BBC article: Breastfeeding is "ultimate pain killer" for newborns!!

[Greensleeves]

I saw this article this morning and thought "What MN really needs is another breastfeeding bunfight"

here

[Greensleeves]

flump

[beef]

there has been a glut of 'baby' themed stories just recently - one said mothers who have caesarians don't bond as well with their babies and another equally bolloxed theory one which escapes me.

but I'm having a little bet with myself about the response to this particular article

[Greensleeves]

It was the syrupy dummies that made my eyes pop out

ds1 was given a dummy in SCBU without me being consulted and he was having a lot of traumatic procedures - I am now wondering whether the rotten sods put glucose syrup on it!

[beansprout]

I'm all for a bunfight but this one is not really news. I've fed ds after his various jabs and it's still the only thing that really soothes him when he hurts himself. Comfort is obviously a factor but obviously my milk has magical properties too

[Callisto]

And, hooray, a proper photo of a baby feeding!!! I wonder if the Beeb get any complaints about it?

[Callisto]

Agree with beansprout - total no-brainer of an article.

[SoupDragon]

I think it's the comfort factor - you only have to see the bliss on their faces, when their eyes roll back, to realise how much they get from a breastfeed.

[NotQuiteCockney]

"breastfeeding may offer comfort".

Gee, you think?

[NotQuiteCockney]

"Pope may be catholic"

"Bears may shit in woods"

[Greensleeves]

I agree with beansprout too, but I think it's rather shocking that the BBC think that "Comfort from a mother's presence may be key" is news. And the suggestion that a dummy soaked in concentrated glucose is a good idea for a baby

[SoupDragon]

I think the glucose soaked dummy was only in extreme circumstances. I was aghast at it though.

[Bugsy2]

Years ago, dummies were nearly always dipped in honey to get babies to take them. Not even pure glucose but honey that nowadays you are not supposed to give your children till they are one.
Can't really see what the big deal is, its not like the babies have got teeth or that you are always going to dip the dummy in the stuff.

[TooTicky]

I just loved the photo.

[hotmama]

I like NQC responses!

Hardly news is it [smug icon]

[FrannyandZooey]

Pain killing effect works for the mother, too. I had hideous mouth ulcers recently and the only thing that helped even slightly was to breastfeed for a few minutes. It was unbelievably effective.

[colditz]

Glucose is supposedly a painkiller for tiny babies, so I think that dipping a dummy in glucose for painful procedures is a good isea.

[LaDiDaDi]

Greensleeves, glucose is a painkiller for tiny babies and if a dummy dipped in glucose helped my baby during painful procedures during her time in scbu then I certainly don't mind. Anything that would have made her feel better would have been fine. Being in pain isn't good for anyone from a physiologivcal point of view, bp and heart rate go up, stress responseetc, surely a bit of glucose on a dumy is better than that?

[lazycow]

Sugar and caffeine both release endorphins - That is why they are so nice to eat. I think some recent reseach in the U.S showed that sugar solutions helps with pain. For my part I both breast fed my ds when he had injections and asked for him to be given the sugar solution as well (which was on offer in the U.S where ds had a lot of his injections).

As far as I am concerened the negligible ill-effects of a couple doses of sugar for him were outweighed by the possiblity it might help with the pain. I was happy for ds to have anything that might help with that - especially something as innocuous as a solution of sugar water on his tongue.

[lazycow]

Oh FC if only that were true for me. I keep trying though to see if it will happen !!

[harpsichordcarrier]

greensleeves. if they put glucose on his dummy it was a good thing, honestly, because they were triyng to reduce his pain. it is very much accepted practice in SCBU ime and very much better than the alternatives i.e. baby suffering pain without relief imo. And I don't think there could be any serious downsides to balance that out.

[spidermama]

Another reason to continue feeding into toddlerhood and beyond. I've noticed the soothing and painkilling properties on 3/4 year olds.

[Bring it on emoticon]

[purplemonkeydishwasher]

I love this: "This study shows that babies would do just as well by being breastfed." wow. isn't it amazing that suddenly nature made a replacement for the dummy in glucose.
Any BF mother whose baby has hurt his'herself knows that nothing calms the LO down quicker than sticking a boob in their mouth! (works for daddies too!!)

[Snafu]

I always try and encourage the mother to breastfeed when I've got to do the PKU heel-prick sample - it'a no-brainer really. The babies are always more contented and cry less. In fact, many fall asleep at the breast, even whilst I'm still cack-handedly trying to get blood out of 'em

[SoupDragon]

I know it's a joke (honest!) but I really hate the "works for daddies too!!" comment. It's not what bf-ing is about at all.

[tiktok]

Franny - you say "Pain killing effect works for the mother, too. I had hideous mouth ulcers recently and the only thing that helped even slightly was to breastfeed for a few minutes. It was unbelievably effective."

I am really curious - how did you persuade a lactating friend to do that for you? I do hope you thanked her - it's rather above the call of duty, don't you think? And you with your mouth ulcers, too....did she not worry about contagion???