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Infant feeding

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Company which harvests soil bacteria for baby formula sponsoring Royal College of Midwives conference! Outrageous!

68 replies

theAfkaUrbanDryad · 25/05/2008 20:46

Morgan puts it much better than me, as usual. Here

OP posts:
loobee · 27/05/2008 22:05

Totally agree with tbbang as above. Still awaiting reply full reply from RCM but have had initial response. We'll see what crap justification they have eh!

mears · 28/05/2008 09:18

tittybangbang - I agree with most of what you say but if only it were that simple.

If I had not moved my stance of 'no need for formual', my sister would not still be breeastfeeding twins 5 weeks down the line. She cannot cope with the frequency of feeds required to maintain a good milk supply - she cannot content herself to sit and feed. It does not suit her lifestyle and she knows all the benefits of btreastfeeding and the cons of formula.

Some breastmilk is better than no breastmilk!

hunkermunker · 28/05/2008 10:46

If the Dept of Health really had bfing as a top priority, why wouldn't it be them sponsoring the conferences?

Why do formula manufacturers sponsor them? Because they know it gets their product name out there, they get the warm fuzzies from midwives who don't think these things through in the same way Mears and others like her do and surely if their presence was really bad, "someone" would have done "something" about it already, no?

Fuckers.

TinkerbellesMum · 28/05/2008 11:43

Not got all the way through, but just wanted to say that link doesn't say that making formula more like BM is unethical. That's taking half a sentence and completely changing it's context.

TinkerbellesMum · 28/05/2008 11:57

theAfkaUrbanDryad "but seemingly innocuous things like pens, and notepads are given out at these events, which mw's and hv's then use in front of new mums"

It's supposed to be against the UNICEF guidelines and they would be in a lot of trouble if they were caught doing it. My boss's face was a picture when I said that I've heard people say they've seen that. She wanted to know who and when (thinking it was me who saw it) that happened.

mears · 28/05/2008 16:23

We are a babyfriendly unit and do not use any items that sponsor formula companies such as pens, calendars, diaries etc. Not all units are like that . The community has not long had babyfriendly status. I had many an argument with the HV about Farley's height measure on the wall.

VictorianSqualor · 28/05/2008 16:28

If it's a baby friendly hospital does it make any difference to the Local Health Authority? I mean my GP's surgery has thing sponsored by formula companies, but my hospital is baby friendly.

mears · 28/05/2008 16:30

No, community is different and has different objectives than the hospital

mears · 28/05/2008 16:31

community initiatve info request here

tittybangbang · 28/05/2008 16:53

Mears - you can't compare your sister's situation with twins to the experience of feeding a singleton. If someone has to supplement because they simply can't cope with exclusive breastfeeding then that's what they have to do. I just wonder how we've arrived at a situation where the MAJORITY of women who are breastfeeding a single baby feel compelled for one reason or other to supplement within the first two weeks. What is it the way we approach feeding as new mothers that results in such huge numbers of women feeling that they 'can't cope' with something that's a biologically normal part of parenting?

hunkermunker · 28/05/2008 16:54

Only 35% of babies won't have had formula by the end of the first week.

Something in society shifted to make it this common.

It needs to shift back.

TinkerbellesMum · 28/05/2008 17:00

My boss said that HVs and CMWs shouldn't be using sponsored products. I don't know the full ins and outs of the UNICEF stuff, it's something I must get round to read in more detail.

mears · 29/05/2008 18:51

tittybangbang - I'm sorry but I think it can be compared. I breastfed singletons exclusively and had no problem at all feeding 2 hourly or more often when need be. My sis would not have been prepared to do that for one baby either.

There are a number of women out there who do not want babies feeds to dictate their lives was the point I am trying to make.

In our hospital formula is not offered at all - women request it because they cannot cope with the frequency of feeds which is normal.

In my sisters case she is coninuing to breastfeed by mixing with formula. I would never have advised a woman to do that, however somewtimes the decision that is then made is to stop breastfeeding altogether.

I certainly agree that there is ionappropriare professional advice out there, but sometimes I wonder if todays woman and the expectations she puts on herself aren't a major contributing factor.

I loved breastfeeding and would not allow formula to pass my babies' lips. I fed any time, any place anywhere.

It amazes me the number of women who want to interrupt skin-to-skin contact at birth so that the relatives piled up outside can come in to hold the baby. Feeding is seen as something that can be done later when it suits, rather than a priority.

The mind set is all wrong in some cases.

loobee · 29/05/2008 22:26

Mears- very much in agreement with you on your points re. today's woman and her expectation of what is normal feeding and what her priorities are. As mw's we are often battling with this just as much as the misinformation and clever maketing techniques employed by formula milk companies. Also totally agree re. skin to skin interruption, it drives me mad. Maybe we just need to spell it out to women how important it is? Sadly i don't see things improving very quickly any time soon but will continue to try!

tittybangbang · 29/05/2008 23:03

"There are a number of women out there who do not want babies feeds to dictate their lives was the point I am trying to make"

Yes - that's very true.

My personal feeling is that our bottlefeeding culture has done something to the way we see breastfeeding. How can I put it into words? It's like it's fundamentally distorted our perception of the normal biology and psychology of new motherhood.

Give us 50 years and they'll be breeding babies in bottles.

And then you'll get loads of women saying they can't cope with the pressures of normal pregnancy and birth so that pregnancy and childbirth will end up being seen as a lifestyle choice for yogurt knitters.

mears · 30/05/2008 10:15

I think that we are already there with women and their expectations of pregnancy. I have lost count of the number of inductions I see for social reasons including being 'fed up'

kiskideesameanoldmother · 30/05/2008 19:45

Pixie, Johnson and Johnson bought out the company that makes Aveeno. Like so many successfull manufacturers, they know a money making scheme when they see one.

I ain't saying it is right or wrong. it just is.

kinda like BMW taking over Rover, scrapping it but keeping the Mini which no one 50 yrs hence will know was ever part of another successful and competitive enterprise.

teasmade · 02/06/2008 20:22

There are 2 arguments being mashed together here.

Concerns about the corporate interests of formula companies very valid.

Heaping further judgement onto women who don't BF not so valid. I was BF 'til 2 and know it is 100% the best way to go. However I am disabled and my medical and physical difficulties mean I will have to FF. I have made the mistake of coming onto this topic because I am trying to prepare myself to be the best FF possible!

"some mums just don't have the inclination or stamina for BF" is the sort of judegemtal, misogynistic language we need to get away from. The only people I know who FF feel very guilty about it. I can see there are many here who take some pleasure from that - though they will deny it. Supportive mw who take time to help with BF but don't punish people who give up display what should be a universal attitude - but isn't.

I hope to god I don't get one of these mws who is desperate to put an imperfect woman in her place.

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