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?

at Tru-breast though!

Haven't read all the thread so apologies if this repeats what has already been said....

I've always thought the 'designer' aspect of bm would be a good one to promote: if you were a millionaire, you could buy your baby the trendiest clothes, best buggy, fanciest designer nursery etc, but you couldn't give it anything better to eat than breast milk - and that's something you can afford whether you're Gwyneth Paltrow or a 17 year old single mum in a council house.

Plus bm really is 'designer' in the way it changes over time to meet the needs of your growing baby.

I also loved the 'bf friendly' sticker that someone linked to - I think if we could get places (cafes, tourist attractions etc) to actively describe themselves in this way it would both make it more visible in general and make it easier for women who are nervous about feeding in public in case they get told off.

Message withdrawn

lucy - that tru breast thing is excellent, very funny the way they have used made up marketing brand names - lol

feed-in in a Mac's lol - what a hoot - i think the management would ask them to leave pronto !

Do you think so? I have never had problems feeding in Maccy Ds (except that it's not always very comfortable on the fixed moulded plastic seats you get in some).

I bought a very trendy (think Wallpaper and Nylon) fashion magazine called Lula (not at all Hello or OK )a while ago and was pleased to see one of the interviewed rather boho and beautiful acting stars called Theresa somethingorother was photographed bfeeding her 9-month old as part of a fashion shoot - it looked beautiful and natural. That's the kind of thing we should see more of imo.

I know Kathy, one or two mums no probs. but what if it was a feed-in , like 30 LLL women reserving the party area, decide to have a simulateous feed-athon in a Mac's which is what I think pruni was suggesting, but may be I am wrong and Mac's are far more liberal than I realise

Actually if any one knows of an LLL group planning to do that in their local Mac's I would love to join in, ds is 2.9 yo

I'd like to find out now Yellowrose

but a more mainstream mag such as Grazia, Hello etc would be what should be aimed for. Why aren't there more such shoots?

we could start with those god-awful cardboard books they do for babies/toddlers with "things for baby" that nearly ALWAYS have a bottle that says milk under it ! I saw 2 only last week in our local library, I was fuming !

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MILK

Love that Breastmilk advertisement....have seen it in the past, but still very good!

Just thinking of other parallel natural human functions - such as going to the toilet, eating etc. All are things that we have to learn to do properly so as not to make a mess or fool of ourselves in society- e.g. how to wipe our bums , how to eat with cutlery so we can eat in'polite' company without feeling embarrassed. Likewise, we have to learn how to breastfeed. The thing is, the other things we have to learn right from the word go, the breastfeeding only as aduts, that's why it is viewed as so 'difficult'. Yet the mechanics of breastfeeding are far less complex in reality than eating peas with a fork, or using chopsticks.

Thousands of women learn to drive cars, why can't the same number learn to breastfeed? I know what I would rather do, I stll haven't past my driving test, but have breastfed my dd1 to 18 months, and plan to do so again to dc2.

correction'passed' my driving test

INcidently in culture where breastfeeding is seen as the norm, and Formula is not readily available there seem to be hardly any incidences of breastfeeding not working out, as the support is all aorund you and it is easier to do somehting that you have always been around, etc...and well, you would have the support in your close environment and your friends, rather then necesarily needing HP's for that....

that is also very true of countries were formula IS readily available but there is a good family support network (mums, sisters, aunts all bf) and most mums have a very good knowledge of the benefits of bf. they know formula exists, they just rarely use it until say after 6 months or after 1 year usually, i am thinking of several countries in Asia, one where I lived for several years. I remember going to one country in the ME with ds when he was 8 months old and ALL the local mothers I met saying I mustn't give ds any formula until he was well over a year, beacuse it wasn't good for him. and this is a very very conservative country where many of the women are covered head to toe, BUT they bf in public EVERYWHERE, the men don't bat an eye lid. Interesting, eh ?

those women were amazed when i told them that women in some european countries don't ever even try to bf, they kind of look shocked and said, but you are so much more advanced than us, don't the doctors there tell you you must bf because it is good for your baby, and i was like well, yes, but most of our doctors don't know anything about bf

Correct me if I'm wrong, somebody please, but I was talking about this with a friend earlier today, and apparently neither midwives, health visitors nor doctors are required to complete any training in breastfeeding. If this is true, it's hardly any wonder that so many women are given such bad advice. If the government is serious about improving breastfeeding rates, then surely it should be compulsory for any health professional likely to come into regular contact with mothers and babies to be properly trained in breastfeeding support.

Lucy that is, sadly true...and I made that point earlier, that them pushing it is no good if they don't provide that those hp's that push it also know about it...i.e. all of them need to have mandatory and very good training for Breastfeeding support to make the whole breast is best campaign more effective and productive....a HV will have 1 training day, and m/w's aren't much better and GP's don't get any or aswell only the very basics of it....which just isn't good enough!
Also doesn't help that of course many of the HP's are of generations that haven't bf'ed themselfs and have severe hangups...I had some of those...luckily didn't effect me as such as I knew what I wanted and knew I was doing the rihgt thing...but that attiitude can of course really put spanners into the works

Not entirely sure what to add here, but wanted to say "ta" for the thread, which has thrown up lots of links which will be useful in the next module of my bfc course! Amongst other things I'm at the "design a leaflet or poster" stage.
Also would like to second those who've said that the biggest thing to do to improve the image of bf-ing would be to improve support. In my area (of Scotland) the rates are on the average - low side. I've met lots of mums who wouldn't consider bf-ing, and just close their minds to the idea - "it's not my kind of thing". But many, many more mums who have tried to breastfeed, but given up within the first one to four weeks. I like the idea of a myth-busting leaflet or advert. I may steal it for my course - suitably referenced back here, of course!
In Scotland a few years ago there was a great advert featuring Raj Persaud proclaiming the virtues of a new "wonder baby food" which protected both baby and mother - as it was in my pre-bf days, I can't remember exactly what he said, but it stuck in my dh's head, and now he's very supportive.
Also, I do think it's a great support to have the legislation to back you up to feed outside the house. I've never met a single negative attitude, and lots of positive ones.
Sorry, this ended up a bit long for someone with nothing new to add . .

Here's the other Scottish ad

I think they should update the pictures in the breastfeeding how to leaflets. Also, they should have more pictures of cool people breastfeeding discreetly in public.

The scottish ad looks good!
whilest watching that, I looked about...not sure this was linked, too....but this is the sort of attitude that is sooooo negative :
...what is that womans problem, sigh