Bottle feeding culture in the UK

[TeenyQueen]

This morning I saw a Facebook photo of my former colleague's newborn baby being bottle fed by her older sister (toddler). I suppose it was a cute photo, but I fundamentally disagree with the idea that anyone should be able to bottle feed a baby. What I mean is not just the baby's parents but all sorts of friends and relatives. Isn't infant feeding part of bonding? When did it become a 'thing' for siblings to feed a newborn?

I have three issues with this. 1. Breastfeeding mums are still being told that breastfeeding in public is undesirable and photos of breastfeeding are censored on social media (but it's ok to have pictures of bottle feeding).

1. We seem to be moving away from this idea that feeding a baby is part of social interaction and bonding between the baby and parent.
2. We're teaching young children that bottle feeding is the normal and usual thing to do and breastfeeding is not.

FYI the baby was in a completely wrong position for feeding anyway and didn't look very comfortable.

Any thoughts?

@sqirrelfriends I could say the same for @Abbccc and anyone who says they're judged for BF 🤷🏼‍♀️

@grumpyorange that's not bitterness, we're just pointing out that we also get judged for our choices. Ive had unneeded comments too but I'm not bitter about it, I know I've done the best thing for me and my baby and I'm happy with my choices, just like many of the FF mums are happy with theirs.

This thread is really depressing.

Fed is best is a ridiculous statement - surely that's the minimum, not the 'best'!

I see it like sqirrel, it's just a fact that breastfeeding, if it works out, is healthiest and formula feeding does come with risks. The risks that were listed are FACTS. Breastfeeding does not cause, or is even associated with, PND. Why can't those who bottle feed acknowledge this, despite their decision which I'm sure they will have had their own reasons for. Spreading misinformation makes life harder for new mums, and could even endanger a baby. The rudeness and blatant misinformation on this thread makes me lose my faith in this society, honestly.

I've done both and I've had negative comments for bottle feeding and positive ones for breastfeeding.

@sqirrelfriends I was talking about when you said about surrounding yourself with more positive people. Not bitterness.
All I'm saying is if you can say to me if people are judging surround yourself with better people then I could say the same to you

@Leah00 could even endanger a baby.

FF does not endanger babies...

But fed is best - whichever feeding method you choose. They are pros and cons with both. Our DC’s are lucky they get such a good start in life regardless of whether bf or ff.

It does, because it does come with risks.

Our children are LUCKY they get fed?? Seriously?

@Leah00 I think you need to calm down and respect people's choices without spreading misinformation.

@grumpyorange

A team of researchers from the World Health Organisation and Unicef estimated that 800,000 child deaths a year worldwide would be prevented if breast milk was universally used to feed babies

@sqirrelfriends how many in developed countries where there is access to fresh and clean water on demand and proper sterilising facilities

I respect people's choices, I just don't want anyone to fall prey to others' misinformation and a biased culture.

@grumpyorange I would imagine most of them but I'm just proving a point that formula can cause harm.

grumpy Even in developed countries formula comes with a risk of infection, including necrotising enterocolitis. Exclusive BF is also vital for a healthy gut biome which is increasingly understood to be linked to health outcomes throughout a person's life.

Analysis of data from 28 systematic reviews and meta-analyses, of which 22 were commissioned specifically for the Series, indicate that breastfeeding not only has multiple health benefits for children and mothers, but it also has dramatic effects on life expectancy (Paper 1, table). For example, in high-income countries breastfeeding reduces the risk of sudden infant deaths by more than a third, while in low-and middle-income countries about half of all diarrhoea episodes and a third of respiratory infections could be avoided by breastfeeding. It also increases intelligence, and might protect against obesity and diabetes in later life. For mothers, longer-duration breastfeeding reduces the risks of breast cancer and ovarian cancer.

Sorry- here's my source

www.unicef.org.uk/babyfriendly/lancet-increasing-breastfeeding-worldwide-prevent-800000-child-deaths-every-year/

@sqirrelfriends and as I said further down WHO push it so much as they look at the world as a whole. In places where there is no access to sterilising facilities, clean fresh water and means to boil of it of course BF is going to be beneficial and be better than formula in majority of cases (unless mum can not produce or suffers PND etc) however in a developed country this is simply not the case.

@Leah00 but you too are spreading misinformation. As below how many of these deaths are in developed countries etc. The same way as some mums can develop PND by breastfeeding etc. It all balances out.

Mums are more than capable of making informed choices and should not be told one way is right and one way is wrong. If they want to breastfeed great, they should get the support to do so. If they want to Formula feed great, they should get the support to do so.

This is what I've said all along

@Leah00 - our DC’s are lucky as we have a choice of bf or ff to give them an excellent start in life. Some DC’s in some countries don’t have those opportunities

These always end up the same way, its sad. Instead of women supporting eachother it's just full of judgement under the guise of studies. I thought we were better than this?

@sqirrelfriends yet most elderly people were formula fed as it was pushed so heavily and are living to grand old ages with life expectancy constantly rising...

No, I did not spread any misinformation. Look it up.

@grumpyorange some women may develop PND due to breastfeeding but on the whole it makes it less likely to happen. Do you not like facts?

Sandy We're not judging. We're only calling out misinformation, so that every new mum can make an informed choice.

@grumpyorange lots of elderly people played with mercury, were exposed to asbestos and lead and are still kicking. By your reasoning all these things must be perfectly fine.