Is there some conspiracy with formula companies? Or is is just LOW low down on the NHS's list of priorities? Or is it not considered important at all?
My friend had her first baby recently. She was of the mind that she would 'try' breastfeeding but would not torture herself if it didn't work out. Which is fine.
However, her baby, now 4 weeks old, is bottle fed.. which was always going to happen (except on the outside chance that he had taken to the breast immediately and without hesitation and she had felt 100% confident.. unlikely in an inexperienced first time mum).. because she got zero support on the ward!
He was born.. she expressed a wish to breast feed him, he was put the breast but not overly interested (not uncommon and not an indicator that breastfeeding is 'not going to work out') and she later was woken to the midwife telling her she was 'taking him to give him a bottle because he's hungry...' I know for a fact this is far from uncommon and in many cases, probably a majority, when this happens, it's the beginning of the end of the breastfed child who might have been!
I am not saying that all mothers should breast feed (IMO don't see why vast majority can't give it a go and at least give colostrum but that's just me) nor should they be made to persist when distressed and certain when they would like to bottle feed.. but there really ought to be someone on the ward, employed for the purpose of breastfeeding support, separate from the busy midwives, who can be there to educate, advise, assist and support.. otherwise it's just down to how busy the midwives are and worse still, how they personally feel about the importance of breastfeeding. Which is outrageous really.
How many more breastfed babies would there be if some initial support on the ward was just something that happened?
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Why aren't breastfeeding counsellors employed on postnatal wards?
43 replies
ShinyHappyStarOfBethlehem · 04/12/2006 12:23
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