Is it OK to have big feelings about how other people parent? I think the socially acceptable answer is "no"... But there really is no possible reading of the evidence that makes putting rusk in the bottle of a ten week old baby an OK thing to do.
And I want to be nice about the whole media debacle, I really do. Or to at least step on by and remind myself that what an individual does with this new opinion is none of my business. But I'm angry and sad. Not with the mother, because I really can't judge her. I've made calls for my babies that I believe are right and other people have really big feelings about, too.
I eat peanuts when pregnant. During my pregnancies, that has been strongly recommended against. Now, they suggest it might even be benificial. I'm not going to recommend it to all and sundry, personally, because I don't feel that the one new study is nearly conclusive enough to call something fact. A *review* of studies ALREADY reviewed recently by organisations with no vested interests? That's pretty flimsy grounds on which to change an official guideline. Which is what would make this, logically and scientifically speaking, a total non-story if it were about almost anything other than parenting.
I'd like to feel I could tell this mum that adding rusk to a bottle is actually dangerous - without igniting a war. I don't think I have the grace and wisdom to open my mouth without inserting my foot. It is 99% certain to NOT change anything for the baby - and 100% certain to hurt and offend this mama. Step on by, I think...
But the BBC?
Yeah. You can bet I'm directing my big feelings at them and the others irresponsibly proliferating something that is nothing more than advertising. While ordinary mothers give up on the idea that anything is knowable or trustworthy, the baby food companies are rubbing their hands together knowing that their money was well spent.
Because who profits from normal term breastfeeding?
Who profits from the undermining of medical advice? Um, yeah, today that would be the people with the big grins on their corporate faces (and the media selling themselves like crazy). Would it be too much to hope that it comes back to bite them?
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Frustrating isn't it.
ReplyDeleteThe media should be castrated, hung, drawn and quartered!
the media has sooooooo much to answer for! i have read too many facebook statuses and comments on bc this week showing the effect this 'news' has had on peoples opinions on when is ok to wean - worse than that ive heard people using it as a reason why bf is a bad thing!! eek!
ReplyDeleteI could chunter over this for hours - the worlds a mess and big buisness is generally to blame i think! If people could only follow whats ethical rather than profitable, but of course thats not the case and theres no money to be made in breastfeeding is there!
sigh!