Jamie vs adele – the great breastfeeding debate

Lauren Derret - 29 Mar 16

I’m genuinely confused? Please feel free to enlighten me, I’m not a highly educated woman and I’m more than happy to be told I’ve got it wrong (it wont be the first time)!

So, from what I can see, Jamie Oliver was trying to raise the awareness of breastfeeding and how there’s a need for more funding and support. He got shot down for using the wrong words to get his message across, he got hated on for what he thought was doing some good for mothers. I understand why his words may have caused some upset and why some may feel he has no right to talk on the subject as he doesn’t even have breasts (although, Michel Odent doesn’t have a uterus?)  but let’s not forget, he did campaign for and got healthy kids meals in school, he did campaign for and got the sugar tax added.

The platform that he has (whether we feel is warranted or not) is a high platform and maybe, just maybe he could have got a strong breastfeeding campaign going for mothers. I’m failing to see why he was attacked for that? I’m sure had he gone on to build a campaign he would have had a good strong team of breastfeeding supporters help him navigate through his words and tidy it up so that it was put across in a more sympathetic and understanding way for all women and maybe do some amazing things for breastfeeding women. But sadly, we’ll never know.

And then, Adele gets really angry at Jamie, telling him to “fuck off” whilst admitting to struggling with breastfeeding her son and being grateful to formula for keeping him alive. And now her words are being dissected and she gets accused as coming across as though she must be harbouring feelings of guilt or anger at her lack of support. From where I was reading there was no mention of feelings of guilt or questioning her choices? She was simply sharing her experience of how hard she found breastfeeding and had a go at Jamie for belittling it.

Two high profile celebrities talking about their own real life experiences (obvs Jamie’s is second-hand experience) but both have had their words picked apart and dissected twisting it all, and now Jamie has given up trying and Adele is left looking like a victim who couldn’t get the support she needed. Surely Adele could have got support if she had wanted it? I’m sure there’s not much she couldn’t get! And still we have moved no further forward in getting the support for breastfeeding mothers?!

People have their own experiences, if they’re different to yours, if their words aren’t put together in the way you want to hear it, does it have to cause another huge debate that leads to nowhere but unease amongst people on both sides of the feeding fence?

Can we not see both sides of this?

Does there have to be sides?

And now once again, breastfeeding is in the news in a negative way. Could it have all been so different if Jamie had been forgiven for his poor choice in words in the first place when his intention was clearly for the good? Could we not have said “oh mate, you can’t go around saying things like that, let’s have a chat and explain why”. The campaign could be well under way by now and breastfeeding could have gotten some really positive press.

And can we not start to value the choices women make for them and their babies? Do we have to label them as victims of their own guilt? Or for making decisions we readily assume are uneducated and unconscious or simply because there was a lack of available support (don’t get me wrong, I know that breastfeeding support is HUGELY lacking).

Some mothers may consciously choose not to seek support (even if it is readily available) and that’s their journey.

Some mothers may consciously choose to formula feed and that’s their journey.

Some mothers may consciously choose to express and bottle fed and that’s their journey.

And then sadly there are mothers who desperately need and seek out support, not even knowing where to start in finding it, walking the fragile path of carry on or quit.

And so then, shouldn’t we throw every damn  opportunity we get to help that mother, even if it comes in the guise of some hapless Essex boy who started out as a chef but is changing things at the highest level?

I support breastfeeding, I support formula feeding, I support women who are consciously choosing how to feed their babies, I support women who lack the confidence in choosing how to feed their babies,  I support FEEDING babies.

Lauren Derret

I’m Lauren, mum of 4 humans, each with their very own birth story. Red wine drinker, keen blogger, trash tv watcher and pretty hard core potty mouth! But, with a good heart and a passion for setting lovely women like you onto a path towards a positive birthing experience, and we’ll have fun doing it; always a bonus! I teach The Wise Hippo Birthing Programme and am a Doula Uk recognised Doula

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