that she will have exactly the same experience again?

Because she had such a bloody awful time, she didn't like breastfeeding and she doesn't think that formula will do her baby any harm at all.

Her reasons aren't that preposterous.

Breastfedding is the onl thing that is the best for your child, if you can't for medical reasons then you need to be counselled to be able to deal with that.

Formula milk is F%ck all like the best for the baby but it will do

I hate feminists, they want equal opportunities but then want the f*cking door held open for them

Hunker - we're waiting for the third instalment!

I'm so glad this whole part of my parenting career is OVER.

Not b/c I didn't enjoy both BF and FF, but b/c I will forever wonder WHY this is SUCH a controversial thing.

Well said, expat.
I BF both of mine, and chuffin' hated it. Both turned out good kids, and in the big scheme of things, a happy mummy is a better mummy.

There's so much else out there, isn't there, matey?

So many other things.

a sad article, but not a terrible one. (apart from her extraordinary conclusion that the next baby will go on the bottle from day one. wtf? ) i await hunker's thesis with interest.

socci is right, twinkle, that we wouldn't have given up bfing if we didn't have formula. but there are some of us whose babies would have starved had we been forced to persevere without milk from another source, so that's hardly the result anyone's after.

it's been my experience that people who've struggled like the devil to breastfeed find it hard to accept that it's just not possible for some people, so they say things like this. don't upset yourself over it, twinkle, i'm sure socci didn't mean it to.

I'm not upset about that, Aitch, and I know she's factually correct about the formula. I am extremely upset about the undiagnosed tongue tie, but that's another story. I suppose it's all still a bit raw...

i'm not surprised, twinkle, it's a fucking disgrace.

i liked it, as i went through the same

for me its just an article that says, yes breast IS best - but not everyone can breastfeed sucessfully - if you cant its ok

theres loads of articles sayong 'breastfeeding is the best way to go' ect - which is true, but no help to those of us that tried but couldnt continue