fyi

As far as misinformation, so many people misunderstand the WHO message regarding EBF for 6 months, and take it to mean you should only try and BF for 6 months (and formula and solids during that time is fine). In actual fact WHO say you should aim to BF for 2 years and their only mention of 6 months is that you should give no solids or formula during that time if you do, then you have not EBF. Ideally you would try to BF at least until after you had introduced all potentially allergenic foods, (especially wheat, dairy, eggs) to take advantage of breastfeeding reducing the risk of developing allergies and up until 2 years to allow their digestive system and immune system to fully mature.

I think the message is getting through, I can only think of one person that I know out of a dozen that has FF since birth, majority seem to at least start off breastfeeding. Its the continued BF and extended BF (ie: to 6 months and beyond) that needs more promotion, plus education about the pitfalls of mixed feeding. Kiwispiers.. you're right in your statement. I can't find the link but the WHO state that formula is 4th choice behind breastfeeding, expressed milk, direct/indirect wet nursing. I always find it ironic that *some* Mums who've formula fed then go onto insist their baby only eats organic solid foods.

Its a tricky one, there is no way of saying that breastmilk is healthier for babies without also saying that formula is a less healthy choice, and unfortunately that is medical truth. I doubt though that many women who do formula feed do so because they feel formula is better than breastmilk, they make a choice (or not always a choice) that they feel is better for their baby/family for other reasons and that is valid and should be respected. Likewise I have had some of my FF friends and family repetitively actively discourage me from exclusively breastfeeding my newborn /encourage me to give formula for convenience/suggest there is something unnatural about breastfeeding my 12 month old and I find that quite hard to deal with so I guess it can work both ways. I do think though, (from personal experience) that when times are tough, knowing that your baby may be healthier as a result of your hard work does motivate you to ride it out, and the knowledge should be out there even if it does make some formula feeding mothers feel guilty. I would personally like more campaigns that take a sophisticated approach, and we do have some of those in NZ now, which focus on ways that partners and other family members can support a breastfeeding woman, like cooking, doing washing, changing nappies, watching the other kids etc while she breastfeeds. I would also like to see more emphasis on why women NEED to be able to breastfeed publicly, because the forced social isolation of breastfeeding is hard too and is a reason some give up. As Pentel says, it should be an informed choice, not a choice that was taken away because a woman didn't know that giving formula for some feeds or as top-ups might mean her supply would drop, or that giving even one bottle a day would block a lot of the good nutrients in her breastmilk, or wasn't told that her baby might start to prefer a bottle and reject the breast, these are the things that need to be campaigned on and pediatricians need some serious training because they can give such terrible, terrible advice to new mums. Lynney, I can't believe people would say such judgmental things to a mum with a sick baby, actually I can believe it, mums seem to be terribly judged by society in general. I understand your need to antagonize, I started saying similar things when I got so p#ssed off about the things people said about my c-section, as though me not wanting my baby to be potentially brain damaged was a bad thing and it was failing in some way. I actually had complete strangers emailing me the day before my section telling me not to listen to my Dr. I began just saying I was too posh to push and didn't want to ruin my future s*x life :). I do think we should continue to share any info about the benefits of breastmilk, but more importantly the things we need to know to make breastfeeding or pumping WORK wherever possible. I think the majority of breastfeeding mums are not on a campaign to make others feel guilty, they simply want to help in any way they can, especially if we were helped ourselves when things went pear shaped. Thanks for the link Shaf, it does help motivate me to keep breastfeeding my toddler for a bit longer. :)

it is about choice, hopefully informed choice at that.

People simply don't think or don't care about laying a guilt trip on someone over something that has nothing to do with them. I get it all the time: My LO doesn't keep well at all and is formula fed. I have had quite a few people say ' you know he may not be so ill if you have BF him.' They have no idea whether or not I had a choice but still try and lay the guilt trip. Like I need to feel any worse about having a sick baby!! It most definitely wasn't my choice but I have started saying I just didn't fancy it - This annoys them so much. Even if it was my choice it would have been exactly that - MY choice.

I agree with the last post, should I have to explain to a stranger why I'm not breast feeding...I will be giving formula to my third baby this year. I know it will come up several times with friends of friends nurses etc. Mine is medical reasons and what medication I'm on, I'd like to be well enough to look after my kids...people need to get off their high horse and and respect others and their choices.

I breastfed mine, 1 for 11 months and the other 2 yrs down to sheer circumstance and part laziness LOL BUT you know what - there are no certificates at the end, pats on the back for breastfeeding, no tick box on school application forms that indicate breastfed, were CEO's all breastfed???? Just feed your baby the way it suits you best to your circumstances, my friends child was put on the bottle the moment she was born, one of the youngest in her class and one of the brightest in her class - it's really not the end of the world!!

Formula is NOT a poison! Trust many will agree that breast milk is the perfect way to feed your child, but there NOTHING wrong with formula feeding. I really feel for those who choose / cannot breastfeed and are taken for a guilt trip. We all want what is the best for our little ones - be it food or the way they are born to this world. We all have reasons to raise our children the way we do. There is no universal way to raise the child...

Maybe some of the pediatricians should read that poster, was talking to a woman the other day who had been told by her Dr that at this stage (her baby was one) her breastmilk was "junk". seriously?! Gosh! Anyhow, much as I find it interesting, I will always be of two minds about this kind of presentation. Formula remains the best alternative to breastmilk and allows many women to feed their babies safely and healthily, whether they do so through personal choice or necessity. Of course it's filled with more recognisable chemicals/ ingredients, because the developers have to try and get it as close to breastmilk as possible with the commercial ingredients they have to hand - it's not like they can engineer "3’:5’-Cyclic adenosine monophosphate" and all the other nucleotides in a hurry (or at all). The result of these things is often to make the mums who wanted to breastfeed, but who encountered problems and stopped, feel even worse about their decision, which simply isn't on. Those who chose to not even try breastfeeding won't care about "the science" because that's often not their key motivation.

Maybe some of the pediatricians should read that poster, was talking to a woman the other day who had been told by her Dr that at this stage (her baby was one) her breastmilk was "junk".

this rather dramatic video explains what some of those ingredients are and what other products they are used in.... http://youtu.be/mpubjGb1c8U