END OF BREAST FEEDING TYRANNY

Midwives told not to judge new mums who choose to bottle feed

NEW mothers will no longer be made to feel guilty for not breastfeeding.

In a major policy shift, they will be offered the same help with bottlefeeding as those who give their babies breastmilk.

The Royal College of Midwives says the change of approach acknowledges the fact that many women cannot breastfeed, or do not want to. Its new guidelines say midwives must respect a mother’s decision.

In the past the college has championed the benefits of breastfeeding, urging its exclusive use for the first six months.

Only a third of British mothers achieve this target, making for one of the lowest rates in the world. However the ‘breast is best’ approach, which is endorsed by the NHS and the World Health Organisation, has been blamed for making some women feel inadequate.

Those who want to breastfeed, but are unable to, are up to two and-a-half times more at risk of post-natal depression.

Gill Walton of the RCM said the new guidelines would help

ensure such mothers did not feel guilty. ‘We want to respect women’s choices and make sure they have the right information and support to either mixed-feed their babies or formula feed their babies,’ she added.

‘We would focus on the risks and benefits of both breastfeeding and formula feeding – and help them do that – rather than say “Oh, this mother’s decided to formula feed, we’re not going to help her”.

‘ That’s not right. Women have reported to us that sometimes the advice and support has been lacking to formula feed or they can’t breastfeed.

‘There’s something then about encouraging parents to positively parent and bond with their baby and not feel guilty about the feeding choice they’ve made.’

Breastfeeding has numerous health benefits for a baby and has been shown to prevent infections, reduce the risk of obesity and even boost IQ. It also helps shift pregnancy weight by burning up to 500 calories a day, the equivalent of a small meal.

In Britain only 34 per cent are still giving their babies any breastmilk at six months, including just 1 per cent who exclusively breastfeed. This compares with 73 per cent in Norway, 62.5 per cent in Sweden and 49 per cent in the United States.

Many women find the process painful or struggle to get their babies to ‘latch on’. Others are worried about breastfeeding in public or at work.

The RCM’s new breastfeeding ‘ position statement’ instructs midwives to give women proper advice about formula feeding, including how to sterilise bottles.

The guidance still encourages midwives to promote the benefits of breastfeeding, but they must ‘respect’ and ‘support’ women who opt not to.

It states: ‘If, after being given appropriate information, advice and support on breastfeeding, a woman chooses not to do so, or to give formula as well as breastfeeding, her choice must be respected.’

The recommendations have been broadly welcomed by parenting charities, including the National Childbirth Trust, which has been criticised for its zealous breastfeeding stance.

Abi Wood of the NCT said: ‘Parents need information and

‘About respecting women’s choices’