Breastfeeding - building the brand - ideas?

[hunkermunker]

The media shorthand for "breastfeeding" seems to be "hairy legs, weirdy sandals, dubious personal hygiene inc. unshaven armpits and a laissez-faire attitude to discipline of children".

What would you like to see in the media to promote bf? More women bf in soaps? Celebs talking more about their experience of bf? Ordinary women who work and bf talking about how they do it (so many times I read women say "there was no point bf, I was going back to work full time when LO was 4/5/6/7mo")?

So much of the bf info out there is kinda clinical - which is fair enough because it's written by the Department of Health. But should there be more from an emotional pov, more written by "women like me" - not the hairy-legged hippies that it's so often written by (NOT slating HLH btw - some of my finest friends could be described thus ).

Just musing, really. Formula manufacturers have HUGE budgets to build their brand awareness and BF relies on volunteers - I know there are marketing people on MN and I wondered if they wouldn't mind giving a bit of input into this?

oh, advertising is a very powerful tool, otherwise comapnies wouldn't waste their money on it, would they....

It has always struck me as odd that of the thousands of species of vertebrates, Homo Sapiens is the only one that (apparently) needs to drink milk/eat cheese for its whole life in order to get enough calcium.... at least according to the dairy industry.
Especially as 2/3 of the Human population live in areas where cows milk etc is not readily available to all (I believe) Do they all die of terminal osteoporosis?

Ironic, really, given that breastfeeding protects mothers against osteoporosis as well as their babies.

Domk, indeed...there is research that actually shows that people that get a high level of their calcium through cowsmilkproducts are more likeky to devellope osteoporosis!
Twinkle, hope I haven't frightened you away,lol!

Donk even...lol

No, just been taking a break to feed DS, change dirty nappy, make cup of tea etc. I'm back now - it's a good distraction from horrid period pain. Sitting here with nice cup of tea and hot water bottle.

you poor thing...

I just read the op...maybe it's me being weird, but I generally perceived the media etc to be fairly pro breast feeding these days. Certainly I think there is far more said in favour than against. Maybe I just wear rose tinted glasses though. I can't say as I've noticed an outrageuos amount of formula advertising.

Of course advertising is powerful, and it does change people's purchasing priorities.

But changing people's lifestyles and healthcare decisions is massively difficult , and it is very easy to get wrong.

I don't really think the problem of bf is with initiation. We already have a significant rise in initiation of breastfeeding across all social groups and ages - whatever it is we are doing with regard to this, it is working ok.

The real problem is with maintenance. The decision to initiate bf is fragile - it can change within a few hours if the right support is not there. The biggest drop in bf is in the first weeks when the health service has most contact with a new mother.

There is a huge amount of good research to show that not breastfeeding brings with it health risks to both mother and baby. The research controls for other factors such as socio-demographic circumstances, and infant feeding can stand alone as an independent risk factor. A recent study here calculates the indendent risk of 'not breastfeeding' on some health conditions - it's worth reading.

Paula, you asked 'pressure on who?' with regard to the US ad about 'risks of formula'. I will check this out, but IIRC it was the medical coalition that produced the ad and the TV companies that ran it. As I say, I will find some links to show how the debate went. It had nothing to do with the veracity of the claims.

Initiation of bf pretty shockingly low in my borough, Tiktok - 54%

HM - there are pockets of poor initiation everywhere, but overall, the rate is going up in a consistent and significant way. If you look at the 2005 stats every region in the UK has seen a rise since the 2000 figures - so whatever it is we are doing to support women having a go, it is working.

I could quote many places where initiation is way, way below your 54 per cent - there is a table on the DH website which goes right down to the 20 something per cent mark.

But those figures are better than they used to be.

Couldn't all pregnant women be given a copy of the article that Twinklemegan linked to?

Absolutely not, Bam!

If you are going to give people written material as a routine it has to be written in a way that someone with a reading age of (say) 10 or 11 could manage fine; that someone whose first language is not English would manage; that's been evaluated for effectiveness; that won't make them angry, confused, bored...or scared.

The article is a good one, but it doesn't meet any of those requirements.

You are right tiktok.
What about information written in the correct way then?

Well....that's the whole discussion of this thread, Bam

Regarding the ad from the US on risks of formula: I have checked my files on this, and the ad did indeed run for a short time, in the face of some controversy. The following links show how formula manufacturers were involved in putting pressure on Government (this was a Govt campaign) to water down the message from the start:

www.womensenews.org/article.cfm/dyn/aid/1651/context/archive

maloney.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=265&Itemid=61

www.businessword.com/index.php/weblog/comments/725/

www.hipmama.com/node/588

I may have been incorrect in saying the ad was 'withdrawn' as that was from memory. But it only ran a short time and has not been repeated in any form.

Tiktok, would you mind if I emailed you?

thanks tictok

OK, HM.....

(I already had with a "don't if you don't want to" disclaimer on it )

Well, on a shallow note, I've found breastfeeding to be the most fantastic way to lose all the weight I put on when I was pregnant - AND I can eat ALL I want while I'm breastfeeding and still be skinny. Quite aside from all the health benefits (to baby and to mother), this has got to be a sexy way to 'sell' bf .

What I meant was right at the start of a womans antenatal care she is given a lot of leaflets and information. Surely it would be possible to make an extra leaflet to give with all the information on it.
But who would do the leaflet and would everyone read it?
It is a tough one.

Thing is, a lot of women already find that breastfeeding is "rammed" down their throats...

I think one of the biggest problems with carrying on through a difficult initial stage is the way sooooo many people are conspiring to stop you bfeeding, including health professionals who think they're encouraging you (but are actually giving you very bad advice).

Obviously, training health professionals would be good, but there also needs to be "myth-busting" info available to women so they know when they're being told nonsense.

yes, that and a change of societies expectations of Newborn feeding/sleeping pattern....