Bressure – another stick to beat us with
Have you heard of Bressure? Neither had I until it was coined recently by Channel Mum, the latest enterprise from Netmums founder Siobhan Freegard. At least I assume they coined it since the reporting about a survey they conducted was the first place I saw it used, and the quotes from Siobhan in various online and newspaper articles all used it.
What is Bressure, you might ask?
You might think that it’s a clever buzzword designed to provoke maximum media exposure for a new enterprise at the expense of a group of mothers who are already in a minority. But that would be very cynical of you.
In fact, it seems it’s pressure to breastfeed. This pressure may take many forms. It can be factual advice provided by midwives at antenatal classes. It might be an offer of help from a friend who has breastfed previously. It could be your doctor asking you how baby is fed at your six week checkup. It’s there when you read a newspaper article that explains that breastfed children are less likely to develop leukaemia. And most bressurising of all – those photos of women breastfeeding their babies. Who do they think they are, smugly feeding their babies?
Luckily as a breastfeeding mother I didn’t have to experience Bressure. When large corporations spend millions sponsoring parenting websites, branding baby fairs, and ensuring that not a day goes by without me hearing a suggestion that their product is “Simply More Advanced” on the radio, or watching giggling babies whose mothers are “ready to move on” on TV, that’s not something that we ascribe a dirty word like Bressure to. Oh no.
That’s just advertising.
I haven’t heard of bressure either! Thank you for explaining it. I breastfed my kids as well and had suggestions daily to change to bottles, from lots of different people, including nurses and midwives and ads as you pointed out. So the pressure is there for everyone no matter which way you choose to go, there will be people trying to convince you to go the other way. But, I don’t think that pointing out the benefits of breastfeeding should count as pressure. x
It seems to be a brand new buzzword alright. It’s not like breastfeeding versus formula feeding is the only big issue out there. Seems like anything you do or don’t do with your child these days somehow manages to be controversial according to somebody out there.
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i really wanted to breast feed and tried for 3 days, after the 3rd day and my little one hadn’t had a wet nappy, doctors were doing blood tests and wanted to do scans on her kidneys.. they were saying to me lets just try a bottle,,, i did,, she drained it, shortly had a pee.. i felt a lot of guilt. but never looked back. i honestly in my experience doctors will always provide you with the infomation you need to know,, breast is best. it just doesn’t turn out that way, i was more than supported by them when i decide to bottle feed,, on bressure whats so ever x
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