NHS advice telling mums that 'breastfeeding is a great way to get your body back' has been slammed as 'toxic' and 'messed up'.
The controversial wording was spotted in the week-by-week guide to pregnancy on the Start 4 Life website.
Included in the list of 'things you might not expect when you baby's born', it said: "You'll still look pregnant for a while - it can take 6 weeks for your womb to go back to the size it was, and even longer to lose any extra weight.
"Breastfeeding is a great way to get your body back, as it burns around 300 calories a day, and helps your womb to shrink more quickly. Also try to eat healthily and take gentle exercise'.
The comment was highlighted by Twitter user Maggy @maggyvaneijk last week, who shared it and said: "Toxic af from the NHS’s week by week pregnancy guide. BFing is not a weight loss tool.
"Your body never went anywhere - you don’t need to get it “back”, it’s just changing, evolving & growing and it will keep doing so until you’re deceased."
Hundreds of people liked her comment, with many agreement that it's inappropriate to link weight loss to breastfeeding - and worse that the NHS is doing so.
"Well this is grim reading," replied Lauren Wilden @laurenwilden. "I breastfed for almost 11 months, daughter is almost 4 and I still don't have my "pre-baby body back" - explain that to me NHS."
Debby @DebbySquare said: "Not only grim, but breastfeeding is not in my book any kind of way to feel like you’ve ‘got your body back’ even if that was a thing, as you are giving it over to full time food production for a tiny human - it’s setting people up to fail if they are expecting anything else."
Caroline NiLoingsigh @CLoingsigh added: "I put on two stone BF'ing twins for two years. This is absolute nonsense. Toxic, unhealthy and ALSO nonsense."
And, describing the advice as 'awful', Karina @karinabrahmwar said: "So much pressure on women to 'bounce back' already without the NHS joining in."
Some mums pointed out that they already felt like a failure at being unable to breastfeed and this was rubbing salt into the wound.
Em @PickUpAPerPer said: "This always just adds to my feeling of failure for not being able to BF and not losing weight very easily after each of my babies, and I thought they were the ones who were meant to be supporting us!"
And Chloe Elsby-Pearson @ChloeElsbyP added: "This advice also contributed to my feelings of being a failure as a mum - I couldn’t breastfeed my baby and we all know ‘breast is best’ and I wasn’t going to lose my ‘baby weight’ - both failures on my part! Still makes me feel v miserable nearly 13 years on!"
What do you think about the advice? Do you think the NHS is wrong to link breastfeeding to weight loss? Let us know your views in the comments here.
Start4Life is part of Healthier Families (formerly Change4Life), the nationwide campaign to help adults and families to eat well and move more.
It also provides resources for Early Years providers on healthy eating and activity for toddlers and pre-school children.
Since the outrage over the comments emerged on Twitter, the pregnancy guide has now been changed.
Instead, it reads: "It can take 6 weeks for your womb to go back to the size it was. Breastfeeding can speed this process up as it makes your womb contract. Find out more about your body after the birth on the NHS website'.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “The Start4Life website provides guidance and advice for new and expectant families.
“Our insight has shown that some women find this information helpful, however, we keep the wording of public health initiatives under review, and in response to some of the feedback received we have updated the website today.”
