Everyone that knows me well knows I enjoy a good debate! And this one is a double passion for me being a future nurse and a breast feeding mother so.... It has been reported the NHS intend to offer shopping vouchers to mothers who continue to breast feed for 6 months. I have spent the morning seeing various arguments over this with many feeling at an unfair position having been unable to physically breast feed, or feel they lacked the support to be successful. Also unable to see how it will be monitored to ensure people actually are successfully feeding for the full 6 months and not just pretending (very valid point). Some feel the money could be better spent providing better support to those who wish to try. What are your opinions? Do you think this is a good idea or a bad one? I personally feel this is a fantastic step in the right direction from the NHS. Although I admit my current knowledge on this recent news is limited, I believe their reasoning would be that with the proven health benefits of breast feeding, the level of treatments in the future would be reduced (with breast feeding have many health benefits for mother and child) and cost effectively prevention is better than cure (both for the individuals and financially for the NHS). This in turn would not only reduce over stretched nurses and a health service struggling to keep our no charge health service afloat, meaning the money would be made available to be spent in other areas, like possibly giving better care and support for those wishing to try and those physically unable. I would imagine there will be a health promotion drive along side this incentive plan, to raise knowledge and awareness of breast feeding not only for mothers but for the general public, which is a fantastic and much needed requirement for everyone. We may not all qualify for the vouchers but I would much rather be smiled at (the same as formula feeding mums) for having a cute baby,rather than given filthy looks and be made to feel guilty for purely feeding my child. Its important to remember this is not the first time incentives like this have been put into effect, the same has been done in the past for people to quit smoking, and is also in effect for people to loose weight with surgeries giving out vouchers to weight loss groups which continues if they reach targets. This in turn has a knock on effect to health and lifts the pressure off our overstretched NHS. So whilst this is an important subject, people be kind..... remember we all have our personal struggles and battles, neither bottle or breast feeding mothers need to be made to feel guilty for the way they feed their children (whether by choice or not). Both forms of feeding can have their own problems; breast feeding can be extreamily difficult and leave parents worried their baby is not getting enough, give the mothers extreme pain for various reasons, and leave them feeling shamed and that they need to stay out of public, whilst bottle feeding parents can be made to feel guilty and in turn feel that breast feeding is shoved in their face. This needs to stop and help and advice on both sides need to improve. We all want the very best for our children, so please dont start world war 3! Lets use this as a way to raise awareness on both sides of the table, ask our questions and lets see if those questions can be answered....... Lets get feeding out there and try to start stomping out the feeding bullies raising the levels of support for all, dependent on individual need. Please feel free to share x
Posted on: Tue, 12 Nov 2013 10:13:03 +0000
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