to be annoyed at breastfeeding clinic

[passedwitsend]

Went to breastfeeding clinic today because I am really, really struggling with my little girl who's 20 weeks old. Anyway, I get there and the so-called breastfeeding counselor introduces herself...she's a health care assistant who usually works on the maternity ward. Now I experienced these women on the ward after having my little girl and the sum total of their help was to grab my boob and shove it in lo's mouth. I expect a bit more from an official breastfeeding clinic, and think that the counselors should really have been through training to act as bfc's. She kept going on about how unusual it was for her to see an older baby being fed. Arrrrrghh!! She's only 4.5 months!!

Oh dear.

I went to my local breastfeeding group after phoning the medical centre to check it was on.

When I got there it had been moved to the pub, because of course that's exactly the kind of place where you want to whip your boobs out and be instructed.

Oh dear

We had a few threads a while back about a Breastfeeding Support Group that was entirely unsupportive... maybe yours is related?

Is this an NHS clinic? If so, could you try getting in touch with La Leche League or Association of Breastfeeding Mothers and seeing whether there's a better group near you?

If you post your troubles with your DD on here, someone might be able to help.

@ the older baby comment.

YANBU

older baby? bloody hell!!!

what problems are you having? have you asked for advice on here? there are lots of people here with a lot of experience

I suggest you go to a La Leche League meeting where you would get more sympathy. I doult they would consider your baby to be an older baby. They consider breastfeeding until toddlerhood quite normal.

La Leche League leaders have all done substantial training as well as actually breastfed a child. Its also nice to meet other women breastfeeding children over two weeks.

NCT breast feeding support saved my sanity when I just got over cracked and bleeding nipples and then developed thrush. I'm not a member, just went on the web and got some numbers got really good advice and the local lady offered to visit me.

YANBU - that's really not good. I used to go to bumps and babes group run by the NCT - drop in thing, not members only. It was run by a breastfeeding counsellor and she was fab. Hugely supportive and it was lovely to go to a group where breastfeeding was the norm. I was there with my third child and so was able to offer some mutual support to the first time mums and the NCT lady was there to get in to the technical stuff. She was a big adovocate of blw as well

Are there any baby cafe things near you, as opposed to nhs clinics? I visited one in floods of tears but came away much calmer, equiped with good advice from other mum's who'd been there and nct bf counsellor ladies. Oh and there was tea and cake too

Perhaps she just meant unusual as usually by this age BF problems have eased up?

Please give the hospital some feedback on this (maybe via AIMS, NCT or La Leche). I would be a bit wary of this person's breastfeeding qualifications (who "trained" her?) and as for the "older baby" comment a) it's bolleaux the DoH recommends exclusive BF till 6months!! and b) it obviously wasn't satisfactory for you and problems do crop up along the way even in very long and generally successful breastfeeding "careers". I suspect she was clueless about older babies but not prepared to admit it.

Please try NCT, LLL or ABM for some proper help (never managed to get through to final one (smaller organisation with fewer volunteers??) but other two fantastically supportive and knowledgeable)

Silly woman - can;t believe she said that really!

We have a lovely group, you could come for lunch after! Except we are in Darlington and that might be far away from you.

Last week we had 30 babies from 2 weeks old to 3 years all feeding. Mine is 14 months and I've had a few 'she looks too old' comments. I think ' HAHHHAHAHA!!!' If you had what was in my boobs in a bottle you'd be sending them to school with it in their packed lunch bag!!!!!!

Have you had any help yet?

Hmmm. Am just thinking. I had a harder time at around 20 weeks. Do you feel able to share your troubles?

Agree- give feedback. I had an absolutely lovely breastfeeding counsellor from the hospital, saved my sanity, that's how they should all be.

By mumblecrumble on Tue 14-Oct-08 20:38:06
"If you had what was in my boobs in a bottle you'd be sending them to school with it in their packed lunch bag!!!!!!"

That's very true. What a great way to look at it .

Thanks

It was something I wish I'd said tp a silly commenting woman today but only thought of a few minutes ago.....curses....

I sometimes feel mums who bottle fed hate me........ and think I'm breastfeeding just to piss them off......they think I'm a hippy and middle class......

I feel breast feeding may just get us through this credit crunch........ I wonder if I could sell it [only kidding ;) ]

Seriously, I would complain about her attitude. She is supposed to be supporting and counselling you - not being a judgmental moo.

Agree that LLL or NCT may be place to go for great support. However, I did get great support on the NHS too so unfortunately sometimes its the luck of the draw.