Feeding

Well said :)

I think you’ve taken it way out of context.. I think “ fed is best “ is to acknowledge the women that are unable to breast feed and to reduce the negative impact not being able to breast feed your baby can have on a new mothers mental and emotional wellbeing. It’s not about congratulating people for feeding their children it’s to say that regardless of how they are being fed- they are fed.

I don’t think it’s supposed to be that deep 😁

Yeh I personally don’t think it would be damaging and I wouldn’t say it’s rewarding someone for feeding their child more to lessen the pressure of however the child is fed is all that matters. Thats just my take though.

Is there actually a point to this post? Haven’t we had these conversations a million times? 🤦🏼‍♀️

@Lauryn I mean it’s a public forum so you may see the same posts 100 times

I do think fed is best is damaging but not for the reasons you describe. I believe th narrative needs to be ‘supported is best’ women should be supported in their choice to feed their baby, however that is. If you want to formula feed from the beginning, fine! Get support from independent sources to inform you of the pros and cons. If you want to breastfeed, get tailored support to ensure you are able to achieve the feeding journey you want to. If you are unable to breastfeed but want to desperately, get support from feeding specialists/ mental health professionals to maintain good mental health. Supported is best!

The reason I think fed is best is damaging is because it sometimes can be used (well meaningly) but can be quite dismissive of mothers who really want to be able to feed their baby but can’t through lack of adequate support. Almost like ‘oh well’. But I do understand the reason people think it’s a helpful comment.

@Lauren i totally agree with you and the reasoning. I wanted to breast feed was unable to due to tongue tie, had breast feeding specialist/ lactation consultant seen them 3-4 times during the first month, but my fussy little man still would not latch and i kept being told “fed is best doesn’t matter how” by each and every specialist, it was demotivating and dismissive. Only a fool would argue that formula is just as good as breast milk, no it’s not! breast milk is tailored to the needs of a baby and what ever they are lacking! But i also respect and understand some have no choice in formula feeding or need to combi feed and I respect that some wants to formula feed. If women were better supported what ever route they choose that will be more beneficial then miss information that is thrown around this topic.

@Arta my daughter had tongue tie too. It’s sooo bloody hard! I was lucky and managed to find the right support from a qualified ibclc (on the NHS!) but it’s a real postcode lottery and it was about 2 months of excruciating pain for me before her tongue tie was snipped and we were able to continue for 21 months. If my daughter hadn’t been gaining weight, I hadn’t met the right lactation consultant and I lived somewhere else, I definitely would have formula fed. and the health professionals really are not well informed about infant feeding. They pressure you to breastfeed in pregnancy but then try and persuade formula when things are hard in the first few weeks rather than give the proper support. I can completely understand why people formula feed! But I also feel so deeply for the women who really want to breastfeed and can’t through lack of skilled support!