When breastfeeding isn't enough...fed is best

[Birthdaypartyangstiness]

Anyone read this? (TRIGGER WARNING: link is about an infant death due to inadequate diet):

fedisbest.org/2017/02/given-just-one-bottle-still-alive/

It is a hard read but seems worth publicising.

I'm biased because I was in a very similar situation with my first child. Also have mild PCOS, poor fertility and produced copious watery milk with a baby who either screamed or "cluster fed" and suffered significant weight loss (dropped off the chart). And I just kept getting the breast is best message, feed him more etc and persuaded not to give him formula. I "gave in" at about 12 weeks and topped him up with formula and he suddenly thrived. I'm an educated health professional and yet the pressure to exclusively breast feed was enormous and I let go of my own common sense. Looking back now it's clear that there was objective evidence that my supply, though copious, was not nutritious. Milk I expressed sat in the fridge, and when separated due to cold had only the slightest "scum" of fat on top, the rest was just grey water. Showed the midwife and HV and just got the party line that all breast milk varies, you are making what your baby needs blah blah blah. Just ridiculous. We accept that there is variation in all other health matters, so why do we persist with the universal message that breast is best? Thank science for formula.

Probably because this kind of policing of other people's language is another bugbear of mine! But that's a whole other topic.

It's not about coping with words it's about finding something being compared with Nazi terror inappropriate and unfair.

Use whatever language you like. But it has an effect on people all the same. I can see you're not interested in any criticism of the terms you're keen to use though.

Most things we say have an effect on people. Hence discussion resulting. I think keen is overstating it though. I said it once among several hundred other words. Repetitions were only in reference to other people's opinions on the use of the word. But ultimately if people want to derail discussion by policing the language participants use, that's up to them. I do think that is a whole other debate though. It is a very interesting and topical sociological phenomenon as it happens. However in that matter, I'm already clear where my opinion lies so won't be starting that thread myself!

So any criticism of terms used is policing language and is not acceptable? Ok.

Anyway, I really dislike the "fed is best" slogan and the website you linked to, I think it's full of scaremongering stories designed to alarm. I think it's US base means it's not particularly relevant to the UK. I agree that there needs to be much better and consistent breastfeeding support in the first few weeks and months. Any HCP that ignores or misses clinical signs of dehydration, starvation or similar and continues to just push breastfeeding above all else should be disciplined appropriately. NHS policy should be very clear on that, if it isn't already.

But realistically there's not going to be any improvement to any of that in the current political and economic environment.

The 'fed is best' slogan is a load of tripe, surely fed is the bare minimum. Sorry if you don't like it but I do find it difficult to take people seriously when they use terms such a 'breastapo' and 'special snowflake'.