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Five Ways UK Infant Feeding Policy Poses Risks to Maternal Mental Health

Another year, another Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week and another opportunity to point out, once again, that UK infant feeding policies pose serious risks to maternal mental health.

Preventing Newborn Hospital Admissions for Jaundice and Feeding Complications: a Formula

The government recently announced an inquiry into prevention in health. The Health and Social Care Committee asked for submissions from organisations and individuals to highlight issues the government should be looking at. We submitted a proposal for how to reverse the alarming rise in newborn admissions to hospital for jaundice and other feeding complications in the early days of life. This is what we wrote:

If You Think George Eustice MP is Sexist, Wait Till You Hear About NHS Infant Feeding Policy

There has been understandable outrage about MP George Eustice’s comments that women are ‘biologically hardwired’ to stay at home and nurture babies and children. But sexist ideas like this aren’t just the purview of the odd Tory MP who is stuck in the past. They are embedded in NHS infant feeding policy and postnatal care!

Who is the Monster Here?

Have you ever wondered why those who wish to promote breastfeeding spend so much energy on the formula industry?

Breastfeeding advocates tell us that all women really want to breastfeed. They tell us that breastfeeding is so beneficial it will address health inequalities, it will foster beautiful mother-baby bonding, it can tackle racism and environmental concerns and it will even create a more peaceful society. It’s so good! Why, oh why, don’t more women do it?

Rooming-in: Where is the Outrage in the UK?

A newborn baby has suffocated to death under his mother, who fell asleep while breastfeeding in a hospital in Rome. The exhausted mother had continually begged for her baby to be taken to the newborn nursery so that she could sleep. The tragic case of baby Carlo has caused an outcry in Italy and has been widely reported in the press there.

The story has also been picked up by some UK newspapers. However, reporting has failed to point out that there are no newborn nurseries at all in the NHS and that similar tragedies have happened in the UK.

Skin-to-Skin: The Baby isn’t The Only One in Their Birthday Suit!

As parent advocates highlighting the obvious problems, inaccuracies and outright untruths in infant feeding policy, we often feel like the little boy in the crowd pointing out that the emperor has no clothes on. This is never more the case than when confronted with the idea of ‘skin-to-skin’.

We Write to UKHSA, NHS England and the Health Secretary

We have written to UKHSA and NHS England, as well as to the new Health Secretary, to raise our concerns about exclusive breastfeeding promotion and the Baby Friendly Initiative. We highlighted a paper commissioned by UKHSA (when it was known as Public Health England) to review the evidence for Baby Friendly. Published last year, this paper showed there was no evidence Baby Friendly improves any health outcomes.

This is what we wrote to UKHSA:

National Breastfeeding Week: What Was That About?

As National Breastfeeding Week draws to a close, let’s reflect on what we have seen.

Well, memorably, healthcare authorities advising partners to fluff up pillows, bring snacks, change nappies, stick their tongues out at babies, sing and talk to them and try baby massage…

Anyone else confused?

We Ask NICE: What Is The Priority for Infant Feeding ‘Quality Standards’?

We have once again commented on guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for the postnatal care of women and babies. This time we addressed new draft ‘quality standards’ for infant feeding advice. We asked the NICE panel: what is the priority here?! You can read our full response below:

How Does Encanto Help us to Imagine Better Infant Feeding Policy?

As parents of small children, many of us are very familiar with Encanto. After watching the movie for the third time in a weekend, one of our co-founders had fun on Twitter imagining infant feeding stories through the lens of the movie and its cast of characters, the gifted members of the Madrigal family. What follows is an edited version of these threads.

Spoilers ahead: If you haven’t seen Encanto yet – are you living under a rock? – read no further!

The whole thing started with Bruno…