Its official - only breastmilk for 6 months

[GRMUM]

I hesitate to post this after messing up on the special needs thread!But here goes...
guardian.co.uk/medecine/story/0,11381,953912,00.html

sorry but the links aren't working for me today. There isn't a lot of support for women who want to breastfeed here in Greece but milk only (whatever type) for 6 months has been the norm for many years here.

Ooops .... I think I wandered into the wrong thread ... I see it is all about exclusive BREASTFEEDING ... and my DS was bottle fed from 6 weeks (won't go into the whys and wherefores) ... sorry to disturb ...

Glad to see I started a debate (PC out of action for a while so not able to see it)!

Various posts seemed to think I was arguing that the DH should suppress "the best advice" bc it might make mothers feel guilty. I wasn't - unless there is another study out there that I haven't found, the evidence for exclusive BF being definitely better than introducing solids at 4-6 months just hasn't been found. If you want to exclusive bf to 6m anyway, then yes, then the evidence that you're safe to do so is pretty good. But if you're unsure or even reluctant, then no, there's no good reason yet to think that you should. And if that's the case, then the Govt has no business telling you that you should.

Janedec, you're wrong....there are benefits to excl bf to six months, shown in a number of studies. It's more than 'safe' or 'ok'.

Good example is a huge study in Belarus, cited in Kramer MS, Kakuma R (Optimal duration of exclusive breastfeeding Cochrane Library. Issue 1, 2002) which the WHO took as a large part of their evidence in making the recommendation which is for 'optimal' duration of exclusive bf.

Hard to show, of course, in individual babies, which is why we have to look at lots of them to draw any conclusions.

Tiktok both Holland and the USA have also said exclusive BF for the first 6 months. Not as "nice if you want to" but BEST for baby.

Yep....many other countries say this, in fact, and the Lancet overview of bf and breast cancer published last year showed the more bf the better for mum (they didn't look at exclusive bf, though).

We have been out of step in the UK for a while. Now, our official guidance is in line with most other places and with up to date, robust research.

Mystified as to why anyone would object to this, in fact.

Tiktok... I am now finished with my BFC training.... life on the phone awaits me
It will take a while before I get to your level of knowledge and confidence though !

Tiktok - I don't think anything I've read could actually be described as anyone actually objecting to the new recommendations. Seems to me that they're mostly just pointing out that words are cheap, and unless it's backed up by actions to actually facilitate more/longer breastfeeding it's a bit of a cop-out and only makes it easier to shift the "blame" on to mothers if breastfeeding rates don't rise.

GillW - Janedec posted " unless there is another study out there that I haven't found, the evidence for exclusive BF being definitely better than introducing solids at 4-6 months just hasn't been found. "

And Tiktok (and I) are saying that is incorrect.

Wasn't referring to you, GillW

It was janedec, as pupuce (congrats on qualifying, BTW!) says.

There have been a number of pieces in the press, too, accusing the new guideance of making women feel guilty and attacking working mothers.....and implying that nothing should be said.

I do agree that words are not enough, and that support and resources alongside are essential.