I want to do something positive... Who's with me?

[poppydog10]

Following on from Funny's recent thread and others, it is obvious that so many of us are passionate about breastfeeding and frustrated that it is not seen as 'the norm' in this country.

I really, really want to help change things, but just don't know where to start. Collectively, we might be able to make a difference. Any ideas?

(cough) So I work for a national newspaper - I should say media organisation, really - and feel the same way about breastfeeding: I'm still feeding my 16-month-old. I have commissioned the wonderful Kate Evans to write a couple of articles in the past, but am about to take up a role where I can't do that any more. What do you think I should be doing to further the cause?

very glad that my thread has had such a positive outcome. Good Luck to you all for your campaign and not and ounce of smuggery to be seen .

Seriously, I did not intend my previous thread to be such a free for all and am glad that you have started this campaign.

OK that should have been an and

Beautiful Elpis! You have a brilliant oppo to change things.

Here's an article someone should write. For some reason, David Cameron loves health visitors and wants to recruit 4000 more. Is this a wise step given that many health visitors appear to destroy womens' chances of BF successfully?

Why not spend the money on BF peer supporters and BF counsellors instead, and reduce health visitors' BF-related workload so they can focus on other stuff? I thought that's what the Big Society was all about, getting volunteers involved. Yet in my local area, the HVs seem actively opposed to allowing volunteers a role and I'm sure it's similar story elsewhere.

Also, I can't see how Funny can have any possible objection to this most innocuous of suggestions and so hopefully now we will all be friends and live happily ever after

that "mummys milk" stickers exist! Some suckers people will buy anything. And some heartless bastards one will always see an opportunity to cash in on insecurity, even if it means setting women against each other.

maybe you could help us funny if you didn't mind? I don't know if any one else has noticed but this seems to be a touchy issue . I think it's really important that we don't alienate ff mums. Would you have anything to offer re this? It seems a difficult balance between giving the facts about bf and not denegrating ff...

at mummy's milk
Unless it's in a shared work fridge and she's trying to stop peoplenicking it for their tea :o

theboobmeister if there were more HV they would have more time to attend courses (although there's no money to run the courses at the mo) and then more time to spend with mum's who need support. Speaking as someone who's HV spent just 15mins doing DD's 6 month check as she was too busy to stay longer. Also I am a paeds nurse, I have done the training (two day in depth course). I am one of only two people on my ward who has done it. There's no money to train anyone else, and we're short-staffed so can't release anyone else to do it anyway.

It's a shame because all the benefits of breastfeeding would surely save the NHS money in the long run if they invested in it now.

Sorry, just wanted to point out that none of the above excuses HCP from giving out incorrect advice, if they don't know they should have the professionalism to say so.

I think the really and and thing is that so many of them seem to think they do know. But they know pants.

There's loads of good ideas here, and lots of passion,

Without wishing to state the obvious, however, being interested enough to post doesn't actually achieve what we all want to achieve - the normalisation of breastfeeding.

Noone is in a position to lead this as a single national campaign so it's up to each of us and for people who have not campaigned before that can be tough.

Can I therefore recommend at this stage that each of us who have shouted, "count me in" stand up to be counted. Find out what YOU can do. What ideas on this thread work for you? A letter to your PCT? Breastfeeding welccome stickers? A newspaper article?

Whichever it is I urge you do choose one thing and DO it. Don't just post about it .

Don't forget you can link in to what's already there. For instance your local NCT branch will have access to BF welcome stickers and the ist of requirements for cafes to be able to display them.

We can't force changes to Eastenders (although letters of suggestion to them are easy to do, anyone can do it, so let's do so) but we can each start the change by actually doing, not just talking about doing.

So go forth, ladies, let's make a difference!

Write to your MP and ask them to sign the Breastfeeding Manifesto.

Write to your local council and ask them if they would do a scheme like this one to support women to breastfeed in pubic.

Good point, organiccarrotcake.

Based on the great points Boobmeister made, how about starting right now, while we are at our computers, with an email to David Cameron begging him to consider a few simple inexpensive things to improve bfing rates? And to spend money on bfing rather than recruiting HVs who have little experience or training in this area?

OK, it may not make an immediate difference (sadly, I suspect not unless lots of people do it) but isn't political awareness is a step in the right direction?

Sorry, cross-posts Indelible.

Fab thread ladies, glad there's so many of you wanting to DO something!

What I am doing in this regard (and am desperately trying to finish, as DC3 is due in 6 weeks) is putting together a book: Breastfeeding: Stories to Inspire and Inform - which is a collection of women's positive stories of bf. Have quite a few, could do with more! So any of you ladies who'd like to do something, do feel free to contact me and write up your stories for the book. I've got contributor guidelines I can send to people and a sample story (mine) that might help inspire you.

The aim of the book is simple - real-life accounts of the realities of bfing. It's got a positive slant in that it's mainly people who have wanted to bf and done so successfully (although there's no real definition of 'success', it's more people who've felt positive about the experience in general).

Part of the benefit of the book will be all the marketing/promo that I'll be doing for it - helping to get the message out there. I've done a lot of work on this already getting contacts etc, but will be back on this thread for help when we get to publication (hopefully before the end of this year). Publishing is my day job so I do know what I'm letting myself in for!

If you want to get in touch you can email me: editorial @ lonelyscribe dot co dot uk (delete spaces and add dots!) Or post on here and I'll answer questions/get back to you.

SuseB - I'm a blogger with a fairly decent audience and would happily give your book a plug when it's published. Feel free to email me - jem @ my mn username .co.uk

Hi,

In Australia at the moment a Doctor has stated that formula should only be available on prescription to encourage more women to breastfeed and the lack of support women receive to breastfeed.

While I am very open minded on this topic as there are women who can't for whatever reason breastfeed, I do believe that as a society we need to be more supportive of women's rights to breastfeed wherever she pleases without judgement and without the need to hide away in some rest room. Thankfully where I am it's accepted as normal but what matters most is baby and mum are happy and doing what is best for them.

Thanks jemjabella, I will be in touch.

the point I'm about to make is something we probably can't act on easily as it is just a case of the NHS needing more resources but I thought I'd mention it anyway to see if others had a similar experience.

I gave up bf when ds was 2 days old, mainly because I couldn't get him to latch on, but influenced by the fact that they didn't want to discharge me from hospital with a baby that couldn't feed (understandably). I was desperate to get off the busy post-natal ward and switching to ff made everything go smoothly. Fortunately after getting home I managed to resume breastfeeding :) and am still going 3 weeks later (though with plenty of difficulties).
If I'd had my own room in hospital I'd have been happy to stay in longer to try and learn to bf, and if there had been a bfc there to help me it would've been fantastic. The mws on the ward did try to help but I saw a different one every time, they had different ways of doing things and probably weren't all experts, and they were overstretched so didn't have much time for me.

Sorry this is a bit rambly, I just felt under lots of pressure in the hospital to learn to bf quickly, but didn't have enough help to do so, and in my exhausted, emotional post-birth state I didn't have the strength to keep going.

So is the answer to campaign for normalisation of home births? The the HBers will hopefully have a good bf experience and also the people who either have to or choose to give birth in hospital will have more resources available to them?
Glad you have got it sorted and are still going, congratulations on your baby! What problems are you having, and are you getting any help?

Still having latching problems so using nipple shields. Had infectious mastitis when he was one week old, now i think i have a blocked duct. When i try to feed him on the sofa (normally do it in bed) he fusses and keeps going on and off and I get exhausted and very frustrated! My hv has been helpful and this evening i phoned the national bf helpline and a peer supporter is going to come and help me tomorrow. Thanks for asking :)

you're doing brilliantly to still be going!

Great positive thread. Thanks for the ideas everyone!

Excellent post Organiccarrotcake.

I've just made complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority about Cow and Gate and Aptimil about their advertising contravening 2 aspects of the WHO breastmilk substitute marketing code.

I'll let you know what happens...

what a brilliant thread - i think that a lot, how it would be great if it was the 'norm' but unfortunately i come across so many women who don't regard bf as important! would be great if more celebrities spoke about their bf experiences but it seems not many do bf!!!!

I agree MsKalo
I think it will be a very gradual process, but hopefully by the time our dcs have their own children, things will be different.