Your wellcome love, I always find analogies for everything, it helps me to get things into perspective! lol

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Kentish Spitfire
Moderator, Student Services
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"It's better to be thought a fool - rather than proved a fool!"

I have always likened bottle feeding to using a wheelchair. Wheelchairs are great if you really can't walk. But they do cause pressure sores and muscle wastage and so you wouldn't use one out of choice, if you really didn't need too.

I would not push anyone into doing what they didnt want to do, I would tell them its their choice and up to them how to feed their baby some babies do not take to the breast at all. I have breast fed 3 of my children 1st - 6months 2nd -11 1/2 months and 3rd 7 weeks i would have continued to feed my daughter, my midwife supported me and helped me my daughter still kept having a bottle inbetween breastfeeding as i didnt think she was getting enough in the end i gave up coz she would just not settle.

Hi Ks,
The way u described brestfeeding is exactly true. That is how my breast nurse who helped me described it and when put like that, it helps the mother have all the patience in the world. How wonderful, I shall remember this if i get offered a place.
carla

I was really moved by this thread and wanted to add my bit even though I may be a bit behind everyone else!

I agree with Dory and think that she echo's many of the midwives sentiments that I have met on the p/n ward. The problem is of course staff shortages when it comes to giving women adequate support. Also I have noticed that many women are not prepared for how difficult it can be to get breastfeeding established. It might be a different story if they knew beforehand that it does not neccessarily come naturally to the baby or themselves.

I have three children, only one of which I breastfed successfully (the middle one). Now my kids are all, grown up, healthy, well rounded people and I defy anyone to tell me which one of them was the breastfed one. I do of course understand the magnificent benefits of breastfeeding but think that its terrible that women begin their life as mothers with these dreadful feelings of inadequacy if they struggle with feeding. The most important thing is that they enjoy that precious time, it goes by far too quickly!

i feel the same when i had my second child i desperately wanted to breastfeed after he was born they put him on my boob and never did anyone come to ask me how he was feeding. After a week of intense agony when i had to literally stop breathing when i was putting him on for pain(obviously i was doing it wrong from the start) i decided to give up as the pain was unbearable. i think that they should get people on the wards to spend an hour or so with each mum to make sure they are doing everything propely more mums would breastfeed and countinue to do so. nothing against the midwives as they do a fantastic job and they havent got time to deal with this problem.

So what you are actually saying is that you gave up, due to appalling advice and inconsistent, and out dated practice. I hope you complained to the Head of Maternity Services.

I think they should have 2 breast feeding counsellors on a maternity ward to help with the breast feeding as you said kathryn midwives dont have time especially when they havent got enough midwives i think with 2 counsellors this should help with getting more mothers to breast feed and for longer x

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Proud Mummy Of: Morgan 3 & Angharad 9 Months
& 2 Beautiful Angels Benjamin 2 years & Baby Angel 5 weeks Gestation x

Hi all
Just thought I would add my experiences to this thread.....I have 2 boys, 1 aged 3yrs and the other just turned 12mths. My eldest was born Prem at 32wks and he was initially fed via NGT so I was expressing like crazy, once he was strong enough to b/f I kept putting him to the breast but was really struggling with getting the latch right. I kept asking for help (at the time we were in a transitional care ward) and I have to say that there was a whole lot of breast-grabbing-shoving it in his mouth action going on...not nice and I felt very demoralised and feeling guilty enough about having given birth to this premature baby, not being able to feed properly REALLY upset me....I was still struggling with b/f when we were discharged 3wks later, it hurt EVERY time I fed, I would be in agony the whole time. In addition as much as I wanted to b/f I was hit by frustrations every step of the way, in particular my HV put a lot of pressure on to consider topping up with formula as my son had poor weight gain. I resisted pressure and continued b/f and he eventually self weaned at 12 months.
2nd time around I managed to go full term, had a horrendous assisted delivery and when asked about my choice of feeding on the p/n ward was met with "oh great, you're an experienced breastfeeder - would you like to register on our breast buddy scheme to help other Mum's?" !!!!!!! I'd just had a horrendous birth, hormones all over the place, had barely slept in 3 days, was extremely sore and just not in the right frame of mind at all!!

So it'd gone from my 1st delivery where it was very hands on to almost no support 2nd time around...and do you know what? I really needed that support 2nd time around, call me naive but I had no idea what to expect from a full term baby, how often to feed etc etc as my eldest's feeding routine had been 3 hourly by the clock via his NGT not on demand as expected with my full termer!!!

I battled through, again, with several weeks of pain, disappointment and frustration and he's just self weaned..again at 12mths old.

I know there are brilliant midwives out there who have a sympathetic approach to breastfeeding but unfortunately I didn't receive the benefit of it in my personal experience which is another one of the reasons for my strong desire to become a midwife...yes I'm a HUGE fan of breastfeeding BUT I also respect that it isn't for everyone and as I always think HAPPY MUM = HAPPY BABY!

Sorry, I've waffled on a bit there guys!!!

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Karen
Starting access course Sept 08 (hopefully!!)

That is a heart rending story upsy daisy. I will definitely take some lessons from your experience. Personally I do ask women who have b/f before how it was for them and don't assume that they are experts. As we all know, each baby is different and an equal amount of effort and learning the skills to feed needs to come from them.
Well done for your persevering! You are one determined woman! xxxxx