To be angry at this GP

[yevans]

Went to my usual surgery and saw a lovely GP. She was really great until she found out that I was pregnant (first trimester) and also breastfeeding my 1 year old at the same time. I then got a lecture about how it could be dangerous to breastfeed whilst pregnant and that I should think about stopping. I am really mad about this. I told her that it was only an issue if you have problems with pre term labour previously. She disagreed and seemed to refuse to believe me. I'm glad I knew that it was fine for me to carry on but others may not and if told that would be guilt tripped into stopping before they or baby are ready.

AIBU to be really angry that breastfeeding is pushed so heavily when your baby is little then as soon as they are over 1 it's frowned upon and not supported? Why is this??

[OverTheRainbow88]

How much nutrition do you think a tiny foetus in the first trimester takes?

I always thought the first trimester was the most important for growth.

[whatkatydid2013]

Someone just quoted above that the NHS website has different information. Did you talk to many medical professionals while you were breastfeeding your children? If you did and they were all able to give any kind of sensible advice you were fairly lucky. I had a couple of fantastic midwives who shared lots of useful information. Everyone else I encountered knew less than I did & my health visitor was particularly badly informed. She was lovely though & explained at one visit she had limited knowledge as she had a full couple of hours related to feeding as part of her training and had bottle fed her own children. It was her who referred me to one of the helpful midwives. Why would you think a GP knows more than someone who is an expert on the specific topic?

[yevans]

@Frannibananni so a GP going against NHS advice (it literally states there is no issue with breastfeeding during pregnancy on the NHS website) isn't a cause for concern.

This isn't some shady information I've tried to find on the deep web to support me, it's on legitimate medical websites and very easy to find. Even if she had just said 'oh I'm happy to be corrected' I would have been absolutely fine with that. It's the fact she didn't want to be wrong that is most frustrating.

[yevans]

@OverTheRainbow88 it is, but that doesn't mean breastfeeding during it makes it any more dangerous.

[Quarterback11]

UANBU and it might make you feel better to send her the link to the NHS info.

I got bad bf advice from a GP too and was always sorry I didn't challenge him

[HumphreyCobblers]

I breastfed my toddler all though my second pregnancy. It was great when I had the baby, so easy to breastfeed the new born without sore nipples or any supply problem. The nutritional needs of the newborn take precedence when my milk supply was concerned and I had no horrible hormonal baby blues that time either.

Reading mumsnet gave me the false impression that this wasn’t a strange thing to do, the midwives in the hospital were most taken aback and kept asking me questions about how it worked.

[Kashtan]

YANBU, but as others have pointed out GPs get little to zero training on breastfeeding.

[yevans]

@HumphreyCobblers that's lovely! Unsure if I'll tandem feed or not, just going to take it as it comes I think! Yep, all the people who find out seem so shocked that I'm still feeding while pregnant. I didn't realise it was so uncommon tbh!

[RubbishRobotFromTheDawnOfTime]

@Disfordarkchocolate

Having done this it became virtually impossible to eat enough to not feel faint.

Are you going to feed both at the same time?

I did it and I was fine. And for a few weeks after DC2 was born I occasionally fed both at the same time. She had plenty of nourishment.

[mineofuselessinformation]

Even with my poor education on the subject, I can't see the issue if you feel well and your baby is progressing appropriately.

(Some GPS are sadly woefully ill-informed in some subjects, and some may well resort to google, as in the case of my DC1 who was highly likely to have an illness - flagged up by blood tests - that could have killed them in four months.
The GP's opinion? 'It won't do them any harm to wait a few weeks to see a consultant'.
After getting someone to finally listen to me, dc was at hospital the next day, and in a specialist unit the day after, and was diagnosed.)

Sorry for the long ramble - it still makes me angry!
Take it with a massive pinch of salt, OP - you know your own body.

[dadshere]

Your GP is wrong, it is perfectly fine to breastfeed whilst pregnant, as long as you are careful to ensure that you are eating enough/healthily. Ignore her and keep it up, well done for doing this you are doing what is best for your child

[lyralalala]

@Frannibananni

I can find information to support any fact I want on the internet. The GP is giving you the information she believes is right, you can’t get angry at that.

The GP shouldn't be giving out blatantly incorrect information.

The information is clear as day on the NHS website that it's only in rare cases that you should be told to stop. That's hardly the OP scrabbling round the internet in the search of a link to back up her wishes.

[RubbishRobotFromTheDawnOfTime]

I was told by a GP that I'd done enough and it was time to stop bfing when DC1 was one. I didn't have any problems with it. Sometimes the people who should be most informed also make mistakes. Another GP told me fasting from dinner till dinner the next day was dangerous (no eating disorders).

[mumsiedarlingrevolta]

I was pregnant and breastfeeding my 11-12 month old.

I was shattered. Absolutely shattered. I think everyone is different but I was struggling to cope but felt too guilty to stop because it felt disloyal to DS1

My very no nonsense GP said to me very politically incorrect but it was a very long time ago and he was exactly right
"Good God woman give yourself a break"

And I did. And it was almost like I needed permission but it was right.

Good luck

[QualityFeet]

GP is wrong and I would send her the NHS info (which is correct) and let her know there is a great online group just for hcps who want to know more about bf. She could do with joining.

[Onceuponatimethen]

Sad gp is giving out misinformation like this.

I honestly think they should be told not to give advice on bf unless there is a real medical issue eg breast abscess

Friend who is a gp told me they get next to no training on it. She said all other gps at her practice get her for any bf queries as she extended bf all three of her dds

[Malachite234]

@ItWorriesMeThisKindofThing

Not much point being angry really, GPs know no more about bf than the average poster on MN (as evidenced by above comments). You are right.

Yup.

[RubbishRobotFromTheDawnOfTime]

When I was pregnant with DC2 I told my midwife that I was still bfing my 2 year old and that was ok, wasn't it? She said she'd never come across it before so she didn't know and would have to look it up. Well, I could do that myself!

[Onceuponatimethen]

@RubbishRobotFromTheDawnOfTime that is funny, but at least she was honest! As opposed to immediately saying with no evidence ooh no don’t do that

I could write a long list of misinformation on bf I’ve had from hcps.

[mumwon]

with the best will in the world GP's can't know, be trained in, keep up to date, with everything/

I had a discussion about diagnosing autism in adults with a GP =who at that time (2010 just after the 2009 Autism Act) told me that the only experience of autism most doctors had was IF they came across it in their 6 week rotation in Paediatrics (ie GP's were suppose to be the first line in assessment/diagnosis of Undiagnosed adults - part of my degree dissertation)

[lyralalala]

@RubbishRobotFromTheDawnOfTime

When I was pregnant with DC2 I told my midwife that I was still bfing my 2 year old and that was ok, wasn't it? She said she'd never come across it before so she didn't know and would have to look it up. Well, I could do that myself!

My GP went and asked one of the baby clinic staff a question when I asked him.

I found it much better than he double checked rather than just guessed. He said they did a tiny bit of training on it, whereas the baby clinic staff had both more training and a lot more experience.

[Dougt]

I’m pretty surprised that GPs don’t actually get better training on this since it’s hardly a niche area. But if a medical professional actually tells someone actually tells you the opposite of what the evidence suggests, its actually quite worrying, and you wonder where they got that from. I guess other HCPs who trained them who were also not well informed on this? But it’s hardly difficult for them to look up the latest advice.

[PrivateD00r]

OP you are absolutely right. If the GP didn't know, they should have went and found out rather than giving out wrong information.

[yevans]

@mumsiedarlingrevolta that was completely fine and you DEFINITELY weren't being disloyal to your son!! It's 100% correct for anyone to stop whenever they feel like it, I just don't want anyone to be forced into stopping through misinformation when they would have happily carried on.

[peachesgreen]

Breastfeeding does take a lot of your nutrients (I know as I'm now deficient in folic acid amongst others) but as long as you're taking supplements and haven't been flagged up for any issues I don't see the issue with continuing to breastfeed.