told to stop breastfeeding by my gp at 10.5mths

[tots2ten]

Dd4 is 10.5mths old. I went to see the gp this morning as i have a sinus infection. She asked if I had tried homeopathic medicine for sinus infection, I said no, she asked would I try. I said once i stop breastfeeding then I would look into it should I need too.

She then asked how old the baby was, I said 10.5mths, and she looked and told me 'You need to stop that now, dear there is no need to continue bfing once you have begun weaning as that is what formula is for' I told her that the WHO guidelines state that bfing upto 2yrs. then she told me 'I think you have misunderstood what you have read, you only need to breastfeed for 6mths, then stop once you start weaning and switch to formula'

I told her to look at the WHO guidelines, only for her to tell me 'I have a medical degree and I am telling you, that there is no need to breastfeed, its all for you and not for your baby, she needs to become more indepdant and have a bottle'

she is talking bollocks of course. patronising too. And am not sure 10.5 month babies need their independence much do they? she's hardly ready to leave home...

How ridiculous!

OMFG, she called you dear and the told you you must have misunderstood (obviously you need a medicaol degree to understand WHO guidelines)how bloody patronising, not to metion ill informed. I would phone the practice and speak to the practice manager, I would also get her GMC number and report her for providing information that could be detrimental to your health and your child's health (but then I love to complain about crap advice and really I think a call to the practice manager may suffice ).

She is given opportunities to be independant at meal times, she feeds herself, drinks out of a beaker.

it was the way she called me dear

I stood my ground, but what happens if the next person to walk in listens to her and stops breastfeeding.

so sorry you had to listen to that. How unpleasant, and how arrogant of her.

Her medical degree would have given her no information about bf, in fact doctors are imho some of the most negative people you can find about bf. on the message board on a docotrs website it is FULL of them saying 'oh just change to ff, never did my dc any harm' etc. perhaps because they have rushed back to work, feel guilty about ff and justify it that their dc are fine? (disclaimer, i am a doctor!)

and really, homeopathy? for anything?!

she needs to read bad science and the politics of bf!

you know you are right and she is wrong, well done for continuing to bf

i think the wording of the DoH advice needs to chanfge as many people seem to think bf is only beneficial up to 6 months.

tbh I would hAVE stopped listening the minute she recommended homeopathy (ie sugar) for a bacterial infection...

but yes call the practice manager

wow ignoring the evidence base of the benefits of bf beyound 6 months and recomemding treatment with a sugar pill! Perhaps she was trained in a homeopathic way so the lower mark she received, the more power her medical knowledge was deemed to have!

Wow, that doesn't even make any sense!

Ignore and complain.

Curly I may just phone the practice manager, but will get my HV to print out the WHO guidelines for her first, then get him to highlight where it recommends Bfing upto 2yrs

What is it with GPs telling people to stop bf? Lady I know was struggling with pain while feeding. Her DD was pulling off constantly and she was getting really upset. The GP just kept prescribing antibiotics for mastitis. SO at bf group when she finally opened up about it, we asked if she'd been checked for thrush. So she went to the GP and asked him to check. He REFUSED to check for thrush and told her to stop bf as it was 'causing too much distress'. In the end she got some advice from a pharmacist and treated herself and baby for thrush. Now the Health Visitors are persecuting her for 'ignoring medical advice' and 'self medicating'. Poor woman can't win!

Sorry but I wouldn't trust a doctor to treat me or my family if he/she was spouting this crap!

"'I have a medical degree and I am telling you,......" and she was recommending homepathic medicine? I would have asked to see a copy of her degree certificate.

You need to complain about her big style and change doctors. What other nonsense is she going to come out with?

!
I would def write to the practice manager about this!

Definitely complain. The WHO recommend feeding for at least two years actually.

I saw our coming up to retirement gp last year when dd was 2.6 and I needed antibiotics. Explained I was still bfing and he was so positive about it, said it was in his mind the absolute best thing I could do for dd. If I could have one wish for the world today it would be that all GPs were as bloody supportive.

My DDs were both FF, but I can totally see what a ridiculous comment that was from your GP.

Having a medical degree doesn't necessarily mean they are up to speed in all areas and it sounds like she was putting her opinion across slightly too.

Of course she needs her independence, her realiance on breast-feeding must mean she can't stay out until closing time with her mates [hmm}

Holy Crap!

That is really bad.

I took bfed ds2 to GP when he was 4 weeks and screaming in pain - only for him to suggest I give him formula top up...He was spitting milk OUT, fgs. Turned out he had reflux...
fuckwit.

yeah, cos formula is miles better than breast milk after all.

Typical bloody patronising doctor- totally unaceptable.

Complain.

strawberrycake, you made me

Other gp's a the surgery are good, and my HV is great otherwise i would change doctors, but will not be going back to see her again for any of us.

Will wait until they open this afternoon and phone the practice manager to make a complaint.

Please complain. That is outrageous. NOt so much the misinformation (that is often the case with GPs and BF although not all of them) but for the unwillingness to accept that she might be wrong.

How patronising of your GP! I was told the same thing (in a less patronising way) by a GP when DD was 9 1/2 months-ish as I'd gone to see him about feeling depressed (to do with being back at work/work related stress and exhaustion mainly) and he told me to stop BF so I could take anti-depressants saying 'she's had all the benefit now'. I then started to introduce formula for the last feed of the day which conincided with DD beginning to bite. 2 weeks later she was totally refusing the breast and fully formula fed and that actually made me much MORE depressed - possibly due to the dip in hormones from stopping so quickly.

I never complained at the time as wasn't in a fit state to but I wish I had in retrospect.

The minute anyone in the medical profession advises me to try homeopathy I would stop listening to anything else they said. Complain complain complain! Don't doctors have to keep up to date??

Crikey - agreed you should complain. If she is saying this about breast feeding what the hell is she like when having to deal with life threatening illnesses! Hope the GP practice has good insurance for her. [Sorry, lawyer brain not totally switched off by toddler and 8week old!]

I don't get why formula makes a child more independent ... unless your 10.5-month-old is meant to be making up her own bottles?

Change GPs (after complaining!). Honestly, after that bollocks I wouldn't trust anything the woman said, and next time it might be something where you don't realise she's wrong.