Piri Weepu bottle-feeding daughter blasted as 'inappropriate'

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Piri Weepu bottle-feeding daughter blasted as 'inappropriate'

3News NZ

Piri Weepu with daughter Taylor

Piri Weepu with daughter Taylor

Earlier this year All Black Piri Weepu gave up his time to take part in a Smokefree advertisement made by the Health Sponsorship Council.

When the advert was edited together there was a two-second shot of Piri bottle feeding his six-month-old daughter Taylor.

Then the makers of the advert sent it out to a variety of advocacy groups asking for their input.

When Plunket, the New Zealand College of Midwives and the La Letche League all disapproved of the bottle-feeding pictures, they were removed.

The pro-breastfeeding groups said it was not the appropriate message to send.

Campbell Live’s Kate King reports.

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Comments

14/02/2012 12:00:00 p.m.

Toni Reid wrote:

This stoush is not about breastfeeding vs bottle feeding, but rather the promotion of bottle feeding by a celebrity role model. We don't want to see celebrities endorsing a practice that (a - is putting more money into the coffers of multinational companies and (b -contrary to what the health department has spent megabucks promoting. Bottle feeding may be easier, but not best for your child. It is akin to placing your child on a seat in the car, rather than in a car seat. It takes a little more effort, but it's beneficial for the child in the long run. Bottle feeding was only invented as an alternative, obviously for those who are unable to breast feed. It is only advertising that makes us think it is the norm.

12/02/2012 5:00:28 p.m.

Vicki wrote:

And whose to say Piri wasn't feeding a bottle of expressed milk? Arent we a presumptious lot?!?!? My goodness NZ, we beat up and kill our children then send them to school with no breakfast. Be pleased this baby is loved, cared for and being fed!

12/02/2012 12:20:57 a.m.

Chris wrote:

These pro LLL posters sound like such a bunch of patronising bullies. They complain that they are being misrepresented as single issue zealots, and then make sweeping statements about how 98% of mums can (and therefore SHOULD) breast feed. Mothers who don't breast feed are routinely dismissed as being ignorant and/or lazy.

OK, you are proud of your decision to breast feed. WE GET IT! But your responsibility begins and ends with your own child. Please stop trying to legislate for everyone elses.

11/02/2012 5:51:12 p.m.

Don wrote:

What is 'inappropriate' is that the pussy PC fools pulled the video simply because a couple of total idiots made a noise about it!! Grow some and put it back on air, you know that all thinking and reasonable people in NZ think Piri is the best kind of male role model loving and feeding his child and proud of it. Are we such a soft PC society that we let every extremist with an axe to grind tell us what we can think, see and do? this should never have been an issue at all and they should have been told to take a hike as soon as they started spouting that rubbish

11/02/2012 12:50:30 a.m.

Ross wrote:

I find it ridiculous the control over the things we are allowed to think, feel and watch. It is a persons right to choose what is best for their family. If they want to breast feed (the ones that can) then do it, if they want to bottle feed then do it. This was a smokefree ad, half the time an advert is removed off the air because of complaints I usually don't see why and that's usually when I know what I'm looking for. In all honesty the simple fact that this advert was given to them to look over makes me wonder why. Next they'll be banning bottles so no one can do it unless they can prove they can't breastfeed. Go find something better to do with your time, you're meant to be looking after the wellbeing of the children and their mothers not making them ashamed to feed their baby any other way. All you do by effectively banning something from being seen is disempower the people who choose/have to do it that way. Child abuse in this country is appauling you'd think you guys would just be happy they're being fed.

10/02/2012 4:30:24 p.m.

Graeme wrote:

bro least your one of the ones that actually look after your whanau. To plunket none of your buisness

10/02/2012 4:48:00 a.m.

John wrote:

I don't see the big deal about bottle or breast fed babies good on you Piri you and your family stand your ground. My daughter was bottle fed from day 1, I can tell you she is one of the top 5 students in her school, excellent sporting abilities and stands at 5.4 tall and she is only 12.

9/02/2012 11:34:11 p.m.

jamie wrote:

As a mum to two kids I don't feed junk food to my kids 3 times a day as their meals (formula is the proven scientific equivilent of junk food compared to breastmilk).... Also it contains stem cells (now shown to help cancer and a variety of other diseases that the rich are willing to spend mega bucks to harvest from sources - when we can give it free to our babies via breastmilk daily) .. Our most vunerable babies in New zealand often get fed formula (and live in cold damp houses, poor access to health care etc - - Piri Wepu has the money to choose to do what he likes with less possible consequence by having access to pleanty of money to have dry house, great money to pay for medisinces etc) Yes there are times when formula is the only way a baby can recieve food. But the scientific makeup of breastmilk in comparision to formula shows all the things that formula does not have.. plus the nasty things it can contain...... not many realize as recent as last year when many babies died in Hamilton after receiving formula that was contaminated by harmful bacteria by mistake in production. (very few about 2% of mums who don't have bodies that are able to breastfeed)

9/02/2012 7:36:15 p.m.

Alexandra wrote:

Alll my children were bottle fed they are healthy confident, loving and happy, and that was my choice both my husband and I were able to enjoy feeding our 3 children the world has gone crazy . At least he is supporting his family and feeding the baby and keeping it safe. I can't believe how much stick people get and give in new Zealand to bottle fed parents , like new parents need any additional pressure. Give parents a choice rather have happy parents than resentful ones.

9/02/2012 4:33:33 p.m.

Catherine wrote:

This makes me so made that everyone is jumping on LLL. It should not be a mudsling between breast vs bottle. Why are we not questioning why only 1 in 4 mothers breastfeed till 6 months. Why do we not question why althought most know that breastfeeding is best for their babies they have no knowledge as to why it is best. Why are we not discussing why mothers breast or bottle struggle to get any help or information for the professionals who are suppossed to be there to support them. Well done LLL for being there to help struggling breastfeeding mothers and being advicates for them so they can now feed in public which they could not in the past. Not everyone can breastfeed but I am sure there are more than 1 in 4 who could. Sending Mums home from hospital before their milk has come in is one way to set them up for failure.