Breastfeeding Vouchers

[sp1814]

What are your feelings about a scheme to give new mums shopping vouchers for breastfeeding?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-30083090

[Mamyalynne]

If a baby at the breast is painful for you then a pump or manual expressing is also.

[pixie373]

Yes - it's the same process. I only tried it twice though. None of mine would take bottles anyway.

[jourdain2]

I breastfed for 12 months with my first and 10 months with my second. I gave up with my second the second time she looked at me and bit hard with her few teeth! It is difficult and painful to start and also very worrying if it is your first and you don't know how much they are getting and the baby is thin (as was mine - she turned into a strapping 6ft blonde athlete!). Shopping vouchers would not have made any difference to me, but thinking about some of the new mums around me it might have done for them.

Having said that, said 1st daughter tried desperately to breastfeed and was in tears over the phone to me hourly - she just didn't have any/enough milk - grandchild was screaming in distress and after 10 days a bottle had to come into play. It would have been unfair to penalise her for being unable to feed.

[Slapshot]

I got taken off at 14 for biting.... ;0)

crap jokes aside, this is nature, mums should be encouraged to do so but this is paying them to do so, personally don't see anything right about that...

There are so many mums out there who are unable to feed like this for many many reasons. My wife couldn't because my daughter was so premature, not even expressed, dumping 30 litres of unsuable breast milk was sould destroying for her.

And any of you chaps that suggest expressing is a option...don't or prepare for the AB ladies onslaught!!

[lady-janine]

i'd like to have them retrospectively.

[BlackadderV]

In the good old days a lady would never breastfeed, she would employ a wet nurse.

[Mamyalynne]

In the good old days I'd probably have been a wet nurse I was so over productive.

[Old_Geezer]

We can tell by the avatar.

[pixie373]

Lol :-) so was I. Nearly drowned them.

[Mamyalynne]

Could be most embarrassing, I once nearly took a chap's eye out on the 575 bus and I wasn't even feeding - a baby on the bus cried is all.

[Mamyalynne]

So sorry, forgot this was in News - will go sit on the step.

[pixie373]

Yes, I had that problem with my neighbour's baby too whenever it cried. We should have this moved to CB. For slappy's sake if nothing else ;-)

[Baldric]

Yet another tax payer funded benefit I assume!

[Slapshot]

Pixie.... ;0) xx

[Mamyalynne]

Baldric

//funded through a collaboration between government and the medical research sector.//

[askyourgran]

Why are they trying to promote breast feeding in public. It is a personal thing. Personally I preferred to be in private with my child, I tried to make sure that the feeding times were mostly done at home in peace and quiet. Some mothers can and those that can't and may feel intimidated. Others are less inhibited I suppose, like the young woman who sat in the middle of M&S Cafe with a scarf draped over her shoulder supposedly screening the tiny tot and the massive white boob that was protruding from the side - Put me off my teacake.

Some of the reasons in that link are pathetic,
"It made it feel normal and natural" - So it is sweetheart, not the same without a voucher though?
"Friends you make through the scheme" - what friends, the ones you make in a mass flop-out at feeding time?
or "I tried tuna steak for the first time" - Presumably the voucher is a bribe to eat food you don't normally eat.

[China Doll]

Rather than vouchers there needs to be a lot more support for mothers who choose to breastfeed; not every mother has family nearby who can help and the aftercare for womwn who have just had babies is bloody shocking.

[Mamyalynne]

It isn't about breastfeeding in pubic but encouraging breastfeeding.

No I am not keen on the scheme.

[Mamyalynne]

I agree with that China, all my youngest daughter got was a health visitor who acted like the breastfeeding militia - than goodness she had me for some advice.

[Slapshot]

Soz.... Been a good lad for ages now... Can't resist it...

http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb6/Slapshot_3/3DC946BC-61E4-45C5-94B6-D5A22A28E37F.jpg