Exclusive BF for 6 months may be harmful

[Longtalljosie]

Oh bloody hell

The problem is it's only one study but will be seized on even if later it's put into context.

The other problem is the way it implies that breastfeeding is in some way a problem.

The third problem is the possibility they might turn out to be right, because I loved BLW and want to do it again...

I can hear certain members of my wider family from here...

Brock are you also shocked and saddened by those who are made to feel like they should stop BFing, are those that try to stop women feeding, the formula mafia? It's not all one sided, I agree women may feel intimidated by the choices and how they are presented. It merely shows that there needs to be a proper review of the way breastfeeding is initiated and the support provided with a view to improving this area. Name calling doesn't help anyone. If you feel HCPs or voluntary organisations acted in an aggressive forceful manner, by all means complain, there are channels to do this. But stop with the derogatory terms. They are offensive. See I can be offended too.

Sad about the headline-grabbing, science-ignoring headlines. But I do hope that this quietens down some of the more opinionated anti-"early" weaning mumsnetters. I remember being thoroughly flamed on a postnatal thread on here when I suggested starting solids might help a refluxy baby. People seem to spout all sorts about the Virgin Gut etc which as far as I can see seems to be equally unproven, and non-evidence based.

I also detest the "weaning food" hard sell which has been totally unecessary in weaning my 2. I don't know wtf baby rice is all about but I wouldn't eat wallpaper paste myself so why would I give it to my baby? And why is baby porridge better than tescos own readybrek? Just in a pretty box and quadruple the price. Total rip off, the lot of it.

Look to nature, breast milk is designed for human babies and if it were bad then God would not have made women to make milk for when they have babies. I agree that sometimes nature goes pear shaped hence not everybody makes enough milk - hey nature too isn't perfect. In primitive times that was all mothers had in order for their babies to survive. Even in 3rd World poverty striken countries again that's all they have for the hard time to aid their babies survival. It's natural and nature gave mothers and animals the ability to make milk for a reason. What you have to look at is are you as a mother consuming healthy food and getting your total vitamin intake because what one consumes is what one passes on to innocent baby. I breast fed my child pure milk up to 13 months when I spoke to nurses and people at baby shows etc etc apparently it's common for some babies not to want anything else other than there mothers milk and everytime someone with this sort of experience always told me not to panick it will sort itself out and I learnt not too as baby was always healthy when checked. Well it does sort itself out, the only short fall is that they can be resistant to other foods but if you are a good parent you will persevere rather be those parents who give their child anything it wants and not what is good good for it. Alway take the cruel to be kind method as is sustainably healthier in the long run rather than the quick hassle free approach which gives rise to health problems for the long term. Best of luck and be strong!

This is me now feeling totally justified in standing up against the BF mafia who try and make you feel like a freak for using formula, a total at the fact me saying all that WHO crap is based on the third world and doesn't really matter in the west has now been proven.

How the hell can you tell if a baby has Coeliac anyway.

Ryoko, oh, self-pitying solipsistic bullshit from you as per.

The BMJ article was nothing to do with formula - it was to do with solids and when to introduce them to a breastfed baby.

Check the dictionary definition of 'proven' - it won't describe the article in the BMJ which asked questions and did not produce anything new.

The WHO systematic reviews of 2001 and 2009 were based on data from developed and developing world.

Who made you feel like a freak and how?

The thing I read about it at the time when it was released said about the fact BF babies could have a lack of vitamin D and Iron from the mother and the whole thing about exclusive BFing being recommended in the west should be changed.

Makes me happy after being reduced to tears by midwifes.

No one should make a woman cry about feeding, I agree.

You are wholly misunderstanding the nature of the article - I think you should read it. It does not say anything about 'the whole thing about excl bf being recommended in the west should be changed.'

And Ryoko did you also look at the actual research into iron in US children? The fact that out of over 2000 subjects only 136 were EBF. Tell me how that could be then applied to breast fed babies please?

Also I refer to my previous post. If any HCP has caused you emotional harm, for goodness sake complain. It may reduce your anger somewhat.

Right I'm really going now.

So sorry to prick your balloon of laughter and misplaced gloating of course, Ryoko

Well thats what the thing I read on Yahoo said a few days ago, just that it's not clear cut in the west where our baby foods/formula contains vitamins and is safe so the blanket recommendation/pushing isn't required.

perhaps they rolled something else into their report as well.

I'm still pleased, might teach em not to try and force things on people in future, advice is not law, so don't try to force it.

the wording of the article is unfortunate, it reads like a dig at BF

why did it not refer to MILK, mums milks, cow and gate, whatever

Can I interrupt to point you over here please. NetworkGuy came on the cunting Cow & Gate thread to tell us all off and suggest we put our frustration to better use.

Duh, here

If people want to breastfeed for 6 months that's fine by me, and everyone else I'd imagine.

It's also fine by me that people should be allowed to make their own choices about the way they want to feed their babies without fear of being judged by smug individuals who feel they have the monopoly on being the perfect mother. I can't see why it's not fine by everyone else too. Clearly, however, as we can see here, it's not.

Yes, breastmilk has been around for as long as the human species but in recent years science has moved on enough to be able to formulate an alternative to breastmilk which can provide sustinance for babies and allow them to thrive and develop. There is no evidence to suggest that babies do not thrive and develop when formula fed.

Why can't people just accept that and get on with their own lives rather than having to ram it down everyone's throat that "breast is best" and qualifying it with endless verbose studies. It might well be - for some mothers and some babies - but is clearly not for all mothers and all babies. So get over it.

Just back off and let poeople get on with their lives and with rearing their children as they want.

Talk about solipsistic bullshit TikTok. If anyone can be accused of solipsism around here it's the bloody breastfeeding mafia isn't it?

You are missing the point GH, by accident or design. While some women might choose to never breastfeed, or breastfeed for only a few weeks, many other women are unable to access the information and support they need to continue. That is the point - as far as I'm concerned anyway. I, for one, care about ensuring that the "choice" you refer to is really a choice.

Oh come on!! Please don't kid yourself Gaelicsheep there is all the information out there that you could ever want about breastfeeding. Everyone knows about it - women are not daft. Even if by some small miracle they didn't, "have you decided how you want to feed" is one of the first questions a midwife asks you antenatally and there's enough information on it in the bumpf they give you to use as a springboard to find out even more, assuming of course that you're so minded to.

You are the one missing the point - people just need to leave people alone to make their own choices and to respect their right to make those choices.

The point is that some people will never be happy as long as there is such a thing as formula milk in this world.

I give up this has yet again decended into those who want to vent their anger at being wronged.

why has this turned into YET ANOTHER FF/BF DEBATE

mama mia, its about earlier weaning, EARLY WEANING I SAY!!!! well thats how I interpret it anyway

you lot just want to ruck I think!!!

Well guess what, when I was attempting to breastfeed my DS I didn't know too much about tongue tie. Neither did my MW or HV. I was in complete agony and no one could tell me why. I had PND and was in no fit state to go off and research the possible reasons why he was hurting me so much with an apparently textbook latch. So I ended up mostly formula feeding. Tongue tie was finally diagnosed at 4.5 months by which time it was too late - my milk had dried up. I do not consider that a choice. I consider it a regrettable outcome that could have been avoided if the HCPs and myself had known more about tongue tie and the effect on breastfeeding.

Thankfully this time around I have had access to a wealth of information and advice, but only because I learned how and where to find it the first time, just unfortunately too late for DS.

You may be happy with the feeding methods you used for all your DCs. I am not.

And yes, you're right this is totally off topic.

"those who want to vent their anger at being wronged"

I'm assuing you're referring there vagolaJahool to some of the people here who clearly can't tolerate the fact that some people have exercised their choice to bottlefeed rather than breastfeed or to wean their babies earlier than the WHO guidelines recommend?

Sorry to hear about your problems with feeding your first child GaelicSheep.

Just out of interest, could you not have expressed breastmilk for him if he couldn't actually feed? Surely your milk wouldn't have dried up completely if you'd been expressing regularly.

Someone's probably already linked to this but I can't be bothered to trawl through the whole thread...

but here's a very good response to the story from Analytical Armadillo. Anyone who's worried about what they did/what to do, I recommend it.

Sorry folks.

GH - I did express as much as I could. In fact almost every feed for 4 months consisted of breastfeed (usually in tears), followed by expressed milk, followed by formula top up. Definitely EBM at night because otherwise he would die of cot death (I was in a bad way).

But a pump is not as efficient at getting milk as a baby and definitely not as good at building supply. Plus not every woman can easily express anyway - I found it very hard.

Anyhow, I'm over it really. Just posted to illustrate that while it was a choice for you, it really isn't for many women. And that is why I feel so strongly about making sure that ALL women are supported in their choices, whatever they may be.