Breast is not best, language, guilt and lactivism musings

[lhancock90]

Since using this forum i've realised that, around the world, most women don't FF by choice, they only turn to FF when BF-ing complications arise.
I had no idea of the benefits of breastfeeding until i was pregnant and to be honest, i can't recall, bar family, ever actually seeing a woman breastfeed.
In the UK it is definitely different, women choose to FF because they want to, not because they have no other option, lately the Government has been on a BFing drive and its everywhere, posters, booklets, leaflets, dvd's and i find now, i see more women BF-ing and it does make me smile, especially when its on a bus or somewhere really public, i love how proud and brave they are. I do feel however, that our Government has it wrong, Midwives and HV's are pushing it to the extent that even if there is medical reason you can't breastfeed, they still push and bully it and make you feel horrendous, this is something a few of my family and friends have experienced so it may just be my area.
But i do support the right for a woman to choose, yes Breast is best, but Breastfeeding isn't always. Formula isn't poison. But i do think that as more people become aware of the benefits, the more that will choose to breastfeed and the more accepted it will be.


I rambled a bit there..

 

[patch2006uk]

You are preaching to the wrong people, I would bet my bottom dollar anyone on this forum has made an informed choice so telling people here these facts is just gonna get peoples backs up

And FYI I made an informed choice, I am not stupid

Who's preaching? The question was asked on the first page, so we're talking about it. If you don't like it, no-one is forcing you to read it.

And the attitude of formula being 'just as good' is not something that's confined to a small portion of society. Over 90% of mothers FF by a few weeks. I don't believe that the percentage of breastfeeding moms would be as low if people were actually informed.

 

[Pramaholic86]

I do actually wonder how much of the benefits of BF are social? (again, not disputing BF being better just musing)

 

[freckleonear]

Why do you keep saying the risk of ff then, I talked about the risks and how they do not apply to my child

Unfortunately that's not how risks work. Risks are based on statistical trends over large sample sizes, not on anecdotal evidence. It's not possible to claim that a child is exempt from the risks. You may be able to say that your child has avoided the short-term risks, but obviously you can't predict health problems in the long-term and it's also impossible to know what a child's health or IQ would have been like if they had been fed differently. The average IQ difference between breastfed and formula fed children is only 3 points and IQ varies much more than that between individuals, so anecdotal evidence is meaningless.

I think a misunderstanding of risks, statistics and scientific studies is actually part of the problem. People think "I was formula fed and I'm fine" or "such-and-such formula fed all her children and they are fine" and pay more attention to anecdotal evidence like that than they do to what the health care professionals are saying.

 

[Missy86]

Do you not think that genetics impacts on health as well, environmental factors?

Also it works the other way, you cant say I bf my child so they are never gonna get ill

 

[Missy86]

Also how long do you have to bf for to get the benefits

 

[freckleonear]

Do you not think that genetics impacts on health as well, environmental factors?

Also it works the other way, you cant say I bf my child so they are never gonna get ill

Exactly, they just get ill less often/less severely than they might have done if they had been formula fed.

Genetics, environment and social influences are definitely factors, but a well-designed scientific study should control for other variables and isolate the biological effects of breastmilk alone in order to prove cause-and-effect.

 

[freckleonear]

Also how long do you have to bf for to get the benefits

Research has shown that the benefits are cumulative and dose dependent, so the longer you breastfeed for, the more the benefits increase. Unfortunately there is a lack of research about the benefits of feeding past 2 years, so we don't know exact figures. Even breastfeeding once at birth gives some benefits though.

 

[Dragonfly]

I was going to formula feed till I researched it after I tried it. I knew nothing about breastfeeding and thought it was just vile someone suggesting it to me when pregnant. Ignorant I was. My friends where all using formula, family , any one in the hospital was formula feeding to. By ignorance to, I was asked why I was doing it, its all the same, and what to say to the midwife if she asked was I breastfeeding which was a stern no. Assuming everyone knows the facts is ignorant to. You dont know everyone. This forum has smart woman on it here for their kids and do do research, it dosnt have the whole population of UK posting on it. No one helped me with breastfeeding either and even the midwife who came to see me after I had my second said she has maybe seen one woman by the time they got home carry on breastfeeding for a week non try and many give up soon as they get home.

If you know all the facts and the facts offend you why are you looking at them here? I dont see the point in protesting it hurts your feelings when you dont need to be here.

 

[katiekittykat]

I don't know whether it varies from Health Authority to Health Authority in the UK, but in mine BF, and the risks of FF, were rammed down my throat from the booking in appt with the midwife onwards. Which was fine, I had planned to do it anyway. But I mean, literally, rammed. I had to take LO to the clinic the day after we came out from hospital to be weighed (it was over Christmas and they didn't do home visits) and a BF support worker greeted me and watched me feed him while we were there - the same woman came to my house 3 times over the next week.

Which was brilliant - the support is definitely out there if you need it. But all throughout my pregnancy and for 3 weeks after Niall was born, I was led to believe that formula was the worst thing I could do. So, after 3 weeks when I 'failed' at BF (for reasons which I won't go into here), this is where my guilt came from.

I think what I'm trying to say is, I seriously doubt whether there is anyone out there who doesn't believe 'breast is best'. So I felt the articles were argumentative, provocative and entirely unnecessary.

But this is the problem - breast isn't 'best', breast is normal. Formula is a substitute which carries risks. Breastfeeding isn't some nice bonus for you and baby, it's the biologically normal way to feed a human being.

This is semantics....it's a handy slogan which essentially says 'breastmilk is better than formula'. Which is true. So what's the problem? It's arguing for arguing's sake. Would you prefer that there was no campaign to promote breastmilk, and just hope that women make their own choices? Formula is available, and that's not going to change.

The whole point of this thread is how language affects the perception of breastfeeding. If studies were reported as 'risks of formula' instead of 'benefits of BFing', then the perception would change. The phrase 'breast is best' is perhaps the best marketing slogan for formula that there is!

I fully disagree. The 'breast is best' slogan is used by the NHS, not the Big Bad Baby Food Companies. They have to put it on their advertising due to government guidelines - I'm sure they would rather not. I just can't see what the problem is - it baffles me that anyone is offended by it. What would you prefer? If you switch it and say that women shouldn't be made aware of the benefits of BF, but the risks of formula instead, then surely this works both ways. As I said, I had the Benefits of Breastmilk shoved down my throat for 9 months, but not once did anyone make any sort of suggestion that BF would cause me physical and mental exhaustion to the point where I was starting to resent my child. In the same way you think the risks of formula should be promoted, would you want the 'risks' of BF to the mother promoted as well?

Are you saying that formula shouldn't be available as an alternative? That's like saying cars shouldn't be available because we can all walk.

 

[SnuggleMum]

I don't think it is stupidity that makes women affected by formula marketing. it is a billion pound industry that drip feeds us right from birth, to fail at breastfeeding. Marketing works, otherwise they wouldn't spend so much on it! I don't think it makes someone stupid to be influenced by marketing - we all are, the trick is to recognise it and then you can work against it. It is amazing the physcology behind marketing / the cute fluffy animals on firnula tins, the reassuring adverts, the colours, the text, the helpline, the placement, who they support, how they target health care professionals. It is very, very hard to get away from it and be uninformed by something so deeply ingrained in our society. How many times has the average pre-pregnancy woman seem a woman breastfeed, and how often have they seen a woman bottle feed?

 

[Dragonfly]

So what are the risks of breastfeeding?

 

[lhancock90]

I'd take FF over no feeding anyday. I couldn't breastfeed. Just because it carries risks are we supposed to not feed? Breast is best is a nice clever way to promote it, its positive. Why demonize FF to promote BF?

 

[SnuggleMum]

I'd take FF over no feeding anyday. I couldn't breastfeed. Just because it carries risks are we supposed to not feed? Breast is best is a nice clever way to promote it, its positive. Why demonize FF to promote BF?

Formula feeding is the fourth choice of feeding according to the WHO - after mothers own milk direct, mothers own milk in a bottle and donor milk, so there are other alternatives to formula, but I agree, formula is better than nothing. for me, I think we should be aware of the risks do we can decide how to proceed - it is a personal decision, weighing up carrying on breastfeeding despite issues, combination feeding, exclusive expressing using donor milk or fully formula feeding. Knowing the risks and knowing where to source help is very important to make sure women have a feeding journey they are happy with. Most women stop breastfeeding before they want to, so there should be a change.

 

[Missy86]

So what are the risks of breastfeeding?

I know you are gonna disagree with me but it my case PND

 

[SnuggleMum]

So what are the risks of breastfeeding?

I know you are gonna disagree with me but it my case PND

I'm not that in your case breastfeeding may have contributed to PND, but research shows that for the majority breastfeeding has a protective effect against PND. There was an interesting study that the drop in hormones when stopping feeding can trigger a response similar to that of breveament.

With knowing risks, we can then take steps to protect ourselves. Stopping breastfeeding is often suggested with PND and similar, when asking 'is there anything I can do that will enable me to continue feeding' isn't asked often. I'm not saying anyone should continue to feed, but often women aren't helped to find a solution that means they can continue to feed.

 

[Missy86]

If I had carried on bf I would have gone down the road of PND, when you physically cant stand the thought of your baby being near you and you flinch every time he cries it wasnt worth carrying on, within a couple of days of ff I was happy and relaxed and so was he

 

[Dragonfly]

Thought breastfeeding was known to release hormones that made you happy? I was suppose to get PND to they tried filling me with drugs before I gave birth but I refused. Never got it. I can see how some woman can be unhappy and it may trigger it but also non breastfeeding woman get pnd to.

 

[Pramaholic86]

Guidelines etc aside, surely it's a mother's own choice how she feeds her child and as mothers we act in our children's best interests?
I feel it's a little unfair to use certain choice words against FF mums to undermine them, it comes across as a bit sly tbh.
Some people may not WANT to BF, so what? If a child is fed and cared for and happy, surely that is the most important thing, not how they are fed?

 

[Dragonfly]

Guidelines etc aside, surely it's a mother's own choice how she feeds her child and as mothers we act in our children's best interests?
I feel it's a little unfair to use certain choice words against FF mums to undermine them, it comes across as a bit sly tbh.
Some people may not WANT to BF, so what? If a child is fed and cared for and happy, surely that is the most important thing, not how they are fed?

I didnt see no one undermining formula feeding mums ? This thread will never be on track.

Simple fact you cant talk about risks of formula feeding without pages of offended people following.