Extended breastfeeding and your GP

[frannyf]

Just wondered if anyone else has had bizarre or interesting comments from their doctors or other health professionals. Ds is 2.5 and we both went to the doctor yesterday. I asked the gp if what he was prescribing was ok to take while breastfeeding, and he instead checked if it was safe to take while pregnant. He realised his mistake, said "Oops, sorry, you said breastfeeding," then did a double take, looked at ds, looked at my notes to see if I had another baby (nope), and just looked astonished! I laughed and said "Yes, we're still breastfeeding, I know it's a bit unusual," and he asked if ds was having solid food as well!! DS is a very tall, chunky, healthy toddler sitting in front of him by the way. I thought it was funny, but was also stunned that a doctor would be so ignorant about breastfed toddlers.

The other gp we see sometimes is the only medical person who has ever been supportive of my extended bfing. She is Muslim and says the Koran states you should bf for 2 years, but not many mothers manage it. She says I must have the constitution of an ox to keep it up (another load of nonsense, but at least complimentary nonsense!)

The health visitor at our clinic is the worst. Whenever we walk in, instead of saying hello, she calls out (across a crowded room of mothers with babies) "Still breastfeeding, are you?" Cue looks of horror.

OMG at HV but not surprised.

I find (as a HV) most health professionals fairly ignorant about breastfeeding. I have one or two Mums on my books still giving the occasional breastfeed at 3 or so. I feel that if both Mum and child are happy about this then it's great.

Good for you.

PMSL at GP's reaction.

As long as you and your child are happy to continue breast feeding don't worry at the end of the day it is personal choice.

Used to get that regularly-was always actively being encouraged to stop even at 18 months for my "own good"-Ah,yes-that's the reason why we breastfeed!

I'm not worried - if I was worried what people thought I would have stopped when he was 1 year old, which is when the funny comments started! Nice to hear from a HV Aragon, we did have a lovely supportive HV at one stage but had to change surgeries when we moved.

What was the "for your own good" thing dropinthe? They were suggesting it was bad for your health to bf?

Yes, started a thread re it a little while ago. A hospital GP looked at me in horror when I said I was still bfeeding DS (at one year old) - he said something along the lines of "six months if you really must(!), but he doesn't need it now" I told him the WHO recommended at least two and he said "Two?!" Then said... "But...they bite, you know!" as if I was just letting DS chew on my nipples!

As for your HV, I'd be tempted to call out back "Still making ignorant comments in public, are you?" then smile warmly.

BLOODY HVs!! The more I hear... Gah.

As for your GP asking if your DS was having solid food as well...! Hah!

Ahem. That last post was me, btw

I was surprised to have a fine reaction from a GP the other week, when I went in for some sort of mastitis-like thing. DS2 isn't yet a year, but he's close, and given how low the rates of any bf is around here ... he did ask, ok, how much is bottles, and how much is you, and then was rather shocked when I said I don't do bottles ... but not critical at all.

It amazes me that the Government seem to think that putting up posters and handing out leaflets saying breast is best is enough to get the message across - er, training health professionals to be supportive of breastfeeding, whether at the beginning or further down the line, would be far more effective in getting the message across!

I'm not surprised the doc was shocked - extended breastfeeding is unusual and often hidden from health profs (to avoid unwanted critical comments). Hopefully you've managed to alert him to the fact that it exists and that women and children who do it don't have two heads or anything.

I had to go to hospital for period problems when DD2 was about 18mths. I saw an Asian doctor who instructed me to give up saying it was "not natural". She proceeded to prescribe tablets which were "not to be used whilst breastfeeding". I told her I had no intention of giving up and obviously didn't take the tablets. The period problem sorted itself out eventually and I fed her until she was about 2.8 yrs.

My GP is great though. Took DS for MMR in the Summer when he was 2.5. He fed whilst the deed was done and GP was really pleased that I'd kept going for so long. Have now stopped though.

Ah hefty/hunker you do make me laugh!!!
I love the idea of 'smiling warmly' and resonding with your suggestion.

Bloody hell,who cares what GPs think anyway??? (Apart from being disappointed with their ignorance.) They're not bloody gods,which is why I disagree with concealing the fact that one b/feeds for anything beyond six months from health (un)professionals.

Shout it out loud!

I had a heated debate with a German obstetrician who was surprised that I was drinking in pregnancy.I'm not an idiot.I knew what 'in moderation' meant and pointed out that there was no way that a couple of glasses of good wine with dinner could be worse for you thasn the crap most people it.

So there!

Oh, don't care what they think (amy may yave noticed...!). Just want them to be less sneering of bfeeding past six weeks!

HM,no that you have never suffered from a lack of conviction and confidence but know that some peope on here feel almost furtive and ashamed about it,and they need to set these ignorant people straight.

When people asked me if i was still 'at it' in barely concealed tones of incredulity,I would smile and say 'Yes! Fantastic isn't it!!'

LOL! You know me so well

I find it incredible that there's all this stuff about breastfeeding at the beginning (being pg again, am seeing the literature again) but almost as soon as you've cracked it, HVs and GPs and the general public are talking about introducing formula and stopping breastfeeding.

LOL at "Still making ignorant comments"! I keep promising myself I will say something to her, but it is hard as she has not in fact said anything negative. I would imagine her response would be "I was only asking!"

I think once you get past a certain stage with bfing you have to be immune to it, or you could never do it. Breastfeeding a toddler is beyond the pale for most people including many health professionals. I think I found it hardest when ds was just over 1 year and everyone seemed to be expecting that even the most hardened breastfeeder would now wrap it up. I felt a huge amount of pressure to stop - and felt very angry that we pay lip service in this country to the benefits of breastfeeding but don't actually educate those working with children and parents that extended breastfeeding is normal and desirable.

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Spod

Is there a way to do something about really ignorant advice like this? Who could one complain to?

i dont see how you could complain about it, as most of the incidences mentioned seem to be low grade.
im a very pro breastfeeding person. but i dont like it when mom's pick up their child who is running round and stick them on the breast. and particularly not if they come u p and ask for 'booby milk'
and as for breastfeeding beyond the age of four, or five, icht.
but thats my opinion,

Aaargh, let's not get into the "breastfeeding 4 year olds is yuk" thing on here!

Stitch, agreed most of these comments are low grade or just plain amusing. I was meaning what happened to Spod, where she was told she had caused her child's illness, and told to stop. That's totally wrong and IMO harmful advice.

yes, that is totally wrong, sorry, i thought you would referring to the hv type comments.

but i do think it is 'yuk' to breastfeed a child who will remember being fed. yuk is as polite a word as i can think of.
i also think it is the saddest thing in the world to see a newborn being given a bottle. and since i dont think bottle feeders are going to be reading this thread, i feel quite safe to say that again.

it's funny isn't it, our own benchmarks of "yuck" or "Oh I say that's a bit unusual"

I am still feeding, although winding down, ds2, just turned 2yrs, at night. I am also training to be a breastfeeding counsellor here in Australia and at my first training meeting there were two other women there giving morning feeds to their almost 3yr old kids, and I blushed and looked away. Mad isn't it? I mean I am all for extended feeding and all but even I didn't know where to look.

(Coupled with one of the women's oufit of salmon pink and lilac elasticated waisted pants which were made out of candlewick, I kid you not)

Eek stitch, both those statements are quite controversial and I don't see why bottlefeeders might not be interested in this thread. The last thread I started (on fannies ) went on for about 300 posts, so I was hoping this one would be a nice relaxing discussion - please let's not have a row about breast and / or bottle feeding!

oh god frannyf, you have just jinxed this thread

cue the ususal suspects getting the hump.....

ff, what can i say, i have very strong opinions about breastfeeding. and i have been slated for them on some previous threads. i dont particularly want to get into a long discussion about it right now. but they are my opinions at the end of the day.
suzy, totally agree with you . we do all have our own definitions of acceptibility and are often shokced by the things others do. and i do also find that if its someone i dont like anyways, i tend to be less open minded with them, iyswim.
anyways, congratulations to both of you for doing your best for your kids.