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?

See Unicef.org.uk for research into many of these issues

Raaa I’ve actually no idea. I’m not sure that breastfeeding does offer protection against allergies such as eczema and hay fever, asthma. I think the reduced risk is more applicable to food allergies. If food is introduced alongside breastmilk this can reduce risk of allergy developing I think. That said a baby with eczema is more likely to develop food allergies anyway. If allergens get on the skin before the gut it’s more likely to trigger the auto immune response (look up EAT and LEAP study). Given a family history of allergy Including eczema I’d really look into weaning from 17 weeks. Severe food allergies are a bit of a nightmare to live with.

@TeenyQueen, one of those personal attacks was clearly aimed at me though. As I never actually saw it I just wanted to know what was said about me

@Parker231 I agree with @darrenlacey, I agree it may seem judgemental and maybe it is but no one can say they have never judged another parent. To voice that judgement is very different and I would never make any comment in real life.

@teenyqueen I suggest you take a look at yourself. You have been awful on this post - absolutely awful. Don't get on your high horse about other people's behaviour. You have thinly veiled your obnoxious view point behind apparent 'facts'. You shouldn't be teaching children.

And don't even get me started on WHO. Not exactly an organisation held in high regard right now are they?

I'm out of this thread - finished.

But you don’t have any rights to pass judgement, in person or online on the parenting decisions made by another parent. In the UK our DC’s are very lucky that we have choices as to how they are fed and both give an excellent start in life.

@darrenlacey what about a medical issue 🤨

@happymummy12345 I have no idea, but I agree that no one should be making personal attacks of any kind.

@Zoey92 anyone who is unable to breastfeed due to a medical issue clearly has no choice. That's a completely different topic to choosing not to breastfeed because they believe that breastfeeding has no health benefits.

@TeenyQueen I didn't choose not to breastfeed because it has no benefits, I didn't because for me it was the best thing for my MH and my baby.

@grumpyorange, OP didn't say that applied to your situation. I think she meant anyone where they didn't have a genuine reason, MH being one of many.

I've heard people's opinions about BF (mostly before I was pregnant and mainly from people who aren't pregnant, or have DC) that they find breastfeeding to be gross. If I had listened to them, I probably would have gone on to use formula. I just feel the more it is normalised, the better.

Why justify your decision - a simple ‘I decided to ff’ is sufficient.

@sqirrelfriends to be fair I think OP has been very judgemental. I and I think you as well wouldn't dream of commenting on someone's feeding choice but if asked would give pros and cons of each method.

As I've said before I think it is very case by case basis round my area mums who FF are very much the minority and often get commented upon. If asked before birth how you're feeding and you say formula you are hounded. Maybe I live where the 1% do!

Why justify your decision - a simple ‘I decided to ff’ is sufficient.

I agree.

I ff my children because I chose to. I read up on ff and bf before I gave birth to my first and decided I wanted to ff. I came across a few judgemental midwives and mums but I didn’t entertain them. I’m very confident in my decisions that I make for my children but I can see how people on this thread may upset those who are more vulnerable.

@Zoey92 yes medical reason is what I meant by a physical reason.

@TeenyQueen

“@Zoey92 anyone who is unable to breastfeed due to a medical issue clearly has no choice. That's a completely different topic to choosing not to breastfeed because they believe that breastfeeding has no health benefits.”

I posted earlier up thread about having to stop bf because my daughter was critically ill. But I bet, if you’d seen me feed her from a bottle, you’d have judged me without knowing the facts.

Re breast feeding versus bottle feeding, I suggest all women reflect in their opinion by performing a small study of their own. Ask amongst the grown ups who was breast fed and who was bottle fed and see how many generalisations you can make about how the manner in which the milk that was funnelled into their bodies has impacted heir emotional and physical health.
I'm sure it's really obvious who was breast fed and us now a superior fully grown human.
Hahahahaha ha

@Grendlsmother It's a bit hard to understand your post. I think you're saying you couldn't tell who had been breastfed?

If that is the case, then obviously that is true. No one has said otherwise

It doesn't discount the health benefits.

@Grendlsmother that is not how population-wide health studies work and you should already know this. Not smoking reduces your risk of lung cancer, however it is not a guarantee that you will never get lung cancer.

But yes let's think of examples (because that is clearly scientific evidence in your opinion...). I was breastfed, no digestive issues. My DH was bottle fed, he does have digestive issues. My DD is breastfeed, zero health issues, my friend's DD has been bottle fed since birth and has been hospitalised with severe diarrhoea, diagnosed with CMPA. Is that scientific enough?

@LittleTopic if you read my OP you will quite clearly read that I was critical of a culture that has made bottle feeding the norm, which means that breastfeeding (which is the biological norm) is seen as abnormal in UK society. You can post a picture of bottle feeding but a breastfeeding photo gets sensored. You can bottle feed a baby in public without worrying that someone will get offended and will try confront you. That is the issue, not whether you personally bottle feed or not.

@TeenyQueen do breastfeeding photos get censored though, genuine question? What is there to censor surely you can't see anything anyway.

I have a friend on fb who often posts photos of her breastfeeding her dd and they aren't censored.