I’ve long held the opinion that we live in a nanny state where if we’re not careful, the government will monitor our every movement like in Enemy of the State. However since becoming a mother, ‘nanny state’ has taken on a whole new meaning. When you have a child you court the opinion of your parents, extended family, your NCT group, colleagues, neighbours, that woman behind the till in Waitrose, health visitors, midwives, your GP, the man at the train station, the crazy guy that shouts along to his iPod at the bus stop… You get the idea…

I’ve recently taken the decision to start weaning the bambino and slipping her a bottle of formula most days, and by God, the opinion floodgates have opened! The Department of Health recommends exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months but not only do they forget that every baby is different, but that this time period has varied over the years to as little as 12 weeks for weaning (Mine is almost 18 weeks). I appreciate that some babies have allergies etc but many women wean before 6 months and the earth is still turning…

Read the original post in full over at Dollymix