July 8, 2010
Researchers hit out at breast feeding comment
A controversial article by Mother & Baby’s deputy editor Kathryn Blundell, denouncing breastfeeding as ‘creepy’ and claiming that ‘all the supposed health benefits of breast milk couldn’t induce me to stick my nipple in a bawling baby’s mouth’, has been criticized by the health website www.healthtalkonline.org.

‘This sort of article stirs up the breast-bottle controversy by calling on entrenched stereotypes of women as ‘good mother’ at one extreme and a modern person with a right to a sex life and a glass of wine at the other.  Sadly its aim is to set women against one another by using extreme and divisive language – as well as selling magazines,’ said Dr Kath Ryan of the Center for Midwifery, Maternal and Prenatal Research at Bournemouth University and a researcher for the Healthtalkonline website.

In her article, Blundell says that she bottle fed her baby from birth because ‘I wanted my body back (and some wine).’  She went on: ‘I also wanted to give my boobs a chance to stay on my chest rather than dangling round my stomach.  They’re part of my sexuality, not just breasts but fun bags.  When you have that attitude seeing your teeny, tiny, innocent baby latching on where only a lover has been before feels, well, a little creepy.’

But Dr Ryan who interviewed 49 new mothers about their experience of breastfeeding for the website’s section on this subject (http://www.healthtalkonline.org/Pregnancy_children/Breastfeeding) claimed the article was designed to set women against one another - rather than support decision-making in this vital area.

'Of course there are different views on breastfeeding and they should all be heard.  The 49 new mothers that I interviewed for Healthtalkonline reflect a gamut of experience including women who admit to carrying on drinking and smoking after the birth of the baby as well as women who don't want to breastfeed or  try and fail, along with many more who succeed and are proud of their achievement,’ she says.

‘But there's a big difference here.  Healthtalkonline is an evidence based website providing real women’s personal insights into breastfeeding in the context of their different lives and the challenges they face.  It reflects the expectations not just that society has for mothers – but the often unrealistic expectations that women themselves have that they will just carry on as 'normal’.   It also reflects the fact that becoming a mother inevitably brings huge changes, often causing problems because of the barriers to breastfeeding that exist.

‘Sadly this is not acknowledged in Mother & Baby’s publicity-seeking approach.  From its influential position, the magazine is promoting the backlash against breastfeeding by touching on women’s fears that having a baby will have an adverse impact on their bodies and their sex lives.  Yet the more complex truth – that change is inevitable and that expectations about breastfeeding need to be realistic - should be reflected by a responsible magazine,’ Dr Ryan said.

GP, Dr Ann McPherson, co-founder of Healthtalkonline, said that no woman should feel bad for not being able to breastfeed.  ‘But as a GP for 35 years, it’s been a constant fight against the negative image of breastfeeding that so many people insist on promoting.  It’s for this very reason that we started the Healthtalkonline website to give parents a more complete and honest view of what’s involved.’


Natalie Sparks, 28 year old mother of three and one of the contributors to the website, is willing to be interviewed.  ‘I am horrified by how many of my school friends are not breast-feeding.  I wanted to let them know about Healthtalkonline so that they could make an informed decision.

-ENDS-



About DIPEx/Healthtalkonline/Youthhealthtalk
 
DIPEx has created two websites – www.healthtalkonline.org and www.youthhealthtalk.org – of people’s experiences of more than 50 different illnesses and health conditions. The websites are aimed at patients, their carers, family and friends, doctors, nurses and other health professionals, and are based on in-depth qualitative research carried out by the Health Experiences Research Group at the University of Oxford.
 
Users of the websites will find accounts – presented through video, audio and written material –of issues such as reaction to diagnosis, consultation with their doctor, effect on work, social life and relationships, decisions on treatment options and side-effects.
To date, www.healthtalkonline.org has covered illnesses including cancer, heart disease, neurological conditions (Parkinson’s, epilepsy and autism) chronic health issues (HIV, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis) and mental health. We also provide experiences of women’s health, dying and bereavement.  and publish young people’s experiences (including epilepsy, sexual health, teenage cancer) on our dedicated youth website – www.youthhealthtalk.org.
 
Supporters include Jon Snow, Dawn French, John Humphrys, Ian McEwan, Dr Jonathan Miller, Jenni Murray, Michael Palin, Philip Pullman, Libby Purves, Claire Rayner, Thom Yorke and many others.   The actor, Hugh Grant has just agreed to be its patron.
 
DIPEx, a registered charity no. 1087019, is funded by the Department of Health and charitable trusts. Full details are on our websites.


For more information or to arrange and interview with Natalie please contact Zoe Chanas from Murray PR; zoe@murraypr.com 0207 544 0016