GMTV a Midwife says "promoting Breast Feeding is bad"

[Pyrrhic]

I've had strangers ask me too how Hannah was fed. And when I told them she was FF I got nasty looks and one woman even told me "well that's why she's so big"

I find it really bizarre that people feel they can comment this! How bloody rude!

I've never had a comment, but I remember getting mucky looks whether I BFed in public or whipped out a bottle of EBM! Now that Niamh is older we never get looks, but when she was newborn we always did, no matter how I fed her. The only person you can please is yourself really.

 

[BlackBerry25]

Really a lot of my posts are directed towards asacia because they are the ones that didn't infuriate me enough that I couldn't reply without getting banned.

 

[AppleBlossom]

You can never win when you are out in public. If you BF in public you get dirty looks and comments. If you take out a bottle you get the same

 

[Pyrrhic]

Should I go back and read the thread? I only read the first post, then replied on page 10 or something.

 

[BlackBerry25]

Anyways, I need to go out and get a coffee.

Maybe you didn't mean to come across that way, but that is how you came across to me. Just certain sentences set me off

 

[Vickie]

Should I go back and read the thread? I only read the first post, then replied on page 10 or something.

just don't be a troublemaker

 

[Pyrrhic]

Who wendino, me? Which sentences?

 

[BlackBerry25]

I think as moms MOST OF US agree there should be support, information and options made available for us.

 

[AppleBlossom]

I think she meant asacia, nic

 

[asacia]

I suppose I should find a different place to discuss this! I keep forgetting that this isn't a discussion forum, and that is one of the things I like to do. I've never (and never will) make any comments on FF'ing on other parts of the forum, or comment on a Mums choice. I only ever talk about it in 'discussion' type threads like this, but as that appears to be upsetting others too, I will refrain from commenting in future. Sorry anyone I've upset, didn't mean to. I think its just because I had to go through so much to be able to breastfed (traumatic labour, inability to latch, low supply, shallow latch, weak suck, clampdown bite reflex, exclusive expressing, lack of support and flat nipples) and now I'm through the otherside it is so wonderful and I just wish more people could experience this.

 

[BlackBerry25]

Who wendino, me? Which sentences?

Nope, not you, Nothing you said is sticking out in my mind. Just the read the can thing and the part that most ff moms don't have valid reasons for choosing formula.

 

[ryder]

I dont see anyone getting dirty looks here... I know when I first went to my baby group when Jasmine was 4 months, I did feel a twinge of embaressment and guilt because alot of moms were bfing. And our babygroup center also is a bfing center and there are alot of pro-bfing posters etc...

I dunno, I see lots of people in public doing both ffing and bfing.

 

[AppleBlossom]

I really think I should just leave this thread alone now!

 

[BlackBerry25]

I suppose I should find a different place to discuss this! I keep forgetting that this isn't a discussion forum, and that is one of the things I like to do. I've never (and never will) make any comments on FF'ing on other parts of the forum, or comment on a Mums choice. I only ever talk about it in 'discussion' type threads like this, but as that appears to be upsetting others too, I will refrain from commenting in future. Sorry anyone I've upset, didn't mean to. I think its just because I had to go through so much to be able to breastfed (traumatic labour, inability to latch, low supply, shallow latch, weak suck, clampdown bite reflex, exclusive expressing, lack of support and flat nipples) and now I'm through the otherside it is so wonderful and I just wish more people could experience this.

I think if you said things that way it would be fine. I really think because you have been through so much you could be a big help. Some of us don't want to go through all that though.

 

[Pyrrhic]

I think she meant asacia, nic

I am dead on my feet today. My brain isn't working at all! I had to fill in some paperwork this afternoon, and down 10 columns I wrote that today was the 19th of March. Honestly.

 

[BlackBerry25]

I think if someone was needing help with formula, they could ask me a question, and I wouldn't put down breastfeeding while doing it.

 

[asacia]

Who wendino, me? Which sentences?

Nope, not you, Nothing you said is sticking out in my mind. Just the read the can thing and the part that most ff moms don't have valid reasons for choosing formula.

Last thing, I'll just explain what I meant. I meant valid as in unovercomable and just one of those sad things. There isn't anything can be done about a mother with insufficient glandular tissue, or a mother with pyschological trauma etc.

However, we as a society let down a lot of mothers, and in the grand scheme of things it isn't right that a Mother should ever give up breastfeeding because of lack of support.

It wasn't meant as a criticism of an individual who FF's, but a criticism of society and the structure surrounding feeding babies.

Hope that makes a bit more sense. I have a habit of thinking bits that I don't write down!

 

[Pyrrhic]

I dont see anyone getting dirty looks here... I know when I first went to my baby group when Jasmine was 4 months, I did feel a twinge of embaressment and guilt because alot of moms were bfing. And our babygroup center also is a bfing center and there are alot of pro-bfing posters etc...

I dunno, I see lots of people in public doing both ffing and bfing.

There are a few things I've seen mentioned on the forum that strike me really well on how things are done across the pond. Like your post earlier saying that you get taught different methods. It just seems like a much better system.

I don't *think* as many people BF over here as they do in Canada. I'm sure someone posted the stats once. I've never actually seen anyone BF in public since I've had Niamh unless it's been on base. Never in town though.

 

[BlackBerry25]

Who wendino, me? Which sentences?

Nope, not you, Nothing you said is sticking out in my mind. Just the read the can thing and the part that most ff moms don't have valid reasons for choosing formula.

Last thing, I'll just explain what I meant. I meant valid as in unovercomable and just one of those sad things. There isn't anything can be done about a mother with insufficient glandular tissue, or a mother with pyschological trauma etc.

However, we as a society let down a lot of mothers, and in the grand scheme of things it isn't right that a Mother should ever give up breastfeeding because of lack of support.

It wasn't meant as a criticism of an individual who FF's, but a criticism of society and the structure surrounding feeding babies.

Hope that makes a bit more sense. I have a habit of thinking bits that I don't write down!

Have you thought about volunteering and sharing your breastfeeding experiences at a prenatal class?

 

[Vickie]

I think the large majority of us are actually in agreement here that there should be support for both methods and that mothers should be allowed to make the decision that best suits them.

I also think that no matter which feeding method we've done we all feel like we've been judged in one way or another, which is probably what makes topics like this so sensitive