I would say I am passionate about breastfeeding, or maybe more support of breastfeeding.

I don't have a problem with woman who choose not to breastfeed, although sometimes it is because they are misinformed or unsupported and that makes me sad. However when someone has made a fully informed decision then I don't have a problem.

Anyway, I digress, I feel strongly about people who want to breastfeed but end up being unable to due to lack of support or just plain rubbish advise.

I had a baby who refused to latch on for 36 hours (I had diamorphine in labour) but I was determined to breastfeed. TBH the support I got was hit and miss, one midwife was an angel who helped me hand express then syringe feed him. Another, continually offered to take him away and bottlefeed him and let me sleep. Thankfully I was strong enough to refuse this, but how many woman would just say 'yes' at 3am when they are desperate to sleep and worried that their baby was not eating?

So initial support is very important, but so is continued support.

We just went through the 6 week growth spurt, psychologically this is hard. I went through self doubt, was there *really* enough milk there for him. This wasn't helped by my family who questioned how often he was feeding, adding to my doubt. I have a fantastic pro-breastfeeding HV who was very supportive, along with my breastfeeding support group who are always there to reassure during these times. Thanks to this and the masses of research I have done on breastfeeding, we are still continuing (until he self-weans, which will hopefully be after 12 months).

So I guess to finish up, if I ever become a midwife, I would hope that I could be one who recognises someone who wants to breastfeed and help ensure this is successfully established.

The teenage pregnancy point is a good one. I was 19 when I became pregnant and 20 when Aidan was born. Luckily (?) I was never made to feel stupid or immature (apart from my original doctors appointment, where I was informed about abortion immediately after advising her I was pregnant). However several friends reported being 'looked down on' by health care staff, at ante-natal appts and whilst giving birth. This made me nervous about my own experiences at first.

But, do we not adapt the way we talk to people and explain things in response to how we percieve them?

Ooeer I haven't half rambled on a lot this afternoon.

Nat

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Applying for September 2009 intake at West of Scotland Uni