'Bribed to breastfeed'

[AmIThough]

On Good Morning Britain today, they're talking about a new scheme to offer mothers shopping vouchers in return for breastfeeding.

Personally I think it seems unreasonable. As mothers we do what's right for us and our children. Breastfeeding isn't right for everyone and there's already a lot of pressure for us to do so.

All of my friends and I tried to breastfeed.

I have been successful but choose to combination feed which works best for me.

Some friends haven't been able to continue breastfeeding for various reasons - pain, MH etc

One even got told she needed to FF as the baby wasn't getting enough nutrition.

Would this have made a difference to the choices you made?

I think it's a terrible idea. As PP have said money should be put into more trained support that's widely available.

I didn't BF because we just couldn't get it to work. There was no peer support in the hospital because I lived in the wrong area (the hospital covers 5 boroughs, only 3 get support). The closest peer led session the day after I came out of hospital was 6 miles away and quite frankly after having two sets of forceps for delivery I didn't fancy the drive. Midwives said my DS "was a lazy boy". So we formula fed - at his biggest he was drinking about £15 of formula a week, there's already a financial penalty for FF parents and you can see why a lot of parents want to wean early.

On the comments about bodies - you don't know what relationships these women have with their bodies in the first place. I found the hugeness of pregnancy difficult to come to terms with so why judge women for whom saggy boobs or significant stretch marks or a tummy shelf might be a real struggle for managing self esteem and their mental health, which in term could have effects like PND.

In some cultures in the UK breasfeeding either isn’t the norm or can’t happen due to the demands of an extended family. I am of Indo-African origin and know many women who after their first child don’t even try to breastfeed as they have no time - it’s the gran or grandad (husband’s side) who then takes responsibility for feeding / changing / raising the baby. In some Indian cultures it’s even considered usual practice for working mums to leave newborns in India with their parents after the first 30 days and so breastfeeding is the last of anyone’s concerns.

For these people incentives might work to enable breastfeeding for at least a short period

Personally, I think it's ridiculous that women should be bribed to breastfeed! Perhaps there are people out there who genuinely do not know the benefits, however the strategy currently makes anyone not choosing to breastfeed, feel like a failure and unfit mother, which is not ok. Hopefully things will change over the coming generations, if education about childrearing is more common knowledge. I'm sure there are some women who don't breastfeed for vein reasons, as mentioned, but I imagine these women are the minority. The reality is, it does hurt, it's not socially accepted in public, although it should be, and even if it is, as women we still don't always feel confident doing it in public. Pumping can be equally painful, and who has the time to pump and feed, especially when you have more than one child! And of course for some it just doesn't happen, your milk may not come in, you may have medical reasons you are unable to breastfeed, your baby may be unable to latch. So why are there not more milk banks? There are also mothers who have an over supply, or sadly may have lost a child but still have milk to give, for these women especially it may be some small consolation that they can help another infant in need.
I managed 4 months exclusive, through mastitis and thrush! And yes I do feel like superwoman, because no man on this planet can contemplate the pain or the sense of achievement, but I barely left the house in that time other than nursery run.
Resources would be better spent on supporting new parents, and preventing birth defects that are caused by smoking or lack of folic acid.

I chose to breastfeed but MIL constantly tried to convince me to switch to formula. I still get dirty looks and the odd nasty comment if I breastfeed in public. There's definitely still a stigma around breastfeeding. Everyone has a right to choose what they think is best for themselves and their children if they breastfeed or not but it'd be nice not to be stared at and made to feel uncomfortable

I think there's a deeper seated issue here.

At my mums support group our feeding support worker, who I have to say is very unbiased and that's why we love her, told us that in Stoke (or around that area) they had no breast feeding support groups, funding had been cut, breastfeeding in that area was at an all time low, and it also has the highest rate of infant mortality in the UK.

We discussed that the two may correlate but aren't necessarily related, and it was a great conversation that we had.

I think the vouchers are a great incentive, personally. I think too many people don't try to breastfeed for reasons that can be challenged.

I don't think there's anything wrong with formula feeding and it has it's place but I think we need to address the stigmas around it and the vouchers are a good idea to do so.

Perhaps they should be handed out at support meetings and there should be support groups reinstated for feeding of all kinds.

I also wonder how this could even work, how can one be forced to prove they are breastfeeding and are therefore entitled to vouchers? Or will people be stealth buying tubs of formula in the hours of dark?

I’m in the baby stage of life... I don’t know a single mother who has had to use formula who doesn’t feel terrible about it.

I definitely don't feel terrible, why would I? It's not poison, it's a damn good alternative option.

Would this have made a difference to the choices you made?

Definitely not. I don't think many mothers could be bribed into changing such a personal decision such as how to feed their baby?

I desperately wanted to breastfeed my son but he couldn't latch and I was unsuccessful pumping. He then became jaundice and I had enough and formula fed him.
With my daughter I wanted to try again, bought a pump just incase she couldn't latch either... Unfortunately she was rushed to special care and tube fed, I couldn't pump because I needed very strong painkillers.
Having to give people rewards for being able to feed your baby is stupid, the fact you can breastfeed is a huge reward for both mother and baby.

I attempted to bf all 3 of mine for around 2-3 weeks, numerous input from midwives and a few (almost) admissions to hospital due to babies dramatic weight loss, scabby/bleeding nipple's which only gave literally a drop of milk, a mental breakdown later I switched to formula. No amount of money would have changed my decision to FF.

Thing is, it works.

Pilot scheme 5 years ago saw rates increase from between 21 and 29% f mums still breastfeeding at 6-8 weeks to 34%.

The reasons are complex but it's an interesting concept. Perhaps giving a cash value, however crudely, to breastfeeding wil help society appreciate the value of it, too.

www.nhs.uk/news/pregnancy-and-child/breastfeeding-voucher-scheme-shows-promise/

Thing is, it works.

There is a more up to date study that has shown slightly more nuanced results:

www.nhs.uk/news/pregnancy-and-child/can-shopping-vouchers-encourage-new-mums-breastfeed/

In summary, while financial incentives appear to lead to some (5%) increase in BF rates post 6-8 weeks, they did not impact numbers of women initiating the breastfeeding or those BF exclusively. It is interesting because the primary purpose of the incentive was to encourage more women to BF in the first place.

Also, both the 2014 pilot and the 2017 study both had one major limitation - they relied on self-reported information. Clearly, the existence of financial incentives might have led to some participants not being entirely truthful in their representations. The 2017 study specifically targeted women living in deprived areas.

The point of the scheme is to make mothers from areas where breast feeding rates are low think about their health choices. In such areas there are also other health issues in the population. In other words a scheme like this isn't for the people posting on this thread

Oh and I mixed fed until my DD decided a few days before her first birthday she wasn't being breast fed anymore or going to drink from a bottle. Breast feeding definitely didn't hurt me at first though I got SFA in terms of support on the postnatal ward. Didn't help the bed and chair they gave me on the were both broken.

On the face of it this doesnt sound great, it should be free choice and I think women should have much more information and support, which is sadly lacking.

However clumsy it is, some studies have shown that it works. It's simple and it increases breastfeeding rates (though I believe only for the time the vouchers are given). I think its cost effective for them

Unfortunately those women are victims of a society that puts emphasis on women’s breast as sexual objects and devalues their prime purpose which is to nourish children.

i have 3 boys and wouldnt change being a parent for the world but the statement that our prime purpose is to nourish our children is the worst statement in this entire feed. you are stating thay women who dont have children arent fulfilling their "prime purpose". no wonder so many women feel like failures regardless of their choices.... we are judged by each other no matter what we do!

If the scheme works then I think it's great.

@insanemumof3 to be fair I think the pp was referring to the primary purpose of breasts rather than women.

I'm really not bothered how people choose to feed their DC but it does make me sad that so many women are so terrified to feed in public. Breasts are sexualised in our society and therefore must be kept hidden. It's really hard to move away from that conditioning.

I'm 5 months into feeding DS2 and I'm much more confident this time around (I fed DS1 for 18 months) and have found lots of helpful bf friendly clothes etc to make it easier but it's a tricky thing to deal with mentally and I still sometimes feel a bit awkward. I can understand why some women might be put off bf altogether because of that.

I think we should get vouchers for hospital grade breast pumps instead. I breastfed but have a large baby and had to supplement with formula as instructed by my HV as I couldn't keep up with his growth demands, was encouraged to keep pumping to aid my supply (also handy so baby can have time with daddy without mummy having to rush home from necessary appointments)

@insanemumof3

Unfortunately those women are victims of a society that puts emphasis on women’s breast as sexual objects and devalues their prime purpose which is to nourish children.

i have 3 boys and wouldnt change being a parent for the world but the statement that our prime purpose is to nourish our children is the worst statement in this entire feed. you are stating thay women who dont have children arent fulfilling their "prime purpose". no wonder so many women feel like failures regardless of their choices.... we are judged by each other no matter what we do!

She was obviously saying that the prime purpose of BREASTS is to feed babies (rather than look 'perfect'). Not the prime purpose of WOMEN.

Some do need an incentive - statistics show lower income women breastfeed at significantly lower rates, this isn't about inability, its about not choosing to so a modest incentive could encourage them to start (and realise it's far easier than bottles once you get started). It's still choice, and it's a balance to the fact that many people claim vouchers to get free formula, surely that's encouraging ff

She was obviously saying that the prime purpose of BREASTS is to feed babies (rather than look 'perfect'). Not the prime purpose of WOMEN.

Okay let’s go with that. So childless women, childfree women, women who’ve had breasts removed owing to cancer before kids and yes indeed women who couldn’t or wouldn’t breastfeed must walk around feeling like their significant feminine body part has not fulfilled their prime purpose in life? Women who take joy in their breasts and their bodies for their own sake experience a misplaced joy because such joy is not the prime purpose of these appendages after all? Really?

@Thoughtlessinengland another one who sees my point about that offensive comment! 👍

@Rubicon80 if thats what she was stating she should have stated it that way. she did not.

@insanemumof3

Except she did:

Unfortunately those women are victims of a society that puts emphasis on women’s breast as sexual objects and devalues their prime purpose which is to nourish children.

The 'their' really, really, really obviously refers to the 'breasts', not to the 'women'.

The 'their' really, really, really obviously refers to the 'breasts', not to the 'women'.

Yes as I’ve said above that is obvious. And still profoundly offensive .