Breastfeeding debate on the Today programme

[mrsbaldwin]

Did anyone hear Guardian journo Zoe Williams and a 'lactivist' (sorry, didn't get her name) on this morning's Today Programme debating the recent article in Atlantic Monthly.

Here's the original article:
www.theatlantic.com/doc/200904/case-against-breastfeeding

I've never been much of a fan of Zoe Williams' Guardian column (with apologies as I think she posts here) - bit too cheesy for me. But I agreed with everything she said!

And NYT's Judith Warner blogging about same article:

warner.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/02/why-i-dumped-the-pump/

The 'lactivist' was Morgan Gallagher, who hardly got a word in edgeways and who was almost discredited because she chooses to feed a four year old.
It was a shocking condemnation of the attitudes to breastfeeding in this country.

As I mentioned in the other thread
Re the original article- I had read it a while ago and found it rather unconvincing. The author doesn't cite any specific sources or figures- it seemed a but peevish to me. I'd rather take my evidence from the WHO or the American Pediatric Association quite frankly.

And I found it odd that she dismissed the gastroenteritis risks so breezily- in her words something like 'the odd diarrhea and vomiting here and there'. Having a nephew prone to the illness (and his father for that matter) whilst not 'fatal like it is in the 3rd world' (again in her words) it's a debilitating and painful disease to be prone to. Not to mention messy...

Bottom line- the writer is claiming she's re-interpreted all the medical research on BFing and that in her opinion none of it is conclusive.
She claims LLL and other organisation have 'used' medical evidence to suit their agenda and goes on to do exactly the same thing, except that in her case she doesn't bother with sources.

She then claims the 6 months exclusive BF advice from the American Pediatric Association is effectively out of the touch and was influenced by the formula baby deaths scandal of the 70s- thereby conveniently dismissing a medical recommendation establish by a group of experts.

Are we supposed to be swayed by that?

don't forget that you can't separate out bf from the middle class mums who do it
would like to think she has shown her ignorance but I think not

I heard it, it was short but Morgan made her points. I was behind her all the way.