Mumsnet undermining breastfeeding again.

[Redebs]

Just read the Mumsnet article on caring for newborn babies. It's sponsored by a bottle manufacturer.

Much of it is misinformation that will seriously interfere with mothers' success with breastfeeding. For example trying to get a feeding routine for a two month old baby. This is totally against normal practice for on demand breastfeeding.

Anyone aiming for regular naps will be seriously frustrated and will think there is something wrong with them and their baby. Night feeding is treated as if it's a massive burden that should be shared by using a bottle.The massively negative impact of inaccurate information and expectations is aimed at discouraging breastfeeding.

There's a 'helpful' link to another article on 'combination feeding' aka introducing formula, along with references to a whole lot of bottle feeding products you should buy.

The WHO condemns companies that use misinformation and pressure on mothers not to breastfeed. While it may be subtly disguised, that is exactly what articles like this are doing.

And for money.

Tell them to get of that bias bf advise advert that keeps popping up at the top it’s so annoying 😂

@Prochoice11 I've not seen that advert so can't comment.

its a video about a rugby hold and latching. Keeps popping up on the banner. That’s ok though I’m not offended by it being bias as it may help someone. Formula adverts may help others eg someone who had a double mastectomy who is thinking yikes which formula shall I buy? Ah ok nestle that’ll do great. That’s it:)

@Prochoice11 I haven't seen that advert and I can't see it now so cannot comment on whether it's factual and unbiased.

@Prochoice11 I just went onto the web version of mumsnet and didn't see it. I got adverts for cars and online casinos which given I don't gamble is an interesting algorithm glitch.

You can't "advertise" BFing, it's not a product for sale.

Ha gambling that’s definitely also of no interest to me:)

I have to admit, in my case there was a lot of pressure to breast feed. From the hospital, to the midwives, the health visitors and all the posters dotted about it was all about breastfeeding, breast is best, what kinds of support is on offer etc. The midwives kept pushing on about breast feeding despite the failing health of my son. Eventually, the doctor gave us a choice. Either bottle feed your child or we will keep him on SCBU for a while as his health is taking a nosedive. We chose bottle feeding and from then he soared. I just didn’t produce enough milk which was confirmed, it wasn’t just through lack of trying.

it was an incredibly difficult time for me. I failed to deliver naturally, I failed to keep my son safe inside me (I was induced and then emergency section due to preeclampsia) and then I failed to sustain him. I literally felt a failure as a mother and wondered if I should indeed be a mother. I needed support with bottle feeding as, although it’s all written on the packet, I still had lots of questions. Yes, as someone previously mentioned, I could have googled but I needed the emotional support too.

I faced dirty looks whenever I produced a bottle from my bag at baby groups and had people commenting on my choice to bottle feed regularly. People who took great pleasure in telling me why breast is best.

The same happened with my second child.

You attend midwife appointments, go to see the health visitor, join baby groups and there are posters here there and everywhere advocating breast feeding. That’s great but when you can’t it really hits home. It’s one of the reasons I’m not against seeing advertisements for formula.

Bf bias arguably latching holding etc. no mention of all options. I’m all for whatever makes mum & baby happy:) so individual isn’t it and there’s no wrong x

Redebs I really don't understand why only this aspect of raising healthy children is so passionately fought. Yes, statistically breast is best and that should be promoted at antenatal classes/ with new mothers and in society in general. However you have to meet people where they are and many mothers feel they need to introduce formula because of pain or family situation or personal choice about their own body.
Children of married parents do statistically better in life emotionally and cognitively, as you care about the long term well being of all children should this also be promoted at ante natal classes and in society? It appears as a society that we have chosen no despite the evidence we will embrace all family set ups and offer support as appropriate. I think this is the correct approach and how early feeding should be treated. Children will grow up healthier in the countryside with clean air and organic food. Do we encourage new families to move out of cities, of course not because what is possible for one family isn't for another for practical, financial and a whole other host of reasons. Breast feeding is just one small part of what is best for a child's development.
I am a reception teacher and no one in education asks how a baby was fed because it has no relevance to their development. I know their family set up/ whether they were premature/ number of siblings etc but breast or bottle not relevant at all.

Well, I obviously wouldn't go out of my way to specifically tell ff mothers that information, when it hadn't been asked for. That would be nasty. But in a general discussion around infant feeding, robust scientific findings absolutely have their place.

Exactly the same here. Bf was thrust in my face non stop and I did it for months hating every single awful second. That child’s immunity and allergy ratio is dreadful ironically snd I was hating the entire experience. I said never again. 2nd time over based solely on that 1St experience I chose to go straight to formula and wow it was amazing!!!! Best decision for us ever. Others will have other tales and that ok too:)

Excellent post.

Best post of the day which I believe and the discussion. I’m off to buy nestle Rolo’s can’t lie 😂blinking subconscious advertising😂

It's actually not that easy to choose the correct formula, ascertain quantities and know which teats to use at which stage, esp if you have a colicky or reflux baby. I breastfed dc 1 and was unable to breastfeed my twins, I needed way more support with the formula feeding but wasn't given any as , you know, I'm scum for not breastfeeding, was how I was made to feel. Comments like this are ignorant.

The kids will come across far worse than baby formula as they grow. Sugar…aspartame in diet drinks…alcohol….and they are the minor things:) don’t sweat the very minor risks associated with formula chick x

Not necessarily a happy choice though- I was still BFIng a 3yo. I hated BFing and only kept going because I was under so much pressure to do it. I certainly wasn't BFing thru the night (mine slept thru from eight weeks) and it isn't necessary to do so to keep BFing but a lot seem to get into EBF then find it almost impossible to stop.

Mine petered out very gradually - she BF a few times a week by 3yo so it was a very minor part of our lives. But I do have friends who were BFing multiple times per day still at that age.

Incidentally - I do not believe the stats are there for longer term BFing. It simply isn't recorded anywhere. Nobody asked me whether I was BFing after the HV 6-8 week appointment. I know a lot of women who BF well past a year or two years.

BF bias 🤣 in an informative video about... BFing 🤣

It's also not true that to combi-feed you establish supply first, then introduce a bottle.

Some of us don't have the supply initially to get established. My milk didn't come in until eight weeks. I did it the other way round - five days of EBF (= disaster), 90% formula for eight weeks, milk then came in and we did 50% formula. I refused to increase supply beyond that as hated BFIng.

Wasn’t balanced with other options for women who can’t or don’t want to bf :))

Vile wasn’t it:) well now you’ve got ya death stats from PP so enjoy those 😂

I've had the child of a lactivist tell me he'd hit his wife if she didn't BF, which didn't fill me with confidence!

Wait, are you suggesting that every informational video or article about breastfeeding has to include formula or expressing options?

@RidingMyBike well that wasn't my response to the question.

If a man said that to me I'd be on to safeguarding pretty damn quick.

I think you're having us on