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Breast feeding debate out of hand, expert says

13:00 AEST Wed Feb 8 2012
MSN NZ
A child birth educator says the lastest breastfeeding debate has inflamed extremists (Thinkstock)
A child birth educator says the lastest breastfeeding debate has inflamed extremists (Thinkstock)

The latest breastfeeding debate is a storm in a tea cup, according to an Auckland child birth educator.

Brenda Hinton, who works for Mama maternity services, says she feels the media has deliberately inflamed extremists on both sides of the debate.

“It’s all getting a little too personal,” she says.

Controversy around breast versus bottle feeding erupted after The New Zealand Herald reported that the government-funded Health Sponsorship Council cut a scene from a smoke-free advertisement of All Black Piri Weepu bottle-feeding his daughter.

The media storm continued today when Kate Rhodes, 24, of Manukau spoke of how she had been harassed and accused of being a bad mother while bottle-feeding her six-month-old son, Dylan.

"I gave him a bottle and a lady came up to me and said it's a really bad look and it's not a good way to represent New Zealand parents,” she told The NZ Herald.

Hinton said the debate in the media had, so far, been “unproductive” and showed the radicals rather than the reality.

“Now we have people on both sides saying they have been abused…pro breast advocates have been accused of all sorts,” she said.

Hinton said that although ‘breast was best’ it was up to individual families to decide how they take care of their children.

“It’s their business.”

Do you think it’s bad to show a footage of a baby being bottle-fed in a government-funded ad? Have your say on this issue below.

User comments
How long are we going to make mothers who want to breast feed but just can't through no choice of their own feel that they are being bad parents? There are those out there that just don't have the milk supply the baby needs no matter how hard they try and there are those who have the milk but can't give it to the baby due to being on medication that is tranfered to the milk. For those that can breast feed then great and good on them but it is time to stop making out that not breast feeding is child abuse. As long as a child is getting the right food for its age and is growing at a healthy rate does it really matter that much?
No. This business of complaints about mothers breast feeding their babies or bottle feeding, is absolutely ridiculous, the child has to be fed, one way, or the other and quite frankly, for what its worth,I think the very aspect that the Govt is prepared to back this ad, is awesome.
You would think that a footage of a baby being bottle-fed in a government funded ad showed that we live in a democracy where there's freedom of choice...although I breast fed all four of my babies and I advocate that breast is still best, I too had to revert to the bottle when I went back to work and when I couldn't produce enough milk for my 9lb 13oz son who was born with a umbilical hernia and ate like a horse....I think I'm educated enough to make the right choices for my family and I with the right support...the radicals can keep their narcosis comments to themselves!
Everything is getting rather out of hand. Bottles are a great help.....Dad can't breast feed can he? What of women who cannot breast feed?? Taking Piri Weepu off an advertisement was totally ridiculous....talk about radical groups!! Having Dad help out with feeding, changing and everything involved in raising a child is paramount....there may well have been breast milk in that bottle! Good on you Piri! Don't listen to the minor radical population....you just keep on with those bottles. Breast feeding is a personal choice! Not a legal requirement for heavens sake! Allowing radicals to dictate what is and isn't seen in an advertisement and being rude to anyone who is bottle feeding is just shocking.Promoting breast feeding is great but having an adverse opinion and critisizing those that can't or don't, publicly, is just over the top. A big thumbs up to all those Dads helping out with bottle feeds! And a thumbs down to those groups that are intent on insulting them.
I don't think there's nothing wrong with it I'm a breastfeeding mum and I do think breast is best but if for some reason you can't breastfeed you shoudn't be made to feel like your a bad mother it is every mothers right to decide how she will feed her baby and as long as her baby is happy and thriving thats what matters my god! some babys don't get fed at all!
How you feed your child is your business, and no one should be judged on what way they choose to do it. Sure, the government should be seen to support pro-breastfeeding, but it can't be bad to show bottle-feeding if the parent is the father!! It's not like he can breastfeed!
I am the mother of four. First child fully breastfed till 10 months old, second child breastfed for 3 months then bottle fed,3rd child breastfed for 6 weeks,then bottlefed, 4th child breastfed for 17 months because he had allergic reactions to all milk formula.. OK, for me breast or botle is fine, each child is an individual and know expert can tell you all, you as a parent must assess and do what is best for the child and you. The first child who was fully breastfed for ten months was forever getting sick,tonsils,ear infections,the next two well all the time,never went near a docter with them, only for vacinations.
This media circus is a right load of ***** The natural protection from breast milk is great, but not all mothers can or want to breast feed it is the mothers choice after all and nobody should be able to condem one way or another
Of course breast is best but parents shouldn't be viified if they choose to bottle feed. Is this not a country where people are free to make their own choices? I think that it would have been wonderful to show a father being so involved with their child's care and even more so that it was someone with such a high profile! How can people lecture complete strangers about what they see and not what they know? We don't know the reason the baby is being bottle fed. Maybe the mother can't breast feed, what if the father is the main caregiver? How is HE expected to comply with 'breast is best'? How many people go up to parents of overweight kids and tell THEM that "it's a really bad look and not representative of New Zealand parents"? None I bet!
I think it is a personal choice. Some women can't breast feed for personal reasons (of which I was one) such as taking medication, milk drying up, PND etc. I thought the main idea was that you build a bond with your child during feeding AND you CAN do this both breast and bottle feeding. With bottle feeding, Dad can bond with bubs and give Mum a break. Also remember that in that bottle might be expressed milk. Parenthood is a difficulot enough job without other people passing judgement. The old adage applies, if you havent got anything positive to say, DONT say it!!

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