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?

@CayrolBaaaskin thank for the link this is the last paragraph:

Multiple studies say breast-feeding is good for the development of the baby, and that it’s health protective for mothers as well. The CDC says it’s “committed to increasing breastfeeding rates throughout the United States and to promoting and supporting optimal breastfeeding practices toward the ultimate goal of improving the public’s health.”

@sqirrelfriends 'good for' doesn't mean 'better than...'. The months I breast fed certainly weren't good for my health. The sibling studies show NO difference between formula fed and breast fed siblings which is far more informative than comparing children from different socio economic backgrounds.

amp.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/breastfeeding-formula-debate-mothers-baby

Breast isn't always best. New mums deserve an informed choice – and that includes the right to formula milk

@skinnyhotchoc So the benefits to the baby aside, what about the benefits for the mother?

Health benefits of breastfeeding for you:

Breastfeeding and making breast milk also has health benefits for you.

The more you breastfeed, the greater the benefits.

Breastfeeding lowers your risk of:

breast cancer
ovarian cancer
osteoporosis (weak bones)
cardiovascular disease
obesity

Or do we fail to acknowledge these as well?

And hopefully we won't now see the "I know of someone who breastfed and she still got (insert here) replies!

@Nicknamegoeshere I'm sure the data on that is equally dubious.

@Nicknamegoeshere same way for a long time it was promoted that breastfeeding meant you didn't have to use any other forms of contraception....

Why not acknowledge that each mother can make her own decisions as whether to bf or ff. They are both provide the nutrients for DC to thrive and give DC’s an excellent start in life.

@princesstwinkle For many years we also thought the world was flat!

@skinnyhotchoc Taken from the main NHS website. HUGE amounts of evidence to back it up.

As I've said many times before, how women choose to feed their baby is entirely their choice. What frustrates me is when people try to suggest the benefits to mother and baby are either negligible or at best questionable. They simply are not.

I'm with @Nicknamegoeshere on this, feed your child formula all you want but saying it breastmilk doesn't have benefits is just untrue.

No-one is disputing women's right to choose! Only the discrediting of scientifically well established facts!

@Parker231 No one is arguing that mothers shouldn't have access to formula and for you to say that anyone has suggested that is pretty bonkers. You said that you had your dc a little while ago, so research into infant feeding has changed our understanding of the pros and cons since you had your babies. My MIL was about to try to give my newborn DD water at one point because she'd been told to do that in the 80s, my mum was told to prop my baby brother to sleep on his side when he was a newborn in the 90s. Point is that you made an informed choice based on evidence that was available at the time, the evidence has moved on.

I completely support any woman's choice, unfortunately the prevailing attitude seems to be that ff and bf are the same, which is not an informed choice. It also seems that it's an automatic bf vs ff, no one talks about the possibility of combi feeding or using expressed milk if you need to share the feeds. No one also promotes the idea that you could just try breastfeeding for the first few days so the baby gets all the benefits of colostrum (which is absolutely packed with nutrients and has high levels of antibodies). Bf isn't a 6 months or nothing situation, you could do it for a day, week or month and then decide to switch. DH's friend went straight to FF because she didn't want the hassle of having to wean the baby off breastmilk (her words, not mine).

@Nicknamegoeshere so my point is benefits have, in the past, been exaggerated....

As has been said in many threads whether it be about BF, FF, weight, hight, on the common cold the NHS will only publish things that fit with their mantra. As has been pointed out on this thread often the studies used are either of an small sample size or has lots of limitations or doesn't use all the evidence provided as it would create a different picture.

If you look up causes of breast cancer on the NHS none mention a cause could be that you didn't breastfeed. If it was such a well w and proven fact it would surely be listed on there?

@TeenyQueen no one talks about the possibility of combi feeding or using expressed milk if you need to share the feeds

Urm but you've just shamed a women for sharing a feed?

Please accept there are pros and cons of both and don’t force one view on other mothers, it’s unwanted and judgemental. A mother deciding to use formula isn’t making a second rate choice for her much loved and wanted baby. Someone is no less an excellent mother for choosing formula.

My concern if we buy into the narrative of formula milk being the same as breastmilk it will just be an excuse to cut breastfeeding support.

@princesstwinkle sharing a feed with a toddler. A baby has one primary care giver who is the foundation of the child's social and emotional development. Most FF babies are mostly fed by the mother, supported by the father or a close relative. I didn't shame, I criticised the idea that just anyone should be able to feed a newborn.

@TeenyQueen but do you know how long they fed them for? How many children do you have?

To the powder who said "fed isn't best it's the bare minimum. Breastfeeding is biologically normal" or similar. Fed is best and both forms of feeding are normal.
And to those saying about making up bottles. As for making them up I know it's not recommended now but I did it the old fashioned way. Emptied and refilled kettle, boiled it and left it to cool for 30 minutes to reach the correct temperature to make bottles, added the water then equivalent number of flat scoops of powder. Shook them well, then left to cool naturally at room temperature. When cool I stored them in the fridge, they can be kept for up to 24 hours. To warm up I used boiling water and a plastic jug (we had a flask that we filled with boiling water for going out).
I think it's so much easier than messing about making them as needed. And I know most people use the perfect prep machine but sorry to me that's laziness, you don't need a machine to make bottles in my opinion. I'd only ever make them the old fashioned way, regardless of what's recommended.

@princesstwinkle you said the NHS will only publish facts that fit in with their mantra? What is this mantra? We save lives and want people to be healthy? The NHS doesn't have some kind of secret agenda against ff.

Not breastfeeding isn't listed as a cause of breast cancer because THAT would be shaming not only mums who ff but childless women too. If it was listed as a cause there would be an immediate backlash.

@Leah00 I knew I didn't even want to try breastfeeding so I didn't. I gave my baby the best start because I did what I knew was best for us both. I knew my baby would be fine on formula and that was my choice.
You're very judgemental

@TeenyQueen actually it is listed that it's more likely if you don't have children...

To the powder who said "fed isn't best it's the bare minimum. Breastfeeding is biologically normal" or similar. Fed is best and both forms of feeding are normal

That doesn't make sense. If something is 'best' then there needs to be an 'adequate' to compare it to.

It's silly to say breastmilk and formula milk are the same, they absolutely are not.

Why carry on shaming mothers who choose formula.