Sensible Alex finds the right formula

I APPLAUD Alex Jones – who presents the BBC’s The One Show – for bravely revealing her struggle to breastfeed her one-year-old son, Teddy. Speaking on the podcast Happy Mum Happy Baby, Alex, left, admitted regretting her return to work after just three months of maternity leave – which ultimately resulted in her lactating through her dress, live on air. Breastfeeding Teddy, below, was painful and stressful for Alex, 41, and like many women she switched to formula. It is a shame the breastfeeding lobby feel the need to pressurise women into it, especially if they are working mothers. There is enough to feel guilty about as a mother, and it is a huge emotional wrench going back to work without the added pressure of feeling that she must continue to breastfeed. Despite many believing that breast milk can prevent the development of significant health issues, this is relevant only for countries in the developing world. In the UK, the benefits of breastfeeding over formula milk amounts to just one fewer minor gut or ear infection.

As for the spiel about maternal-infant bonding, or increasing IQ, this is overstated and barely supported by scientific evidence. Most importantly, formula milk can make the often daunting prospect of new motherhood that little bit less stressful.