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Original poster

'Breast is best' slogan outdated

64 replies

Restrainedrabbit · 22/06/2010 10:01

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/10368037.stm

I agree with the sentiments in the article, BF should be seen as normal however how you get that message across is tricky.

OP posts:
OrmRenewed · 22/06/2010 16:22

Agree with the sentiments entirely.

OrmRenewed · 22/06/2010 16:24

"Breastmilk: bespoke food for babies"

amothersplaceisinthewrong · 22/06/2010 16:26

How though do you avoid making the motehrs who for one reason or another simply can't breasfeed (as opposed to those (I was one) who don't want to/chosse not to) feel inadequate?

OrmRenewed · 22/06/2010 16:27

I'm not sure that 'breast is best' avoided that did it?

StealthPolarBear · 22/06/2010 16:32

i'm not sure it is possible
but that doesn't mean it shouldn't happen

Adair · 22/06/2010 16:40

Love 'your child. your milk'

I don't really know about this inadequate feeling thing. If you can't breastfeed then ok, obviously you will have to feed your baby another way. Some mums will be happy with that, some mums will feel a pang of regret, some mums will feel terribly guilty. Perhaps some sort of counselling would be more appropriate than trying to not let anyone feel anything?

(FWIW dd was ff after 3 weeks so no agenda. She's fine, I don't really feel guilty or anything. But can't deny it would have been better for her to have been breastfed.)

StealthPolarBear · 22/06/2010 16:49

"Yes SPB and it also emphases the milk/feeding aspect rather than the boobies "
That;s true and not necessarily a good thing. if it's only about the milk iyswim. or am I overthinking?

TimeForANewWan · 22/06/2010 17:20

SPB ISWYM. but I often get the feeling that people focus so much on the 'breasts' that they forget about the milk.

Not breastfeeders but those not so keen, IYKWIM?

Morloth · 22/06/2010 20:07

Breasts are nice though, promoting them as dual purpose is a good idea I reckon.

Original poster
Restrainedrabbit · 22/06/2010 20:36

Maybe there needs to be a move away from discussing breasts at all since we British seem to be so squeamish about them and, as many posters have said, focus on human milk as the good thing.

I mean we talk about 'cows milk' or 'goats milk' not 'udder milk'

OP posts:
Ryoko · 22/06/2010 21:29

No slogans, no campaign just leave people alone I hate all this pressure to breastfeed it's a choice, there is nothing wrong with formula, just leave people alone to choose whats right for them and stop trying to make them feel guilty.

Breast is best and the campaign behind it should be a consigned to history like women should stay in the kitchen, should be a size 1o etc, more crap from men trying to control our lives if you ask me.

ChuckBartowski · 22/06/2010 21:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Morloth · 23/06/2010 10:18

And because being able to grow a person with just your own body isn't a damned superpower that women should be proud of! I think many (not all) men don't like it because they can't do it.

LindenAvery · 24/06/2010 09:35

Ryoko - maybe we can leave people alone when formula manufacturers stop using underhand tactics to market their products - such as the 'invented' unnecessary product 'follow on milk' or the freebies to entice hcps or new mums or the use of a logo that looks like a mum breastfeeding.

Or the strange phenomenon that we can have exposed breasts for titillation in newspapers, magazines and other media but breastfeeding is deemed creepy or disgusting.

Informed choice. - Love your child your milk!

Megancleo · 24/06/2010 21:06

just a thought from a mum living abroad who breastfed 3 dc...in the US its nursing, in Germany its "stillen" which is also entirely seperate to sexual term. I always felt unhappy even talking about breastfeeding when in hols in UK..perhaps must invent new word away from "breast" which seems to conjure up to most people a sexual connnection.I admire anyone who breastfeeds (I hate that word!) in UK because it just seemed, in comparison to Germany, not only complicated (here you can nurse anywhere in public) but almost something to be ashamed of..how awful!

Ryoko · 25/06/2010 00:33

I don't know anything about logo's I've never looked at any, where are my freebies then?.

Do you really think people choose to formula feed because of adverts? thats ridicules, advertising simply pushes people towards one brand and away from others, it does not brainwash people into using formula instead of boob that is decided by the individual and how they feel about the whole thing.

BertieBotts · 25/06/2010 00:39

I prefer "Every breastfeed makes a difference" - gets the message across and also supports women who start breastfeeding but have to stop for whatever reason. Also has the underlying message that mixed feeding is better than not breastfeeding at all - so many people think once you've given one bottle, what is the point in carrying on breastfeeding?

gina82 · 26/06/2010 16:02

I have seen all the stuff on breastfeeding, work in childcare and been to about a million breast feeding groups etc. I still didnt breastfeed though as I still dont personally really think it makes that much difference. If you want to do it you will and if you dont then you want.

gina82 · 26/06/2010 16:05

Also breastfeeding halting obesity is a ridiculous claim. I have seen many mums and babies over the years in my job and have definitely seen very overweight ones that breastfeed and teeny, tiny ones that are Formula fed. I dont believe it helps you get your body back either.

wahwah · 26/06/2010 16:12

How about 'human milk for human babies'?

slushy06 · 26/06/2010 16:58

I had a weird thought today I saw a Sun pg 3 a man was oggoling and I wanted to make him and teenage girls realize what breasts are for and put a picture of a breastfeeding mum and baby on page 3 instead to watch said dirty pervert have a shock and remind him and young teenagers breasts actual perpose.

But then I thought in some peoples twisted and warped minds that would make them think bf was weird .

Morloth · 26/06/2010 17:11

Breasts really are a victim of their own success. I bet right down at the bottom of it the reason large mammary glands are so admired is because they resemble breasts that are full of milk and therefore an indicator that the offspring of a man is being fed adequately.

Just a theory...

slushy06 · 26/06/2010 17:26

I agree morloth, I did my own accidental campaign once I had got out of the pool was feeding ds just as 60 12yo school girls trooped in, one of them knew me and came in to talk I then had 60 girls all spend 30 minutes of their swimming lesson asking me about bf and squashed about 6inches from me in order to see. I was surprised some very intellectual questions were asked. Only one had the view that breasts were for sex and the other girls quickly corrected her.

But what made me sad was the teacher who looked mortified and horrified by the girls seeing this and kept saying come on girls we should not be watching this, and I realized that in 5years some or many of those girls will also be programed to believe that mammary glands are for sex .

I would like to see part of the campaign aimed at those young girls as I feel they really wanted to know and had no pre set ideas about bf I did more good that day than any other day in my life (quite sad I know).

lifeinagoldfishbowl · 26/06/2010 17:35

But maybe Slushy the teacher was embarrassed for you ie meaning that you might want privacy to breastfeed instead of loads of teenage girls hovering over you annoying you ?

slushy06 · 26/06/2010 17:38

I thought that but I said I was happy for them to see and she still said no. I guess it could have been a problem because of parents complaining.