Daisy Goodwin - how much do you reckon she got paid to write this nasty drivel?

[fabsmum]

NCTgetsitintheneckagain

What a horrible, article to write in National Breastfeeding Awareness week.

And using the case of that suicidal woman in the US to have a pop at breastfeeding advocates in the UK.

'But according to that article, she chose to bf. Then she wanted other people to tell her it was ok to stop. To me, that is up to her. If I joined, say ,a pilates class, then decided it wasn't for me, I wouldn't go to the teacher and say "I'm having problems with the pilates class" and expect her to tell me to chuck it- I'd just chuck it!! Sounds to me like she is looking for someone to make a decision which is entirely up to her, and then blame them for putting too much pressure in her to make it work'

Excellent point Jooly.
She's a grown reasonably intelligent woman. If it was too much for her then she should have made a decision to stop.

I mean, it's mad isn't it, to have neonate specialists forcing you to do somethnig that is both the physiological norm andtakes into account the well known effects of artificial feeding.

Also following point about blame culture.
Who goes to the doctor and comes out saying

'God, what a horrid bastard she was, making me feel guilty for overreating/not exercising/smoking/taking drugs!! How dare her?'

Only in bizaare case of babies is being informed of the ideal way to feed them twisted and turned into bullying wommen.

FFS. Are we that pathetic and delicate that we have to be shileded from truth?

NiceShoes - have you read the thread?

Daisy G did breastfeed, for a year (I gave the link). Clearly she had a rotten time in the first weeks and had poor support and became distressed, but the one breastfeeding supporter she contacted (18 years ago) is castigated because she didnt tell her to use a bottle. I am an NCT bfc, and if people call me to ask for info and help about bf, I would not be doing my 'job' (it's unpaid) if I did not explore ways to help them breastfeed. In fact we do talk about bottles as well, because people often call up and want to talk about them, too, and we never say 'you must not use a bottle' just as we never say 'you must continue to breastfeed'. People decide for themselves what to do.

Where are people saying formula feeding causes nail growth or pimples, or anything spurious about formula feeding at all? Anything? Links? Make a joke about nail growth if you want to, but back it up with a link to anything where people make daft claims for formula feeding.

And of course DG has issues. I gave the links where she clearly expounds her battles with postnatal depression - unrelated to feeding.

I have NEVER seen a thread about formula feeding causing pimples or psoriasis.

Nor have I, whodathought it.

In fact, I have seen threads asking about 'milk spots'...is this what she meant?

She is being silly, but is it completely forbidden on MN to admit that BF is a bit of a PITA? I had no problems (apart from having too much milk which confused the baby a bit) but I gave up after 4 months because I felt like i wanted my body back and I wanted to be able to have a bloody lemsip if i had a cold! I also wanted to be able to spend more than a few hours away from my child (expressing was easy, but took up loads of time if I wanted enough milk for an entire day) OK, it was selfish, but I was getting quite ill with PND and was absolutely exhausted all the time from making milk. When I started FF I felt like such a failiure, I was ashamed to get the bottle out in public and hid the formula in my trolley! To me, it was just another way in which I had failed as a mother.

BF is lovely, and if you can do it, well done. But woman DO get judged for FF, I know because I did it when I was BF. I'm pregnant again and will try again to do it for as long as possible, but if and when I get sick of it, I will be breaking out the SMA!

BF can be a PITA but so can FF. In fact, many aspects of caring for a tiny baby are a PITA. And there are threads on MN about all of them.

tiktok - Yes, that is what the NCT lady actually said, it put me right off the NCT I can tell you!!

We've actually already MN'ed about this on this thread www.mumsnet.com/Talk/breast_and_bottle_feeding/740995-How-many-feeds-a-day-I-seem-to-be-feeding

Of course BF can be a PITA. But it doesn't stop DG writing self indulgent, self absorbed, deliberately misinformed drivel. Unbearable woman.

Someone really needs to call her bluff and get her to back up her claims with evidence.

writing an article about how proper training and support for those who breastfeed should be more of a priority in the NHS would have been more useful.

I think that it's too easy to fall into the trap of wanting "permission" for your feeding choice. Rather than just learning the facts, balancing the risks, then making your decision. I guess as new mothers, particularly first time mothers, we can feel very vulnerable to others' opinions and perceived judgment by others, whilst getting our heads round the massive responsibilities of parenthood.

Just for any lurkers, here is a list of cough and cold medicines which breastfeeding mothers can take and it does include Lemsip.
CLick here to open PDF file

Thanks babieseverywhere thats really useful

Why aren't new mums given a booklet full of information like that linked to by babieseverywhere?

The lack of information and support for new mothers is appalling.

will come back to this thred when I have time, preparing for a birthday party
Well done Daisy - what a pile of hysterical crap. Are the NCT suing her, because they should (not a joke I genuinely think they should look into it)
Also, nice one for perpetuating the myth that bfing mothers can't drink "forbidden chardonnay"
Guess what, I'm pg and I'm bf and I'm going to have one glass of wine this afternoon.

The NHS does give a book out to new mums/pregnant mothers called "Birth to five". That has good selection of information on loads of issues including breastfeeding.

Electronic Version og NHS Birth to Five book

I have two copies, one for each child

Thanks BE - I was sitting here thinking "Crap! I've had Lemsip!"

Free classes?? From the NCT? Not here.

She is making a lot of unfair sweeping statements too.
Can't understand how articles that are completely untrue are allowed to be published.

It suits formula companies for women to thin kthey must live noble self sacrificing life if they breastfeed and if they can't (as 99.999999% can't) well, there's always SMA/Aptimil/C&G with its 'closer to breastmilk than ever ever ever before immunofortis probitiotics/prebiotics/packbitioc special patented mixed in labs by serious folk wielding pipettes and wearing coats malarkey.

I ate and drank what the hell i liked (and I breastfed for years) and it never crossed my mind that it may harm the baby.

I totally agree with Moondog. I hate this you can not breastfeed unless you have a teetotal, bland perfect diet

My babies/toddlers are not put off by my diet including spicy food and not including any full fish with heads as you see in the undermining diet for breastfeeding leaflets.

I even have an weekly occassional glass or two of wine or similar.

Princessmel - Daisy Goodwin would know that the NCT charges if she'd attended one of its courses, which she obviously hasn't.

She's doing the usual thing which people do with the NCT (I've seen it here on mumsnet as well), which is that she is taking the comments and attitudes of random people who have involvement with the NCT at some level - such as mums attending NCT postnatal groups, and presenting them as being representative of the stance of the organisation itself. In addition to this she takes the disappointment and stress that people feel who struggle with breastfeeding (usually because of poor care), and makes a case that the NCT is responsible for those feelings because as an organisation it promotes and supports breastfeeding.

TBH I sometimes feel despairing about how nasty people are about the NCT and how willing women are to believe everything they're told about what goes on in NCT classes. I've seen really vitriolic posts here from women saying things like 'my teacher gave me the evil eye when I got out a bottle to feed my baby at the postnatal reunion - she made me feel absolutely terrible'. And you can guarantee someone will come along immediately and say 'Oh that's disgusting, no one should make you feel guilty for not breastfeeding. Then throughout the rest of the thread they'll be casual comments dropped in about how the NCT makes people feel bad about not breastfeeding. I sit there and think - blimey, maybe I should start wearing dark glasses to reunions, just in case I squint or something while I'm looking at a mum bottlefeeding, and because she's so hypersensitive about being seen with a bottle she's going to interpret that as me giving her nasty looks....... maybe remembering at the same time the fact that I spoke about breastfeeding a lot on the course.......

fuzzy, I'd forgotten that thread!

I honestly think you are talking about a single incident, and if you are not happy with what the bfc said, then you should have complained. Then it can be put right.

This is better than making two mentions of it on a public forum within three weeks, don't you think?

Lissy - what are you talking about? That mumsnet has an ethos of not saying bf can be a PITA? Breastfeeding difficulties and challenges are discussed all the time on mumsnet, and people state their exasperation, mixed feelings about it, all the time...ditto with ff, of course