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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Would you sign a petition to make formula only available on prescription?

310 replies

FourArms · 17/02/2010 08:35

I've just been sent a link to this petition.

I don't think there is any way this would happen now in the UK, but would it be better than the current situation?

The further petition details are:

Breastfeeding has always, and will always be the best way to feed a baby. If Infant Formula Milk is only available on prescription, it will mean that a mother will have to physically talk to her doctor about any issues (including physical, emotional and mental)she has with breastfeeding. This will mean that the incidence of breastfeeding will increase and the level of support that women have with their breastfeeding will also increase. It will also mean that there will be fewer illnesses in babies and young children, costing the NHS millions less in resources, and leading to a generally healthier population.

OP posts:
flowerybeanbag · 17/02/2010 11:12

Of course not.

I'm sure that a doctor wouldn't consider that formula feeding my two was a medical necessity. Having had my trust in medical advice about medication I am on completely destroyed, I personally considered it an absolute necessity not to subject either of my babies to my medication any longer that absolutely necessary.

I appreciate the people supporting this petition are in a minority, and am thankful for that. But really, if the aim is to increase breastfeeding rates (which I am all for), they really need to focus their energies somewhere more productive and stop undermining other people's efforts.

IWishIWasAFrog · 17/02/2010 11:13

No, and i'm very pro-bf.

chibi · 17/02/2010 11:20

i would sign a petition for low cost UNBRANDED formula/supermarket own brand eg 'tesco market value formula' to be made available.

i think the prices of formula are incredible, and the variation in price between brands shocking, especially given that the actual required nutrition bits are identical.

it is outrageous that they can charge a premium for something that is so necessary - once you are ff it's not like you have any alternatives.

dawntigga · 17/02/2010 11:20

I'm 100% behind encouraging woment to bf and I won't sign that.

Helping people make informed decisions is one thing, but forcing them to do this is morally wrong.

Quite'dByThatTiggaxx

Hulla · 17/02/2010 11:39

I had a lot of trouble establishing bf in the early days. I stuck with it because I wanted to. It was really upsetting at times and I remember a period of days where I felt like I was failing and cried constantly. I dread to think what my mental state would have been if I'd felt like I had to bf because formula was only available on prescription.

If the money existed in the NHS to fund this (and it really, really doesn't) then I'd prefer to see it spent training mw on bf. If new mothers had enough bf support early enough then perhaps not as many would ff thus increasing bf rates.

I also agree with chibi, I would like to see a low cost formula available too although I wonder if the higher priced stuff would then become a bit of a status thing (love=spending more). But thats for another thread I guess.

No, OP, I wouldn't sign the petition. I'm a bit sad that it exists at all actually.

YouKnowNothingoftheCrunch · 17/02/2010 11:44

My God!

I am 100% pro-breastfeeding, but failed with DS1 because he had no sucking reflex at all. It broke my heart to have to formula feed, it would have made it so much worse to have to get a prescription for formula (thereby making me a medically recognised failure!). It contributed enormously to my PND.

DS2 and DD were both BF with no problems at all. It was only then that I really believed it wasn't my fault.

I am appalled that that petition exists.

pipingathefatesoffawn · 17/02/2010 12:05

No, I wouldn't sign it because people who know more about BF advocacy then I do have said that this is not the way to go.

Superficially it might seem like it would help. It's often an idea that seems to make sense when you're fairly new to breastfeeding as an Issue - if you've recently breastfed a first child and have become interested in it as a public health/political issue, but haven't yet got into the detail enough to appreciate why the apparently obvious things don't work. There are so many reasons why in practice it just wouldn't work right now in this country.

Making choices more informed is better than cutting off choice. That might mean some unpalatable truths for some people who have been brought up to believe that modern formulas are great and practically as good as breastmilk. I think that's a bit of a con and needs to be argued against, even if some people don't like hearing it.

Right now people who want to breastfeed are regularly stopped from doing so - all the time. All sorts of people round a mother have the power to stop her breastfeeding in many different ways - HVs not knowing how to help her when she has problems, family maybe not wanting to support her because they didn't BF and secretly don't want her to either, people spreading myths and rumours and so on. Fixing those problems alone would send breastfeeding rates shooting up.

ButterPie · 17/02/2010 12:08

Maybe just extend the healthy start scheme upwards? We get (I think) 9.30 a week in vouchers for fruit, veg, cows milk or formula. I bf, so I get to eat DD2s ration. It is really handy.

Kewcumber · 17/02/2010 12:08

only if you are going to make chocolate, crisps, haribo, burgers, sausages ....etc .... available on prescription only.

witchwithallthetrimmings · 17/02/2010 12:16

just no way! the people i know who have stopped before 6 months are those who have been given pants advice from health care professionals about bf.

Also compared to many things that happen to children in some families the giving of formula is not really that big a deal

coldtits · 17/02/2010 12:18

No.

for a start, doctors will prescribe the cheapest medication known to be effective against an illness. This means that prescribing formula is cheaper than giving councelling and BF support, so that's what they will do.

Secondly, I had emotional issues around breastfeeding that I was not ready to face when I had my first child. Being forced to face these in a doctor's surgery immediately postpartum would have destroyed what was left of my mental health. I needed formula, and I needed to not have to talk about why I needed formula. You can lie to nosy fuckers who are judging you as you wander by, you cannot lie to your doctor if your doctor is the only route available to feed your baby formula.

Thirdly, it would mean going for a doctor's appointment as soon as you are released from hospital, possibly with other kids in tow, and unaccompanied if you are a single/unsupported mother. Why would you put another human being through that?

Fourthly, formula is an acceptable method of feeding babies. If you are going to medicalise the choice to give formula rather than the optimum choice of breastmilk, you must also medicalise vegetable oil, white bread, white flour, sugar, honey, margarine, butter, fatty cuts of meat, the skin of chicken, gravy granules, cheese in portions larger than 30g, smoked foods, salt, ready meals, chips, fast food, non organic poultry, processed meat, alcohol, chocolate, sweets, white rice, dried fruits, instant noodles, crisps, salted nuts ... all are food choices and all are less than an optimum diet. With the exception of alcohol, all may be given from 1 year old.

So at what point does the government stop interfering with our choice of infant feeding?

WorzselMummage · 17/02/2010 12:23

No.

What kind of idiot would ?!

thedollshouse · 17/02/2010 12:25

SGB is spot on with her comments.

What happens once you get past the exclusive milk diet? Bf is just part of a childrens diet. Once you get past that stage it is just as important (if not more important) that the child is fed a balanced diet. The only way of ensuring that is to ban all junk food, how on earth do you do that?

franke · 17/02/2010 12:28

No. What a nasty little petition that is.

Rosa · 17/02/2010 12:29

No - there are so many forms of assistance availiable in the Uk for those who want to BF. Plus web sites call centres that is its totally silly. PLus there will be some ( not all !!!) medical teams who will be 'influenced' by the big bad boys of formula out there.
It is a mothers choice -as long as they have all the info beforehand regarding BF so, they can make the descion unless other circumstances mean that they are forced to FF.

oldenglishspangles · 17/02/2010 12:31

No.

ronx · 17/02/2010 12:35

Absolutely not.

I could not BF my son because of milk supply problems. Even lots of help from midwives and health visitors did not help, so I did what was best and switched to FF.

It was either that or let my DS starve.

And you seriously expect me to sign a petition to force other women to clog up a surgery and waste the GP's time whenever they need a tin of formula?

SixtyFootDoll · 17/02/2010 12:41

Like hell I would sign it.
Bloody ridiculous.

tinierclanger · 17/02/2010 12:43

No, and I BF beyond 12 months and am very pro-BF. But, NO!

kamsmum · 17/02/2010 12:47

NO.

You look afer your own baby and leave everyone else to look after theirs!

JaMmRocks · 17/02/2010 12:52

Absolutely not, and like everybody else I'm desperately keen to see BFing rates go up. But this just seems like another stick to beat mothers with, don't we have enough guilt already?

Chandra · 17/02/2010 12:53

That petition is pure breast feeding fundamentalism and potentially very dangerous.

I wouldn't sign such petition no matter what

Chandra · 17/02/2010 12:54

However, it is nice to see almost 100 persons agreeing on something in Mumsnet

themildmanneredjanitor · 17/02/2010 12:54

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ToccataAndFudge · 17/02/2010 12:55

absolutely not

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