What's the environmental impact of bottlefeeding?

[psweudonym]

Not just formula, I know about ebm, but obviously the majority of milk fed to babies from bottles is formula.

How many cows, how much grazing land, how much energy for bottle and teat production, the transport of formula, the packaging of formula, landfill issues, etc.

Is it a way the Government might be persuaded to put more into bf support, do you think, given that "green" is a huge issue atm?

Or would they commission a study and discover that women who bfeed wash their nipples at 90 degrees and iron their breasts?!

sorry but ROFFLE at your last sentence

Don't apologise, I had a brief roffle myself when I thought of it

I imagaine that compared to all of the food we eat and drink the inpact of formula is very small. Babies are only ff for a year and after that will drink cows milk which still comes from the same source and will use beakers and plates and spoons.

Roffling with you!

Will go find my figures...

But almost every baby is ffed to some extent - and there are lots of them! Just wondering, really. Anything that can persuade the Government to put more into bfeeding support.

Every bottle of formula milk affects the environment - from switching on the kettle to boil the water to the tinplate, paper and plastic used to package the milk powder. Not only that, but cattle farming needs large areas of pasture and significantly contributes to the problem of acid rain. It is estimated that if all the women in the UK breastfed their babies, the absence of their periods would result in a saving of 3,000 tonnes of paper-based sanitary products every year!

(from the BabyCentre bulletin)

Ah, yes, the jamrags too.

Had forgotten about the kettle-boiling as well.

oh yes my period started again before my baby was born .

If I was feeling awkward (which - as usual I am ) I'd say there must be an enviromental impact with breastfeeding too - breastpads (whether disposable - landfill - , or washable - energy used to wash them), extra washing because of gigantic bf poos (well mine have always done bigger more leaky poos on breastmilk anyhow) that leak, all that plastic used to make the storage bags (hint hint..) etc etc .

FA now runs off to see if her washing has finished so she can hang it on the line...

pmsl - but don't forget that you need to boil the kettle to pour it over your nipples to sterilise them.

ANything and everything has an impact, however big or small.

Some mothers want to breastfeed - there is plenty of information regarding this for new mothers

Some mothers want to formula feed - this info isnt promoted as heavily for obvious reasons

The choice is the parents.

Nah, the b/f poos leaking isn't a problem if you use cloth nappies (and PLEASE don't try and quote the skewed report at me ).

Washable pads - its not like you're doing extra washing, they go in a normal washload.

here you go enviromental impact of bottlefeeding (and god damn those people that actually feed their child FF ).

But there isn't plenty of info for breastfeeding, otherwise there would be more support!

Yes, agree there's an environmental impact to anything we do, but there's a larger footprint from ffeeding. That's pretty obvious, even if you factor in possible leakier nappies and breastpads.

And BAF, "the information's there" if women want to bfeed?

Clearly not, judging by the bf board on MN and RL experience. Really very clearly not. It's very much NOT a choice for over 80% of women to stop bfeeding in the first six weeks, for instance - because the support's just not there for most.

Most babies are ffed.

(And FA, yes, I've been shit - sorry)

Oh there is.. In the doctors before birth, by the health visitor, at antenatal classes, in the hospital, support and information help group etc.

There is lots of info regarding breastfeeding - you only have to ask.

BAF, please start a thread called "there's plenty of bfeeding support out there, you only have to ask".

nah you haven't been shit (DS3 and his "sh*t" well that's another story ). No rush I've still got loads of the Boots ones I bought. Wasn't even sure if you got my last email I'm sure you've got YOUR hands full with your gorgeous DS's so don't beat yourself up over it (don't want any blood on my hands )

And as an aside - I meant in my first post on this thread got "gin"

there is not support for breastfeeing. unless you call ramming baby on nipple, then telling you to top up after a week.

oh and I reduce my footprint caused by FF by being very good and walking everywhere (I can't drive) and not using a tumble dryer .

Oh b*gger this isn't getting my house tidy is it????

not mine FA. i am meant to be tackling the laundry mountain in my room.

FA, fascinating article, thank you.

BAF, "information" is different from "support".

Well there is! There is a national phone number for help, advice and support which can signpost you to local advice and support. There's your doctor, your health visitor, your baby clinic.

My friend works for the helpline so I know it exists. What's the difficulty in phoning it or asking for help from those who are paid to advise you on such things?

When you are sobbing because you are in pain and bleeding because of a bad latch and your MIL is saying "oooh, you need that nice formula stuff" - your first instinct isn't to trawl the internet etc to find numbers to "ask" - the support should be there.

In hospital with DD. A midwife unit with breast is best posters everywhere, it was my best friend who helped me latch DD on and get her feeding - 24 hours after she had been born (she wasn't actually hungry in those 24 hours, but she could have been) and no midwives were offering me assistance and I was too shy to ask. If someone had been there to come and offer help, it would have been sooo much easier.

BAF, seriously, start a thread. Or read some of the archived ones about lamentable bf support.

Yes, there are helplines. They are staffed by volunteers. And there aren't nearly enough of them, for all sorts of reasons.

As for health professionals, you might have been lucky and found ones who know about breastfeeding. MOST don't.

But you sometimes have to take responsibility and ask?

They are there to assist you remember? Yes, they're probably bored of being asked sometimes like supermarket workers are bored of being asked where the cheese is but THAT IS THEIR JOB

You have to empower yourselves sometimes and asked the questions that you need to answered.