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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

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Original poster

Attitude from health professionals

34 replies

tabbyH · 07/01/2011 08:58

My dd had her mmr jab this week at 15 months by the practise nurse. Previosly the jabs have been done by the HV so she is relatively new at dealing with mums and babies. One of the questions on the form in the red book relates to if the child is still breastfeeding. Now instead of asking me 'is she still breastfed?' she said 'is she feeding normally now, with a bottle?'

It just made me wonder how many other health professionals there are who either make this kind of blunder or who seem to believe bottle is best/normal. To be fair to nurse, I don't think she meant what she actually said!

And yes, she is still breastfed. Tried to give it up but Dd having none of it!

OP posts:

marzipananimal · 07/01/2011 09:03

dearie me!

ds had his 4 month jabs yesterday and while he was sitting on my lap the nurse asked if he was breastfeeding (not to record it or anything, just in passing). I was surprised and thought maybe my boobs somehow looked like bf boobs(!) but she said she bfed hers and recognised the little head nuzzly thing he did. Sweet!

HaveAHappyNewJung · 07/01/2011 09:04

Ugh. I'm sure they didn't mean anything by it but it's a bad mistake.

It's also bad wording because babies should be off bottles by 1yr anyway - ideally drinks other than breastmilk should be from a sippy cup.

I'm still feeding my 16mo too, and yesterday a doctor told me I could wean him off now. FFS it was MY appointment, I only mentioned BFing because of antibiotics and DS wasn't even there!

LindtLover · 07/01/2011 09:10

Yes, it is totally normal for comments like that.

I saw my HV last week I said that it looked like DD would have to be bottle fed (I'm on medication that means I can't continue bfeeding) and I was finding the idea of switching hard and she said 'well, she is six months, she should be on a bottle by now really'.
I was speechless. I'm glad I didn't need an help from her whilst I was bfeeding because after that comment I can't imagine that she'd be any use!

jaggythistle · 07/01/2011 09:11

Bfing hasn't even been mentioned at DS's last few immunisation appointments, so I guess some places aren't even recording it much.

HV didn't say anything at 1 year check either.

normally because bf is so weird..

MummyBerryJuice · 07/01/2011 09:20

IME hcps assume ff (always, and at any age) unless you correct them.

Original poster

tabbyH · 07/01/2011 09:21

I feel for those who are struggling with bfeeding and getting this kind of 'advice' from people who should know better!

Havea - the bottle comment convinced me that she didn't know what she was on about.

I get 'are you still feeding her' all the time from colleagues. One woman was quite rude. Fortunately I dont care what others think! MinL also thinks I shouldn't be feeding... Or BLWed... Or called her a 'boy's' name... List goes on :o

OP posts:

mousymouse · 07/01/2011 09:27

I was always asked this questions when going to the gp or for immunisations with dd (she just had her mmr).
I only got one funny look from a gp when she had a flu type thing and he asked how many ounces she is drinking...

HaveAHappyNewJung · 07/01/2011 09:33

I know this issue comes up SO often on MN but it really pees me off that they just ignore the WHO guidelines about BFing for 2yrs.

I do understand that maybe it's not so important in developed countries like England but FFS they just contradict it so blatantly!

"normal" feeding my arse. We are mammals...

(I'm not even anti-FF BTW. DD was mix fed before I get accused of rampant lactivism)

MummyBerryJuice · 07/01/2011 09:43

I know exactly what you mean. We I remind them of the guidelines (and I always add that the DoH and American Association of Paediatricians ALSO recommend BFing for 2 years and thereafter for as long as both parties want to continue) I get a look and something along the lines of 'I know that's what they say but...'

Really, really angers me. How are we EVER going to normalise BFing if the very people who should be championing it have these uneducated attitudes!

RJandA · 07/01/2011 09:52

At DD's 8 month check (she was 9.5 months at the time), HV asked "did you breastfeed at all?" - yes, "when did you stop?" - I haven't - cue loads of overenthusiastic whooping from the HV, lots of well done mum, what a lucky baby, golly gosh.

Bit too much - made me feel like a freak, not a normal mum just getting on with looking after her baby.

Maybe they assume ffing because if you are ffing then it must be really annoying to have every HCP assume you're breastfeeding, even if you don't have any negative feelings about it. Might make you feel like you have to be defensive about your choices. And tbh if they assume ffing then they are going to be right more often than they're wrong.

HaveAHappyNewJung · 07/01/2011 09:52

Do they give a reason as to WHY you should ignore the guidelines? "I know that's what they say BUT..." - but what?

Or do they just trail off and mumble pathetically

nappydaysagain · 07/01/2011 10:07

I don't think they bother recording it at any age at my GP practice. The nurses do all of immunisations and I've never been asked.

coldcomfortHeart · 07/01/2011 11:44

At a home visit when DS was 8m (was new to area and HV came to see me for some reason)she asked how he was fed, I said breastfed, and she said, 'gosh, aren't you tired of getting up in the night now?!' I was a bit dumbstruck. Haven't come across any other nonsense (have been lucky enough to avoid gp etc) but am well armed now with retorts...

Agree that it's really truly sad that HCPs spout such crap. Have read some crackers here on mn.

On a positive note, my mw was very supportive of me bf in pregnancy and asked if I'd thought about tandem feeding, and said that whatever I decided they would be there to offer support. Which was GREAT!

SirBoobAlot · 07/01/2011 11:52

I quoted the WHO guidelines at a doctor once, and got in responce - "Yes, well no one really feeds for that long, so you can stop now".

Thanks, so glad I have your permisson. Now, can we continue talking about what I was here for?

Kosmik · 07/01/2011 14:45

I was surprised by the attitude of my hv when she came to see us at 2 weeks old - she was trying to encourage me to switch to bottle cos I was tired and sore with breast feeding and everything else that comes with a new born. I believe she meant well but I completely ignored her unprofessional advice and I am still breast feeding my son who turns two at the end of this month!

EauRouge · 07/01/2011 14:59

I've only seen my new HV once (my old one was lovely and sensible) when DD was about 20 mo. I'm not sure she believed me that I was still BF, she kept going on and on about how important it was to give DD cow's milk without giving any reasons and then suggested if I couldn't get DD to drink cow's milk then I should give her custard

MummyBerryJuice · 07/01/2011 15:10

They do sort of just trial off pathetically and if I challenge them am often met with a 'well, no-one really does that' as if it is an impossible and crazy suggestion.

HaveAHappyNewJung · 07/01/2011 16:50

PMSL at the idea of you getting up in the night if you're BFing... Half the reason I'm still BFing is precisely because I can stay lying down :o

Fernie3 · 07/01/2011 17:12

I went to have a 24 hor blood pressure monitor fitted and asked about feeding my baby with it on. Saying j breastfed and the woman putting it in said " which side do you use?"

TruthSweet · 07/01/2011 17:15

I had a psychiatrist once tell me I was forcing my 22 m/o to bf and that I was getting my jollies out of doing it.

Yes, you got me DR, I'm not feeding her because I think it's normal for a human or I want to do my best by her, it's because I get my sexual thrills from sticking my boob in the mouth of a toddler who has ALL her teeth

I have also had a HV tell me BM has no nutrition in it past a year (it runs out? Do breasts have a dispensing system for vits/minerals and only have enough of a supply for a years worth of feeding?)

Mostly though medical people seem mildly perplexed or treat you as though you were an exhibit in a zoo at natural term nursing but I can live with that

HaveAHappyNewJung · 07/01/2011 17:40

Yeah truthsweet, we all know how easy it is to force a child to BF don't we

If I'm trying to feed DS in the evening but he's not ready to settle down, boy does he let me know - shakes his head and pushes my boob away!

Friggin ignoramuses (ignorami?)

HaveAHappyNewJung · 07/01/2011 17:41

(I meant the so-called professionals btw - not the boobs :o)

rubyslippers · 07/01/2011 17:44

I think I may be the exception ut all the health professionals I have come across have been either supportive or non plussed

When I went to a GP for antibiotics for mastitis when DD was 14 months he smiled and said "excellent - breast milk is full of good stuff"

HV very supportive too

Friends and family are a different matter tho

rubyslippers · 07/01/2011 17:45

Oh YY - anyone who has breastfed a toddler will know it ain't much fun - can actually be faintly aggravating

NotQuiteCockney · 07/01/2011 17:50

Ha ha - when I was getting discharged from the hospital after having DS2, they were booking a six-week check (a post-CS thing). The junior doctor told me that part of the check up was to make sure that my period had returned.

Now, ok, first of all, that was assuming I was not going to breastfeed. Which is a rude assumption anyway, and a stupid one given that I fit the stereotype of breastfeeding mums in our neighbourhood to a T.

And even if I wasn't breastfeeding, would they really expect the period to come back that quickly after a CS?!?

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