GMTV a Midwife says "promoting Breast Feeding is bad"

[Blah11]

If a mother chooses to FF from birth then I dont see a problem with them having to bring their own formula to the hospital.

As long as hospitals are consistant and the mothers are aware of this.

I remember a year ago or something there was a huge debate on BnB about this. I find it ridiculous that people expect them to hand out formula You don't expect the hospital to provide nappies, wipes, clothes, etc etc so why formula?

My hospital hands it all out lol even offered to change all his nappies and bath him for me and they offered to baby sit if i wanted to go out side for a walk but they never even gave me advice or help on FF when i asked even though kyle could not latch on, it was BF and get help or FF and heres a bottle all ready made up.. The way a couple of people in this thread want it, would be pushing more and more on BF which can make people get PND because there baby cannot BF.. Is it really worth saying no formula and no help so that women get PND?? i dont think so, its about freedom to pick and we should have a right to have all the info on everything and not be pushed more into one thing just because the goverment say so.

Nobody has said no help should be available at all.

No its just the way they dont want formula to be given out and they dont want FF to have a group or a class to all go to and they should not be given FF info before they have there baby only once they have there baby ect but BF info should be given out during pregnancy ?? it just shoves BF in your face and makes some people very upset that they cannot BF when they wanted to and tried to, yet more people want to push BF even more and removed more things about FF

BF should be in your face during pregnancy as that should be the 1st choice method of feeding for everyone.

 

[Serene123]

Hmm.. I'm moving countries if this shit carries on.

 

[Blah11]

& I just thought of something else regarding the 'what if you go home and dont know how to FF your baby'

Most of us have the internet, it would take 2 secs to look up formula feeding on the NHS website.

 

[asacia]

Hmm.. I'm moving countries if this shit carries on.

Would be great if we could hear from someone who grew up in one of the countries where BF'ing rates are so high.

My Mums South-African friend told her that everyone breastfeeds there, it is just the done thing - no question about it, they just all do it.

 

[Serene123]

I didn't know how to FF when I got home, and do you know what I did..

I READ THE TIN!!!!!!!!

I didn't try hard enough to exclusively BF at first and I believe that's the downfall of most. My midwife gave Caitlyn formula before I could even say I wanted to try harder!

 

[aimee-lou]

[
No its just the way they dont want formula to be given out and they dont want FF to have a group or a class to all go to and they should not be given FF info before they have there baby only once they have there baby ect but BF info should be given out during pregnancy ?? it just shoves BF in your face and makes some people very upset that they cannot BF when they wanted to and tried to, yet more people want to push BF even more and removed more things about FF

I would agree that this is the case......especially in the materials you're given. There is a certain amount of pressure and while I know that you can choose to take from it what you want, it can be very intimidating to be an FF-er in a BF-ers world!

I used to get very angry about this but I have come to the conclusion that I'm happy with our decision to FF. However, if someone wants to push BFing onto me I do tend to get quite defensive (hence getting involved in this discussion). I have done my research and there is no 'comprehensive and recognised' research to say the Breast is Best in a comprehensive manner..... and for us, FFing is the best option. What I do find infuriating is that despite making this decision and explaining myself to my MW and HV, there are still occasions, and I know that when I'm hospital will be one of them, when people try to change my mind. This is most off-putting and can often be done in a condescending way which gets my back up, not to mention that of my husband. What I would like to see is support for new parents in actually feeding their children, no matter how they choose to do this!

 

[Serene123]

How is it a BFers world? Every shop I go in there's a tin of formula and a mum standing infront of it telling everyone how formula is the reason her baby sleeps so well blah blah!

 

[Blah11]

It's clearly not a BFers world or the NHS wouldn't need to push breastfeeding at all.

 

[Blah11]

How is it a BFers world? Every shop I go in there's a tin of formula and a mum standing infront of it telling everyone how formula is the reason her baby sleeps so well blah blah!

deep breaths Toria

 

[aimee-lou]

How is it a BFers world? Every shop I go in there's a tin of formula and a mum standing infront of it telling everyone how formula is the reason her baby sleeps so well blah blah!

I mean from an NHS perspective...I'll agree that Formula is very easy to accommodate and find in every shop you go in. In this way, I'll agree FF-ers are supported...it would be nice to have that support from the medical professionals too (I've been lucky in that my HV and MW have respected my decision but I know a friend of mine had real trouble all the way through).

 

[polo_princess]

Everyone pays their taxes the same towards the NHS so why should BF and FF both not get equal support and promotion, it never will though never, i honestly dont see where there is a problem with formula.

Why shouldnt it be promoted? People arent stupid they can take in as much or as little information as they want to and make their own minds up.

 

[Serene123]

Sorry about that last post but I would say it is a very 50/50 world right now.

What I personally don't understand having looked into feeding methods out of interest and learnt quite a few things, is why everyone thinks of formula as the norm. I myself was one of them and I 100% didn't want to breastfeed untill she was on my chest. When I ask myself why I felt like that I can only say it's to do with formula being so widespread, plus everything around me personally. I'd never had any info on breastfeeding, anything, just heard my friends opinions when we'd seen someone in public.

IMO the world has gone nuts and SOMETHING needs to be done to fix it. GMTV aren't helping!

 

[lesleyann]

It's clearly not a BFers world or the NHS wouldn't need to push breastfeeding at all.

Maybe the fact they are being so pushy is putting people off though, and all that in your face stuff does really hurt people who cannot BF for what ever reason it is.. its kind of the whole upper class lower class thing going on but with BF and FF, hospitals and the gov make it seem like if you dont BF you dont have your child best intrest at heart, that if you FF your child is not getting all they need. Seems like people who BF always ant to push there way on to everyone else, you dont see FF going round pushing there ideas on to BF's

 

[Serene123]

Everyone pays their taxes the same towards the NHS so why should BF and FF both not get equal support and promotion, it never will though never, i honestly dont see where there is a problem with formula.

Why shouldnt it be promoted? People arent stupid they can take in as much or as little information as they want to and make their own minds up.

Actually.. I was stupid! I thought formula was AS GOOD as breast feeding and it isn't. It was invented to feed babies that had no choice but to be FF and now people think it's an equal option.

 

[polo_princess]

Everyone pays their taxes the same towards the NHS so why should BF and FF both not get equal support and promotion, it never will though never, i honestly dont see where there is a problem with formula.

Why shouldnt it be promoted? People arent stupid they can take in as much or as little information as they want to and make their own minds up.

Actually.. I was stupid! I thought formula was AS GOOD as breast feeding and it isn't. It was invented to feed babies that had no choice but to be FF and now people think it's an equal option.

But why shouldnt it be an equal option? There is enough research for people to make their own minds up out there without being pushed and pulled in 50 million directions "do this one" "dont do that one" "this is the norm" "that is the norm"

I honestly think if they split this 50/50 and promoted both in the same way then we wouldnt even be having conversations like this, its when one feeding method is given priority over another that there becomes a divide.

 

[asacia]

If a woman genuinely cannot, why would she feel guilty? I think those of us who struggle or cannot breastfeed are often very pro breastfeeding. If someone does everything they can, there is no reason to feel guilty or be hurt by the promotion of breastfeeding.

 

[Serene123]

Everyone pays their taxes the same towards the NHS so why should BF and FF both not get equal support and promotion, it never will though never, i honestly dont see where there is a problem with formula.

Why shouldnt it be promoted? People arent stupid they can take in as much or as little information as they want to and make their own minds up.

Actually.. I was stupid! I thought formula was AS GOOD as breast feeding and it isn't. It was invented to feed babies that had no choice but to be FF and now people think it's an equal option.

But why shouldnt it be an equal option? There is enough research for people to make their own minds up out there without being pushed and pulled in 50 million directions "do this one" "dont do that one" "this is the norm" "that is the norm"

I honestly think if they split this 50/50 and promoted both in the same way then we wouldnt even be having conversations like this, its when one feeding method is given priority over another that there becomes a divide.

That's the thing, if formula was equal they would push them the same, but it isn't. I would love for them to be able to creat breast milk but they can't. Formula is just what it is, a formula of aload of things they think should be in there, including thickening solutions to make babies sleep better.

Having done both you can even tell what's better for them by what comes out of them after they've digested them.

By all means, women should do what they want, but they need to know what's best for baby. If the NHS didn't do their best to promote what is best for baby they wouldn't be doing their job. A doctor isn't going to put you on paracetamol when you need morphene unless they run out of morphene, is he?

 

[K&H]

I do not agree ff bein easy way out. For some of us its a hard decision(sp?) we have to make.
I wanted to bf Kian and I did until I developed an infection in cs scar and was put on antibiotics for 2 weeks.I asked plenty of times in the hosp are these antibiotics safe as Im bf. I was told not to worry and I carried on happily bf. Until he got a bad bad reaction to the antibiotics and had to come off breast milk. I couldnt give to him and no changing antibiotics wasnt an option because they were already in my system so had to put him on formula. I didnt want to but had to.

I know I get anwsers like you couldve expresses etc untill milk was clear but I was feeling quilty enough that I could've killed my child so I just couldnt face bf again.

With Hannah I wanted to bf again but she just couldnt get a hang of it. Even ff was hard hell it still is. My very good MW said that Han seems to forget what she is supposed to do. Yes she forgets to suck and my MW actually adviced ff. She is 2 months old and we still sometimes struggle with feeds.

Anyway sry for long post just my 2 cent
And for that I do not agree with ff bein easy way out

 

[Pyrrhic]

GMTV is well known for being anti breastfeeding. I didn't watch, but in the past they have repeatedly put down BFing, especially BFing in public. Some of the stuff they have come out with is awful.

I don't think they should be pro breastfeeding, as they are supposed to be an unbiased show. So an unbiased POV would be better IMO. They should promote the benefits of both, and present the facts to help Mums.

Maybe they get concessions from Nestle?

 

[Serene123]

GMTV is well known for being anti breastfeeding. I didn't watch, but in the past they have repeatedly put down BFing, especially BFing in public. Some of the stuff they have come out with is awful.

I don't think they should be pro breastfeeding, as they are supposed to be an unbiased show. So an unbiased POV would be better IMO. They should promote the benefits of both, and present the facts to help Mums.

Maybe they get concessions from Nestle?

Quite probably!