Mansplaining breastfeeding

[NaturalStudy]

Luckily a man who has rented a woman's womb has arrived to give us his view on breastfeeding. Lucky us.

www.howisfeedinggoing.com/

It seems that you can only be negative about breastfeeding. Admit you did it and you're formula shaming. Say you think it's best and you're formula shaming. The rates are low and there has to be reasons for that, but we aren't allowed to try to encourage it or advertise it because it's shaming, and also live men telling us that we are being shamed by not encouraging it....

It is advertising for a formula company - of course they are going to push non-breastfeeding. Bottom line = ££££.

WTAF. So this is meant to be about accepting all different ways of feeding but doesn’t actually feature a woman who is exclusively breastfeeding?

OMG. It’s a thinly disguised advert for formula. This is stooping to a new low.

I do believe breastfeeding is important but what goes on in families is up to them.

This is just a company advertising formula? I don’t understand what is so inflammatory about it? Companies are allowed to market their products arnt they? Even if their products arnt ‘the best’
I’m sure SMA and Cow&Gate will also have adverts and similar marketing campaigns?

There's an international code of best practice from the world health organization that bans marketing of infant formula, so this is inflammatory as it goes against that.. makes breastfeeding sound impossible when for some it's fine and a lovely experience

@Dangertime

There's an international code of best practice from the world health organization that bans marketing of infant formula, so this is inflammatory as it goes against that.. makes breastfeeding sound impossible when for some it's fine and a lovely experience

Wow that’s really interesting, thanks!

@Vaccinateeverything

This is just a company advertising formula? I don’t understand what is so inflammatory about it? Companies are allowed to market their products arnt they? Even if their products arnt ‘the best’ I’m sure SMA and Cow&Gate will also have adverts and similar marketing campaigns?

The problem is that it doesn't look like an advert. It looks like a website for new mothers with links to videos of parents giving the different reasons why they didn't try breastfeeding or why they had to stop breastfeeding and how awful it was to be shamed for their decision.

Then, when you eventually reach the bottom of the page, the final link is to an advert for formula. It's all very misleading.

Just because I'm a big nerd - brief history of the code here including why it was needed

www.who.int/elena/bbc/regulation_breast-milk_substitutes/en/

Manufacturers and distributors of breast-milk substitutes have to comply with the Code, even if the country has not incorporated the Code into a national policy or legislation. In some countries legislation has been weakened by lobbying by the pharmaceutical industry, and violations remain common in both developing and developed countries

"I need the conversation around feeding to change so my child when he's older doesn't feel like a lesser child."

I need? I need men to stop buying babies, women too for that matter. How about you do what I need.

Why would a child feel like a lesser child? If he, she or they do then there's something wrong with your parenting, it has nothing to do with the conversations around breastfeeding.

Step back fella, leave this to the women.

If it's an advert they should be honest about it.
Advertise your product but don't knock breastfeeding in the process.

Behold!!! Here comes a MAN to enlighten us
Agree @OhHolyJesus: 🤐 zip it man- leave it to the women

Oh my god this stuff has sunflower and coconut oil in it, presumably to replace the fats in breast milk. I haven't looked at the ingredients in formula but I guess that's normal?

I remember hearing about a new type of formula created from cow milk cultures (using udders?)

www.biomilq.com/

In the Times article it was about two thirds of the way down when the inventor acknowledged that it doesn't replace breastmilk but I did think it wouldn't be long before they attempt to get hold of human milk ducts to try the same method for breast milk.

There is a lot of 'don't assume' in that advertorial piece, which assumes others assume which is quite presumptuous.

One assumption I do make is that Tan doesn't want to be judged and anticipates being judged but then he and his husband are buying a baby and won't have breastmilk (unless it's in their contract with the surrogate mother to pump) but once he has the baby I just want him to feed and love him, how he does that I don't really care....but I would like him not to commodify women's bodies and not treat humans like products in the first place.

It’s just a load of anti breastfeeding, formula pushing rubbish times to coincide with world breastfeeding week.

It seems to me like a massive straw man of an advert - who the hell asks a mother 'how is the breastfeeding going' unless they actually know that's what she's doing?

and the men are the first ones shown?? Nice.

WTAF.

Fucks sake that is blatant.

Don't assume formula companies won't say what the fuck they want until they are made to stop.

Pretty similar to the strategy in this blog. Put out lots of nonsense info that looks like it's supportive.

dou-la-la.blogspot.com/2010/09/breast-is-best-sponsored-by-simfamil.html

In the real world it tends to be breastfeeding mothers who are shamed.
This is so shit.

The rates are low and there has to be reasons for that, but we aren't allowed to try to encourage it or advertise it because it's shaming, and also live men telling us that we are be

Advertising breastfeeding will not increase the uptake.
Encouraging breastfeeding will not increase the uptake.

Education does.

I really struggled to breastfeed. My milk didn't come in for 2 weeks. I was shamed by the midwife for considering formula for my screaming child who was rapidly losing weight.

Turns out, PCOS can impact breastfeeding. Did any of the 7 midwives or doctors I see have any knowledge of this? None. Absolutely none

It's good for people to feed however they want but seriously- why does this campaign make it look like formula users are so downtrodden?

Nobody really cares how you feed your child, if anyone asks (or "assumes") you're doing X they're most likely making small talk.

Breastfeeding is a minority in this country at least, people were slapping me on the back and congratulating me for feeding my child because people assumed I'd use formula!

@SweatyPie

It's good for people to feed however they want but seriously- why does this campaign make it look like formula users are so downtrodden?

Nobody really cares how you feed your child, if anyone asks (or "assumes") you're doing X they're most likely making small talk.

Breastfeeding is a minority in this country at least, people were slapping me on the back and congratulating me for feeding my child because people assumed I'd use formula!

Nobody really cares how you feed your child

Lots of people do, unfortunately.

I’m at the point where I don’t want to hear a man’s opinion on anything, let alone anything to do with a woman’s body.

This is tiresome. And also I’m disgusted by the renting out of women’s bodies as an industry for a baby.

They do care. All sorts of random people ask and when you say you’re breastfeeding they start telling you how hard it is, how they didn’t do or someone they know hated it. I haven’t FF but I can’t imagine anyone having the responses to that.

They also asked my husband. And he got the same replies about DD being BF. Really odd.

FF is the norm in the U.K. I find the idea that FF parents are a downtrodden group constantly being shamed very strange.

Who is rude enough to ask a parent how feeding is going anyway? Unless it's your midwife, HV or GP, what business is it of theirs?

Also, I hate how the little phrase "via surrogacy" makes a living, breathing woman who put her life on the line and effectively committed a year of her life, just disappear...

It seems that you can only be negative about breastfeeding. Admit you did it and you're formula shaming. Say you think it's best and you're formula shaming. The rates are low and there has to be reasons for that, but we aren't allowed to try to encourage it or advertise it because it's shaming, and also live men telling us that we are being shamed by not encouraging it....

Sssssshhh!

I joke. I've noticed this and it makes me equal parts miserable and infuriated. Breastfeeding was a massive part of my life while I was doing it but I had to hide away in the corner and daren't mention it to anyone.

@AnneLovesGilbert

They do care. All sorts of random people ask and when you say you’re breastfeeding they start telling you how hard it is, how they didn’t do or someone they know hated it. I haven’t FF but I can’t imagine anyone having the responses to that.

They also asked my husband. And he got the same replies about DD being BF. Really odd.

FF is the norm in the U.K. I find the idea that FF parents are a downtrodden group constantly being shamed very strange.

-That I was depriving my child -That he wouldn't be a clever -That he would be ill more -That I was lazy

Plenty more.

Surely you have the capacity to see how a formula feeding mum can be shamed?

I find the idea that FF parents are a downtrodden group constantly being shamed very strange

This in itself provokes a feeling of upset and shame.

Almost a "well surely if it's the norm then you can't be shamed. Don't be so silly. You're doing what the majority do and therefore no one will say anything against you"