professionals giving wrong information.

[wronginfo]

Hi, I've changed my name for this just in case this site is used by any one Iwork with.

I work in a maternity unit in london in both the pubilc and private wards. I have been noticing more and more the lack of breast feeding support and simply the lack of knowledge that the midwives and other maternity workers have.

worryingly aswell this hosptial is aiming for a baby friendly award. (the unicef approval?)

I must admit I'm a novice when it comes to breastfeeding I didn't succeed past a week with dd. I have learned a lot from MN though and this is why it is worrying me.

a few examples, mum expresess corcern that baby isnt getting enough milk (babay only 2 days old btww) nursery nurse offers fomula top up straight away even signing to baby ''baby wants a little top up''
then today a mum about to be discharged asks about getting her 3 day old breast fed baby into a feeding routine, she was told by a nursery nurse - when she is a little older she wont be wanting milk all the time so you can give her some water, they just get used to the milk they are not always hungry'' now she didnt specify an actual age, plus I thought breastfed babies didn't need water aswell?

just wanted to throw this out there to see what you think and wonder if you have heard the same from professionals.

[wronginfo]

I just wanted to add that I'm not involved in giving breastfeeding infomation to the mums.

[JodieG1]

I think they need to go on some training courses before giving out bad information like that. Breastfed babies don't need water until at least 6 months and even when you start weaning if you carry on bf that should be adequate; although you could give water from then if you wanted. Bf babies don't need top ups either, the mum in question needed someone to help her and reassure her that baby is fine.

[Amberjee]

hi wronginfo, i think its really sad that health professionals aren't better trained in breastfeeding. a lot of them seem to have quite outdated information. i don't really know what the answer is though without some kind of initiative to fund the training (and re-training) of doctors, midwives, nurses etc. sigh.

[onechild]

I had to ask to be shown a different position as dd was not latching lying down a hca told me she doesnt want a fed then, i knew my baby did as she had been rooting. They had a breastfeeding room which i used a cpl of times as i was on an 8bed bay so very busy distracting for my newborn.
I only mamaged to feed for 6weeks as i dont like milk i had no support weaning her off the breast or encouragement to continue

[Amberjee]

onechild, sorry you didn't have the support you needed to keep going.

interestingly you don't need to drink milk to make milk. in fact, you don't need to eat/drink anything in particular, your body does it automatically.

[onechild]

sorry i wasnt clear i dont like milk it makes me sick and all i could smell was milk making me physically sick which wasnt nice!

[wronginfo]

also perhaps slightly off topic, but I've noticed that on the private wards breast is best message isnt promoted very well, if mum wants a bottle for baby its made up and formula given to them. on the other hand on the nhs ward mums are mad to feel terrible for not breastfeeding (even though they arent beeing given the right support to do so!) and are told to go out and buy there own formula.
I just thought as it was a government campaign it shouldnt make a difference whether mum is private or not.

[Amberjee]

oh sorry, misunderstood onechild. what a pity it made you feel sick.

[Amberjee]

yeah, i feel it's really not enough to just be spouting 'breast is best' etc, if you aren't actively helping mums to initiate and continue breastfeeding. i really think the breastfeeding organisations NCT, LLL, ABM and BN work wonders and I would urge any mum to contact them if they can't get the help and support they need from the hospital. it shouldn't be that way, but until the training changes, sadly, it seems to be the way it is.

that said, when i was having trouble breastfeeding in the beginning, i saw a wonderful lactation consultant who was employed by the hospital a few days a week. one part time person is not enough to help all the women who need help breastfeeding though.

[tiktok]

wronginfo - if your hospital is going for a baby friendly award, there will be an infant feeding co-ordinator or someone whose role it is to monitor their progress towards this. It may be hard for you, but please, please, share your concerns with her. It may be you have identified a real training need among the nursery nurses, for example.

[wronginfo]

thanks for that tiktok I think I will monitor this more, then try to find out who the breast feeding co-ordinator is, I will then have to anonomously(sp) contact her, (I have applied to train as a midwife within this trust so I don't want anything to interfere with my chances.)

I just remembered one thing, a new mum I was talking to, very nice, I asked if she was breasfeeding she said ''yes, but I will have to give her some formula as my milk hasnt come in yet so she isnt getting anything,'

I explained that she has colostrum, which is all baby needs till the milk come in, but the midwife should have explained this!

[tiktok]

wronginfo - don't complain anonymously. No one will take you seriously. Just do it in confidence.