Feminism and breastfeeding

[SnuggyBuggy]

Just curious as to people's opinions here as I haven't seen these two things discussed a lot. Is promoting breastfeeding compatible with being a feminist?

Yes, but sometimes top ups are required to fill a gap. In my case I was annoyed about it because the only reason there had been a gap was because we were separated for far longer than I was expecting plus they were feeding him massive quantities for no reason. If I'd given birth in the same hospital, I would have been able to provide colostrum even though he was being tube fed. I believe that if he'd had colostrum the whole time and/or they had given formula more sparingly, I would have been able to meet his needs immediately. I agree that often top ups are suggested too easily, and my huge bugbear is when they are given as a solution with no plan to taper down, but it's not exactly right to say that there is never a reason to top up.

Bellini the OP didn't even say that

If there is a belief there may be underproduction then the only reasonable solution is to feed more frequently.

That's a first pass, not a complete solution. Frequent feeding won't solve a tongue tie or palate issues that prevent a baby extracting milk effectively, or mother's anaemia or PCOS suppressing milk production, etc. There are a small number of circumstances where real expertise is needed to solve a problem, which is why every midwife, HV and paediatrician should have a proper IBCLC lactation consultant to call when they meet a case that outstrips their (really quite limited) breastfeeding training. Yet there are few IBCLCs in the NHS, and many HCPs have never even heard of lactation consultants...

So genuinely serious but solvable problems rarely get addressed (unless a mother shells out privately for a lactation consultant), and minor hiccups get turned into serious supply problems due to poor advice from HCPs who don't realise how inadequate their training in breastfeeding actually is (see the baby feeding boards for oceans of stories).

Oh yes, all of that. Thank you for pointing that out. I haven't had enough coffee.

Meant to add... Yes, I think it's a feminist issue that the NHS is too under-equipped to facilitate a basic function of female anatomy. It needs root and branch reform to resolve, but I can't see the poor broke NHS having the resources to do it any decade soon.

I really REALLY don't understand how the NHS can claim to support breastfeeding and put money into breastfeeding "promotion" and yet not put money into training. It baffles me honestly. And I know it would cost too much to train every midwife, health visitor and GP to expert levels on BF so why oh why not just have one specialist MW/HV/HCA for each area, give all MWs, HVs and GPs basic training (could be an A4 sheet of paper to read once a year, nothing costly) and guidelines for when to refer to the specialist, the specialist can then do the detailed BF support, including a weekly drop-in with peer supporters, preferably located at hospital so that mums who are postnatal can access easily, although in the community also OK if that is impractical, and when there is no need for BF support they can fill in as a normal community MW, HV or HCA. OK it probably wouldn't reach every woman who needs support, TBH, but it would be a start and so much more fitting than what is currently offered, which seems to be a lucky dip based on whether your midwife, GP, or health visitor has a personal interest (though midwives do receive some training, and tend to be the best bet out of these three, but still often give the opposite of helpful advice.)

Thinking about what everyone is saying (plus my own experiences) it feels like in a bid to become “baby-friendly”, NHS baby feeding services risk becoming “anti-woman”.

The paternalistic, top-down push for breastfeeding without adequate support leaves women feeling guilty when they struggle. I’m sick to the back teeth of all the contradictory info and the “baby is gaining well what’s the problem?” crap I’ve had with both my tongue-tie babies. The best approach for me was a combo of professional lactation consultant, semi-trained peer support and ongoing support from my mum (who bf) and friends. I was lucky that I could have this non-judgmental support, but with my first DD it took 6 weeks to access services due to HV mis-information and the summer holidays!

And then on the other hand women who choose to formula feed (for whatever reason) feel like they’re excluded from services, not given adequate information, and are somehow doing the baby a disservice.

But this push for breastfeeding is set against a wealth of social barriers to bf and pressures on women to bottle feed, thanks to generations of insidious formula marketing and a loss of “common knowledge” about the realities of breastfeeding. Which doesn’t feel particularly pro-woman either!

So my call to arms would be for women to put their own personal choices aside and to unite in advocating for mother-and-baby-friendly services where well-informed women can make choices on how to feed their babies based on what works best for them, their baby and their family.

Here endeth my rant

@Aozora13 it seems spectacularly cruel when you put it like that, doesn't it? "Breastfeeding is amazing for you and your baby. You really are missing out on these myriad benefits by choosing formula. But you'll have to figure out how to do it for yourself."

Surely not everyone lives in an exclusively middle class bubble with everyone boobing about? Most women formula feed. Where are they all on here?

Of course it is bubble based. And this part of MN is a bubble within a bubble.

It is afactthat it is statistically unlikely for a woman in the UK to actually be the only bottle feeder in a baby group, while it is psychologically very likely for her to feel that way

It is statistically unlikely if you are referring to the UK population as a whole but that isn't how mother and baby groups or friendship groups work. Within in my group of friends all breast fed. There wasn't the same obsession about ebf that there seems to be now, and the instructions about when to start introducing were earlier than current guidelines, but no- one went straight to formula.

Introducing solids

@DCIRozHuntley exactly. Breast is best might be true at a population level but it’s not necessarily the case for every individual mother and baby, for all sorts of reasons. I wish we could take the value judgement out of infant feeding and give women information and support tailored to their (and their babies’) needs.

@Aozora13

I really agree with the way you've described it. Also agree with Bertie that the NHS gives mixed messages.

I think the issue of breastfeeding needs to move away from the current duty to breastfeed message to focusing on the right to breastfeed, right to support, right to feed in public and higher expectations of the health services.

I agree on the inconsistencies in knowledge and training. As I said upthread I was very lucky with support and advice from midwives both in and out of hospital. But my GP is utterly clueless and when I saw her for an infection in my CS scar I had to tell her I was bf to get a suitable antibiotic as she didn’t think to ask. I still didn’t trust her so googled it and then realised it was one you had to not eat for an hour before and two after, and take 4 times a day, really bloody helpful when trying to keep supply up with a 5 week old to feed

I think the issue of breastfeeding needs to move away from the current duty to breastfeed message to focusing on the right to breastfeed, right to support, right to feed in public and higher expectations of the health services.

Totally agree with this. Also with pp who said that it's scandalous that the NHS is so ill equipped to support what is a fundamental physiological function of women.

Also great post Aozora. I think what the formula companies have successfully done control the narrative so people in general don't question the system. You see on here in so many threads, women who've bf who haven't felt supported and women who've ff who haven't felt supported. So no women are supported by the current system which is scandalous. But most newspaper articles frame it as all about choice (when there is really little choice) and that people who made different feeding choices are somehow out to get each other and criticise each other for their choices. But in reality most women who've had babies really aren't that judgemental of other mothers. Mostly we want to support each other. It's a big fat lie, and you have to ask - why? Why is so much of the media narrative about essentially facilitating a bf vs ff virtual fist fight? Who does it benefit? Not women.

Oh gosh. TBH I thought most antibiotics were suitable for breastfeeding. I've never had one that complicated and I breastfed DS1 until he was 4, I'm sure I must have taken antibiotics during that time.

Antibiotics and breastfeeding

(One of many Drugs factsheets by the breastfeeding network - an invaluable resource.)

I always refer to the breastfeeding network, it’s such a brilliant service. I’ve been told this week by a pharmacist that I can’t take ibuprofen if I’m breastfeeding. Another friend was told the same recently by a doctor. It states that ibuprofen is safe to take on the bloody NHS website! I do understand that they can’t test many drugs for safety in b/milk but they could apply common sense. I saw a ted talk that highlighted how little we actually know about breastfeeding and breastmilk, I can’t remember what the exact statistic was but it was something like (in terms of the amount of research done) we know 50% more about tomatoes and erectile dysfunction than we do about breastfeeding and breastmilk.

YY cupoftea. It's very anti-women to frame this as "mummy wars".

I was told I couldn't have the chicken pox vaccine because I was breastfeeding... my 2 year old who had just (as in, 2 minutes before) has the chicken pox vaccine

Dr Wendy Jones did at least get recognised in the Queen's birthday honours list this year, for her amazing career researching drugs and breastmilk.

Dr Wendy Jones is a star, and her recognition was well deserved. How many breastfeeding relationships has she saved by providing correct advice?

That sort of work is so important. I wonder how many women are put of BF because they wrongly believe or have been wrongly told they can't take various medications.

And how many women suffer without the medication they need because they think (perhaps they've been told) that it's not safe to take when breastfeeding.

Also, I was given codeine in the postnatal ward. I didn't realise the risks until much later when I read the fact sheet about pain relief. I'm amazed that they gave it to me without at least warning me about the possible risks.

Well, not that amazed, based on the general substandard care...