Ahhh...a topic very close to my heart!

I breastfed my daughter 3 years ago, I did not have a long stay on P/N ward as I had a six hour discharge. But once at home my community midwife visited me and spent long hours helping me with positioning as my nipples were cracked and bleeding and I was in agony every time she latched on. She never touched me once, she helped with moving baby to the right position and helped me get settled in the best position too.

When I am working on P/N ward, the commonest way is to take the breast and shove the nipple to the roof of the mouth.(most of the midwives do this) The nursery nurse (whilst being very competent at getting the most difficult babies to latch on) uses this method. Many times I have answered the buzzer and tried every which way to help, without touching!

I am quite passionately averse to manhandling women's breast in an attempt to help with breastfeeding and hope to learn much more about support without touching.

On community, I accompanied my mentor to parentcraft classes and was asked to talk about my experiences of breastfeeding, I had to think back to my first born and the terrible time I had trying to get him to latch on, and how I got manhandled so much with so many different midwives. I discussed this point and many of the women were shocked, but at least prepared. I did talk about the benefits and the positive aspects also and focussed on my experience with my daughter and how it worked out so well in the end.

I guess my point is having seen both sides it is not easy, as a student we have more time to provide postnatal care on the ward, but not so much knowledge and experience. But i try my best to help, and I have managed to succeed without touching! Often so far I have found simply giving the women time and helping them to relax works wonders.

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