Here we go again. Just when things seem to have quieted down a bit, another person has stepped forward with some strongly-worded charges against breastfeeding supporters aka advocates. I refer to Brendan O’Neill’s recent piece in The Guardian. Have you read it? It’s a real doozy.

From the start, O’Neill makes some rather interesting claims, such as: “‘[M]ilitant lactivists’ in positions of power” are behind regulations on formula advertising. Things must be a bit different in the U.K. Here in the U.S., I don’t know of any lactivists (militant or otherwise) who are in positions of policy-setting. I know some who wish they were. But I wouldn’t call them militant.

O’Neill also states that the aforementioned lactivists have declared “bottlefeeding” “neglectful and irresponsible” and branded formula ads “wickedly tempting.” Interesting stuff. Actually, the breastfeeding supporters I know would say that formula-feeling is inferior to breastfeeding. And they’re right. Even the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), a group that has worked hand-in-glove with the formula industry over the years, recognizes this. As for “wickedly tempting” … well, I can only say that “misleading” is the more likely charge to be leveled at formula company ads.

Those are not the only gems in Mr. O’Neill’s piece. To his thinking, considering breastfeeding the norm reduces women to “Milk Dispensers, human udders”. Removing formula advertising from televisions and billboards indicates that formula-feeding mothers are “doing something terrible.” Those who want formula ads to be regulated are “irrational and hysterical.” The list goes on.

But I don’t want to address that article point-by-point. No. There are good reasons for regulating formula advertising. I’ve discussed the issue before on babygooroo. But I agree with Mr. O’Neill’s final statement (which seems a far cry from the article’s pro-formula-advertising start), which reads: “It is time that we left it to mothers and mothers alone to decide how to feed their infants.”

Well, truth be told, I mostly agree with that. I believe both parents should be involved in the decision-making, and I also believe that health care providers have a responsibility to inform the parents about the risks and benefits of feeding methods. Hey, in my ideal world (you know, the one that exists in my dreams), all babies would receive their mother’s milk. But I agree with the sentiment. As I’ve written elsewhere, breastfeeding is not the end all and be all of mothering. I disagree with Mr. O’Neill’s assertion that breastfeeding children may not be healthier than their formula-fed peers. (See this, this, and this for just a taste of what’s been recently published on the topic.) But I know several parents who didn’t breastfeed their babies at all or as much as they had planned. They’re all still great, dedicated parents.

So, here’s my perspective: The decision about what and how to feed one’s child is a personal one. Let’s not inundate new and expectant parents with formula ads and samples. After all, I don’t believe there is a parent out there who is in the dark about the availability of formula. Even without a billboard in their face, they can (and many will) choose to feed their infants formula. After all, in the U.S., only just over 30% of babies are exclusively breastfed at 3 months.

Rather, let’s do all we can to support those parents who choose to breastfeed their babies. There’s no doubt that, in the earliest days, breastfeeding this vulnerable little child can seem a daunting responsibility. But it is absolutely the best thing to do. If it’s made a little easier by not having formula ads in your face 24/7, then I don’t mind a bit of regulation.