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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

GP told me to stop breastfeeding :(

51 replies

cantmummyhaveabreak · 10/12/2009 16:59

Went to the GP today, wanted to go onto the pill but am still BF my 9/5mo DD2... have no desire to give up before 12mths and even then i may continue a little longer.

Anyway when i said what i'd gone for and that i was BF so would need one i could still take while doing so, his reply was 'at 9mo she should be waened by now'... I said she was weaned onto solids but still took a few BF from me. He then said that as i had to wait till my next AF to take the first cycle i should stoip BF before then!! I said i wasn't willing to do that and he begrudgingly gave me a prescription for the one i could take...

AIBU to think it was really none of his bussiness as long as my DD2 is healthy- (which she is!!)....

OP posts:
diddl · 10/12/2009 17:56

Actually it may have been me that mentioned it!

Spectroscopy · 10/12/2009 18:11

What weird and strange advice!

My MIL was told by her GP to give up BFing when she developed mastitis after a couple of weeks and then with #2 told to to even bother trying . That was 40 years ago though! She followed his advice though, I am sure because she wanted to!

I am pretty sure I would have started an argument with him! My DS was still having loads of BM at 9 months.

VirginPeachyMotherOfSpod · 10/12/2009 18:11

awasting- yep have plantar fasciitis (sp) and was really bad, he said i couldn't have the meds and wouldn't rtefer to physio until I gave it up

Checked the meds, could have had them.

Will go back when I stop bf and hope I don't get too many flare ups until then.

VirginPeachyMotherOfSpod · 10/12/2009 18:12

'peachy Did you wash said foot before showing gp?........'

Oh tooclose to truth

One of the boys (grrrr) had put glass in my shoe and I trod on it just as I took my foot out, GP said '

Are you aware you appear to have a rather large lesion in your foot?' as blood poured out

awastingamanger · 10/12/2009 18:15

Wouldn't refer to physio though? That's well fascist.

LadyVolupta · 10/12/2009 18:17

get the coil...without the chemicals..

VirginPeachyMotherOfSpod · 10/12/2009 18:17

Presumably my reluctance tofollow medical advice? Who knows?

Wasn't first time; had been ordered to give up at a year for 'your own freedom'- um,my freedom to feed how I wish, perhaps?

ineedalifelaundry · 10/12/2009 18:42

That stuff about 'necessary' added vitamins in formula that aren't in bm is a total crock - nothing more than formula companies trying to make their product look better than bm. Am at hv giving such bad information.

How did bf babies manage to survive before formula if they were missing all those vital vitamins?

and OP, yanbu. You really ought to complain.

awastingamanger · 10/12/2009 19:00

Vitamin supplements are advised for all babies over six months.
But formula already has those artificial supplements added, so no extra required.

Morloth · 10/12/2009 19:04

Advised by who awastingamanger? And why?

totalmadness · 10/12/2009 19:06

considering the WHO advice to breastfeed for 2 years I would say your dr is sadly misinformed. I breastfed 2 dc's for a year and am still feeding dc3 at 6months old with no intention of stopping.

Definetly complain and kick up a big fuss if I were you.

totalmadness · 10/12/2009 19:08

oh and get the implant no effect on bf and u dont have to remember to take it everyday!

awastingamanger · 10/12/2009 19:08

Err... can't remember exactly off the top of my head! It's Dep of Health as far as I know. As a precaution, due to lack of sun exposure in the modern world, Vit D supplements in particular are recommended. I don't bother to be frank, but it is the official advice.

I'll look it up later, got to breastfeed a toddler to sleep now.

tiktok · 10/12/2009 19:23

The supp vits has nothing to do with breastfeeding and breastmilk. It's to do with modern lifestyles which may mean babies are not outside much and when they are they may be wrapped up. Result: they may miss out on Vit D. Not a problem for babies under 6 mths - they get all they need from breastmilk, even if they don't go outside much. Older babies - they may need more Vit D if they do not go out, and if they are not yet well-established on solids.

Formula has extra Vit D added to it routinely. 'Indoor' babies or babies whose ethnic group means they need more sunlight than our Northern clime allows - no worries, as the supps are in the formula.

Breastmilk has Vit D, of course, but some babies may need more as they get older (goes the thinking). Taking your baby out every day, without wrapping him up so no skin shows, should make sure he gets sufficient Vit D (made from sunlight). But if your lifestyle, ethnicity, and where you live, makes it harder to be sure, then there is nothing wrong (IMO) in giving Vit D supps.

As I say, nothing to do with bf, per se.

There is no evidence that any other supps are needed but as infant vit supps are usually in a package (A, C and D) they get the A and C alongside. It won't harm them.

Morloth · 10/12/2009 19:34

Ah OK, had DS1 in Oz where lack of sunshine is not a problem and hence why I have not heard of this before.

Well there you go, you learn sumfin' new everyday!

sprouting · 10/12/2009 20:03

Some northern countries recommend vit D supplements to the whole population, others to all under 5s and over 65s. If you live north of Birmingham then there isn't the right frequency of UV light during the winter for anyone to make enough vit D so adults use what they have stored up in the summer. Ds's pead thinks (cynically) that its not the public health issue here that it is in other countries because London is southerly enough to be ok.

Pogleswood · 10/12/2009 20:32

I spent quite a bit of time ignoring comments on weaning from various medical personnel.However when DD had to see a paediatrician(she was,and actually still is very small),when she'd have been about 2,he was not in the least bothered by the fact that she was still bfing.(He did check she wasn't exclusively bfing though!)
So ignore the GP - it is none of his business!

Original poster
cantmummyhaveabreak · 11/12/2009 09:15

Thanks everyone. We're going to put in a complaint about it, when DH got home he was really on my behalf and isn't standing for it!! Just wish i had the guts to have said something properly there and then ...

OP posts:
melpomene · 11/12/2009 11:25

Terrible 'advice' from the GP. Good luck with your complaint.

Tryharder · 11/12/2009 11:34

He's obviously elderly and from the generation that didn't "do" bf. Not sure I'd complain though as he's retiring soon and your complaint might spoil his last months IYSWIM but then I'm too soft hearted.

My doctor loves it that i am still bf my 18mo and praises me everytime he sees me

NotAnotherNewNappy · 11/12/2009 13:17

YANBU. When I was PG my HV and Dr both told me that I should bf DD until at least a year. When DD was 12mo and I was still bf, both HV and Dr looked at me like I was doing something odd

nothingofthesort · 11/12/2009 13:19

He is an idiot. You should complain.

Helewise · 11/12/2009 13:34

Eek, how awful. The guidelines are (at least) two years, are they not?

ThumbleBells · 11/12/2009 13:35

YANBU, he is an old-fashioned hide-bound git who should have minded his own business.

JustAnotherManicMummy · 11/12/2009 13:49

Personally I get off on the look when people ask how I'm feeding DS.

He is 8.5mo and I've had the odd ... usually about him now having teeth and I get a perverse pleasure about upsetting these people. The same way I would if I upset a racist/sexist/other bigot.

I'm afraid I may have got ranty had my GP tried that on with me. And I just ignored the HV who gave me a lecture on giving cow's milk... stupid woman.

Good on your DH for being supportive. United front is so important

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