An incentive to bf!

[~Karen~]

http://news.sky.com/story/1167229/breastfeeding-new-mums-to-get-shop-vouchers

Do you think they'll back date them?  Three lots of them could go a long way towards my Christmas shopping!

[Shiv52]

That's a really sad statistic that only 1% off babies are EBF at 6 months.

But yes let's get those back dated vouchers!!  That would help my Christmas shopping along rightly!!!

[*Ali*]

Interesting idea but what is to stop people saying they are BFing when they have really stopped? I can see a lot of people who don't deserve this getting these vouchers. And it says it is for babies who are still getting BM not those who are exclusively fed even if mum is honest about it a baby could be getting minimal breast milk and be getting formula the rest of the time and mum is getting £200 of vouchers! That won't change the 1% of EBF babies at 6mo. I don't think it is going to be worth the money tbh. IMO this money could be better spent on educating the community including how and HVs about the practicalities of BFing so mums aren't giving up because they are needlessly worrying about not making enough milk or baby sttn etc. Plus I feel sorry for the mamas who do have to give up BFing for unavoidable reasons 

I would have loved the vouchers though

[michaeljacknnugg]

IMO this money could be better spent on educating the community including how and HVs about the practicalities of BFing so mums aren't giving up because they are needlessly worrying about not making enough milk or baby sttn etc. Plus I feel sorry for the mamas who do have to give up BFing for unavoidable reasons 

Couldn't agree more, Ali. Much as I would have loved the vouchers, it would be rubbing things in the face of my friends who tried so hard to breastfeed and couldn't. No practical support is available near me, or wasn't when DS was a baby, and the only reason that I managed to feed him was that I had a friend who knew loads about breastfeeding having tried so hard to do it herself.

I was so angry when I heard about this. Strong opinions here! The government should be helping new mums if they have this amount of money to 'spare', not increasing their chances of feeling guilty. Grrr.

[jessmum46]

Hmm, though the vouchers would have been great () I'm not sure about this as a concept.  I'm all for promoting breastfeeding but as Ali says I can't help feeling the money could be better spent on proper support and education.  Like funding some extra LCs, or educating HVs/midwives, or just getting the correct information out there and easily available.  I don't like the message this gives to Mums who choose for very good reasons not to breastfeed, or those who can't for medical reasons.  Plus what happened to choice?  Feels like a bit of a slippery slope.......

[Jodes112]

What has it come to, paying people to breastfeed? I think the whole concept is crazy! And unfair on those that just cant bf.

And like pp said, how will they know that baby has been ebf until 6 months?

Bf'ing is very personal, imo involving money makes it so inpersonal.

Idk. Crazy.

[*Ali*]

Reminds me of the Health in Pregnancy grants they gave out to everyone when I was pg with Cadan.  You got £180 just for attending your regular midwife appointments.  I'm guessing it didn't work so well as it had been stopped by the time I was pg with Colby 2yrs later.

[Shiv52]

Oh as an idea I think its rubbish. I don't think it'll do anything to encourage BFing rates. Money would be far better off being spent on BFing support for people who want to BF and struggle.

[cuckoochick]

Agree that it would be better spent on providing support. The statistics are very shocking but is the figure so low because people generally still wean onto solids before 6mos despite the guidance?I doubt we'll get to 6mos with G so she won't be in that statistic because I've been advised to start solids early to help the reflux.

[<Catherine>]

Totally agree. I struggled through a week of Bf'ing with O but we couldn't continue as he was tongue tied, so I would be exempt from financial reward?! Yet this time we're still going so I would have some reward yet, as Nicola said, he's now on solids too so I wouldn't get it all?! Ridiculous. How can it possibly be policed?

Breastfeeding isn't always about choice, as we all know.

I also don't think people need to be made to feel that they are doing wrong for formula feeding either, whether that's through choice or not.

Vouchers would be nice though!

[cuckoochick]

On the local LLL Fb group I'm on someone posted a pic of a certificate their SIL in a different part of the country had been given from their HV I think congratulating them on BFing until certain points. I thought that was lovely. I mean first and foremost I BF for my babies and for me but a little bit of recognition is nice too!

[*Ali*]

Cath it isn't for exclusive BFing it is for the baby still receiving breast milk so although the nhs and WHO want to discourage solids before 6mo that would not negate the voucher.

[<Catherine>]

Well I still think its ridiculous.

[snowbird]

I agree, Catherine! Absolutely ridiculous.

I couldn't breastfeed for medical reasons and am fine with that, but so sick of hearing 'breast is best' and now this! Apparently it is so much better than bottle feeding that the latter was only discussed in my antenatal class (entitled 'feeding your baby', huh!?) and the specialist I saw tried to convince me to breastfeed my baby when I was on imunosuppressants as minimal research suggest it is fine and LJ could have weekly blood tests. Just what you want to put your newborn through! Grrr! Rant over xxx

[Mashi]

Well I still think its ridiculous.

I agree Cath. And to be brutally honest, 200 quid was not going to be enough to "entice" me to breast feed once I had decided to formula feed. They truly insult the intelligence and capabilities of women, don't they?  I find it also a bit of a dig at lower income families as well, suggesting that the low bf rates are in lower income families and I do think that is a bit much in generalising!