Parenting Forums

Posted: 06 September 2008 at 6:02pm | IP Logged

Hi there, I thought I would post this as I am about to apply to Uni to do midwifery and I am becoming a breastfeeding peer. My aim in life is to finish uni, become a midwife then specialise in teaching midwives how to help breastfeeding Mums.

I have two children and one on the way. I breastfed both my boys and plan to do so again. I had problems with my first 2, problems that should have been picked up and dealt with before they got out of hand which they did.

Now breast feeding is the best thing you can give your baby, even if the only feed they get is their first and last it still benefits them. When you are pregnant there is a lot of pressure put on you, mainly by advertising campaigns in the hospital to breastfeed, there are plenty of pictures from happy mums and content babies. Your midwife is put under pressure to promote breastfeeding, but what you may not be aware of is the government will not fund the necessary training for them so that they can accurately help you when you need it.

You will hear all about how you have the milk with you at all times, no dirty bottles to wash or make especially in the middle of the night. They have less phooey (and definitely less smelly) nappies as everything in breast milk is good for the baby and there is no waste. The nutrients in breast milk build up your babies immune system, and some say their IQ. Breastfeeding also helps you get back into shape after having the baby.

ALL THE ABOVE ARE TRUE.

Now what is not made readily available is information on the downside to breastfeeding. Now as I said I have done it twice and am doing it again, so you could say why am I if it is bad, well the reason is because the pros far out weigh the cons, but in my opinion you should be made fully aware of the cons so that you yourself can make an informed decision and also so that you can prepare with yourself, your partner and your health expert for any foreseeable problems therefore making them less of a problem.

You are not made aware of the fact that information given to you whilst breastfeeding is not usually very accurate, it is just what the practitioner has been taught.

One misconception is that "latching on is usually painful so don't worry too much about it", this is NOT true, the only time you may feel any discomfort when latching on is at the beginning when your milk has come in and the sudden flow can cause a sudden pang, also if your nipples have cracked at the beginning. You should not feel any pain at any stage once breastfeeding is established.

"Cracked nipples are normal and they will go away soon" your practitioner will not elaborate on when they will sooth and it should be within a day or so because if the baby is latched on correctly then they should not crack and heal very quickly. You may find people are slow to help you with this simple problem which in the end can become unbearable and lead to very serious and painful problems.

"Any problems are because baby is not latched on properly", this is the best line I have ever heard...Pray tell me who has never had a child, how would I know what is properly, they usually cant answer this very well as they only know from what they see and what they are told to look out for. Very often midwives and health visitors think that you are doing fine and they cant see any problem when in fact it is something so small they are just not trained to see it.

Now these are just a few of the silliest things when it comes to breastfeeding but they are things that make a huge difference. I could go on all day about other things that they fail to pick up but then I would be writing a novel. There is information online and in books about problems latching on, mastitis (which is horrid), and other main problems faced, but it is normally the smaller things that go undetected.

My main point is Breast IS best, but do not think that there are no trials you will have to face to get it right. If you bring up any problems with your practitioner and you do not get the response you want or need then ask again and again until you are totally happy. When it goes right breastfeeding is the most wonderful experience in the world, but just like bottle feeding it has its cons.

P.S. My main tip is, if you do suffer from cracked nipples then forget the silly creams and cabbages, get yourself some PARAFIN GAUZE. It is amazing stuff and something I waited 3 months with unbearable pain to find out about!

Posted: 06 September 2008 at 6:27pm | IP Logged

Hun i agree breast is best but it's not always possible...i know of people, my mum and nan included who have tried to breast feed but their milk supply has dried up very quickly or hasn't been enough to satisfy the childs needs.

I think it is up to the individual and i think it is great that alot of mum's are trying to breast feed even if they hit a brick wall early on and have to change to the bottle.

I personally think the key to getting this county behind breast feeding is getting rid of the tabo of it all.... to get a law passed to make it illegal to ask people to stop and go to the loo's etc.

Good luck with your uni course... and with the breast feeding and spd first hand i think you might be one of the most caring and understanding mw's out there when you pass.

Posted: 06 September 2008 at 6:51pm | IP Logged

Oh there are definatly lots of mums out there who cant feed and mums who chose not to. I think there is too much pressure put on mums to try it without the full information being given. This is one of my concerns, that not all the info and support is out there and it does put people off and can be very up-setting.

Lots of mums are made to feel like failures if they can't get to grips with it or it causes them problems, that is the main reasons I want to help women to feel confident and to let them know that it is their choice.

Thank you very much for your lovely comment zanynut xxx

Posted: 06 September 2008 at 7:03pm | IP Logged

I hate all these breast is best debates/conversations.

Everyone is aware breast is better, but many like myself chose to bottle feed and both my boys are healthy.  I was put under a lot of pressure with my ds1 to breast feed and it didn't work for me, i'm not going to use the term failed because i did not fail it just wasnt right for us.  This, I am almost convinced is what attributed to my pnd.

A lot of my friends chose straight off to bottle feed, hats off to them for telling people straight, that they did not want to breast feed.

I am glad now though, that there is more support for new mums who choose to breast feed, much more so than there was a few years ago.  I dont mind this as long as it isnt being shoved down your throat and making you feel bad for not choosing to do so.

I know if i succeed with ttc what feeding method i will choose and what will be best for us.

Posted: 06 September 2008 at 7:09pm | IP Logged

Why do you feel awful ally7963? Is it because you feel pressured to breastfeed and that is what good mums who really care about their babies do?

This is the thing, new mums feel that the decision to bottle feed is the bad one when years ago the hospitals were encouraging bottle feeding. It was new and they thought the best way.

What the government didn't realise was that they would have to support low income parents and provide the formula for bottles!!! So what a shock now they are promoting breastfeeding! As everything in this world it comes down to saving money.

Don't you feel guilty, it is obviously something you have given a lot of thought to, and if anyone in the medical world starts giving you the third degree because of your choice tell them that it is your choice and the best one for your family. You have no reason to feel awful.

In fact with a man next to you who is eager to join in and help and support you, you should be proud and happy (just make sure you remind him of this when it is 3am and you remind him its his turn lol) xxx

Posted: 06 September 2008 at 7:22pm | IP Logged

I also hate these debates, I started all 5 of mine on the breast, and it's only the fact that I didn't get the support I needed with my last one, that I gave u.  However I did not and still don't feel like a failure, especially when you consider that my 4th weighed 9lb 2oz and by 6 weeks was drinking 60oz of formula so I had to put him on solids.  I relaxed alot more and was able to let mom feed the baby while I was still recovering from a c-section and could spend a little one on one time with Fred as he was only 15 months old at the time.

I know Breast is best, but at the end of the day whatever works for your family is best for you!