Breastfeeding Babies.

[Georgiesmum]

What do you think of the idea of new mums in deprived areas being offered £200 in food shopping vouchers if they breastfeed their baby for six months? Surely this money could be better spent. What do you think?

[Cloverjo]

Good idea in principle. I see so many babies with bottles propped up in their buggies, with no one even looking at them, let alone holding them.
But how would it work? Would the health visitor go round dishing out vouchers to those women she sees breast feeding? Do health visitors carry on with their visits for 6 months nowadays?

[starone]

When I was young I breast-fed my babies because it was so much easier than getting up in the middle of the night to fetch a bottle while the baby continued to scream in the bedroom. It was encouraged because - apparently - it helped the baby to overcome any germs that were hanging about waiting to pounce. However, the one who was fed the longest (8 months) caught everything going and had whatever it was worse than the other one. I don't know how it is supposed to work but it didn't work for me.

[Peter Pedant]

Surely this money could be better spent. What do you think?

I think it is a good idea....Breasts are good - for feeding I mean

[mrs_overall]

What a stupid idea and waste of money.
How is it going to be monitored? Breast feeding inspectors popping up in your house in the dead of night?

[Prudie]

I think it's (literally) the nanny state at its worst. Far better things they could focus on to relieve deprived areas.

[Georgiesmum]

Cloverjo, i believe they did away with health visitors long ago.

[rockyracoon]

I think the money would be better spent on educating women on the benefits of breastfeeding, that being said not every woman is able to and they might feel even more of a failure if they don't qualify for a bonus.

[mallyh]

agree entirely with mrs -overall

[Sqad]

Waste of money.
Stupid.
Nanny state.
Paying mothers to do what is natural.
I suppose this includes teen aged mothers with no identifiable father.

Ridiculous.

[mallyh]

you don't agree then sqad lol

[B00]

The mind boggles as to how this would be monitored.

Weekly visits to a health visitor and or midwife to express milk to confirm you're still keeping your end of the bargain??

[andy-hughes]

This scheme infers that women who breastfeed are entitled to a 'reward' for doing so, which is fundamentally wrong.

Some women simply don't wish to breastfeed, or are unable to do so - why should they be made to feel inferior because they don't qualify for a 'prize' that they could certainly do with at that expensive time in their lives?

There is enough subtle pressure on mums who don't wish to or can't breastfeed their babies, that they are not 'proper' mothers - why add to it by making it a game with a cash prize?

Wrong on every level.

[Svejk]

Half the kids will end up with Silicon poisoning.

[langara]

Can't see how that can possibly work, how are they going to monitor these mums, I dread to think.

[Kassee]

Georgiesmum, there are still health visitors doing a wonderful job. There are also still midwives, and still anti-natal appointments and classes.

[dave50]

I don't understand why mums in deprived areas are less likely to breast feed. Why should that be? I would have thought that would be the preferred choice with it being free.

[Georgiesmum]

Sorry Kassee, the health visitors round here have long gone so i thought it was general.

[FredPuli43]

Is there some physical sign or medical test which shows that a mother is breastfeeding? If not, how is the mother to be monitored ? Not relevant if she gets £200 of vouchers forthwith on a promise, of course; the money will be gone before anyone discovers she isn't breastfeeding.

[woofgang]

Its a research project
http://www.expressandstar.com/business/uk-money/2013/11/12/new-mums-paid-to-breastfeed-baby/

No sillier than many others

[anneasquith]

is there a medical test, physical sign mums are breast feeding, eh yes !