What help did you get with breastfeeding?

[countless]

Just been listening to radio womens hour and discussion about availability of Formula in hospitals. I've bf 3 babies but was very grateful with last baby to be offered formula at 4 am on the 2nd night after hours trying to settle crying baby.I was in longer after cs.
I continued bf, muddled through mastitis with an electric pump but no practical help at all from midwife's in the hospital or at home even with severe engorgement/ bleeding nipples/ mastitis or health visitors.
This was in stark contrast to the brilliant bf support I'd received with baby 2 in a different city. In Edinburgh Royal Infirmary they were bf zealots constantly checking and correcting position and latching, literally hands on even helping me hand express. If I hadn't received that support with the 2nd I doubt I'd have continued bf with 2nd or 3rd baby.
So I feel this is vital and wondered how it differs around the country.

None, even with my first, in fact I was made to feel like I was depriving him by trying to do so. I was the only woman breastfeeding of the six in my ward, and while the woman getting bottles were assured that no one would judge them, I got zero help and harassment.

I clearly recall the woman next to me being upset because her little one was throwing up and crying all night being assured that it was fine, but mine crying for a few minutes during a nappy change resulted in me being told that my 'milk ducts were too deep' to feed him properly and the midwife demanding to do a blood sugar heel prick. Even when that came back fine, she tried to get me to stay in hospital - not so she could help me with my latch or confidence in feeding him, but so they could do more heel pricks to monitor him. She did a lot of other horrible things as well and thankfully my husband backed me in my pursuit to get out of there as quickly as possible. I then got zero help from HV - while she constantly asked if it was time to feed him as she wanted to watch, when I did so she said nothing, offered no help, and pretty much just looked down her nose at me (I was 19 and stayed with my in-laws for the first month). I'm very thankful that it came so well for me as I'm not sure what would have happened if I had actually needed help.

I was very lucky that I took to it very easily with huge support from my mum (we are a bf family - everyone has done it) I don't remember there being much support from the hospital or midwives, although I did have a lesson in hospital now I think back.

BF both boys (ds1 up to 30 months, ds2 gave up himself at 13 months) am hoping to df new baby when it arrives - mainly because I am tight and unhygenic and it is so much easier than bottles and faffing. I am also very lazy and it suits me to have an excuse to lie down often!

I never got the hang of expressing though - may try that again this time to see if I fare any better.

Fantastic support in hospital in North Wales with both babies (a very pro bfeeding area). Midwifes encouraged skin to skin whilst being sewn up (c-section) and I was breastfeeding by the time I was in recovery with both. With my first the midwives told me to ring a bell every time I wanted to try and get the baby latched on so they could check latch. They also encouraged co-sleeping in the hospital bed and taught me to breastfeed lying down. I think the longer c-section stay in hospital also helped as my milk had come in by the time I went home.

Wow, what a mixture! I got some pretty good support. It was very quiet on the postnatal ward when I was there, and although some of the midwives were very much of the grab baby and boob and push them together persuasion, there was one student midwife who spent ages with me and was really patient and knowledgeable about BF. They were a bit reluctant to discharge me as they weren't certain we were all OK with feeding, though I thought we were, and they were right as we ended up readmitted a couple of days later with low blood sugar/excessive weight loss. I did have to give formula, but while we were in, the hospital's infant feeding coordinator came to see me and spent ages helping me get it right. She then insisted I come along to her BF support group a couple of days later. She is also an ABM counsellor in her spare time, so when I was still having problems at the weekend she very kindly gave up her Saturday morning to come and help me at home. She really gave me great support.

Unfortunately I continued to suffer with painful feeds for weeks after that, and I did the rounds of the BFing support groups, rang all the helplines etc. Eventually things came right at 8 weeks, and we are still going strong at 11 months. I did feel there was plenty of support in place.

Sorry not got the time to read all posts but to answer your question:

I accessed some fantastic support. I highlight accessed as I think it is a key problem in my experience, support is not readily available you have to seek it out. I had a HB and though my MWs were GREAT they told me that the latch was OK and it really, really was not. This lead to 12 weeks of utter hell, the usual of bleeding nips, mastitus, painful let down etc, etc, etc. I went to a drop in where there is the most fantastic woman who knows her stuff, I went about 4-5 times in the end. I was also really lucky with my HV as she is an NCT BF counsellor so was also amazing (I also saw some HV at clinic who gave shocking advice, who clearly had NO understanding of BF and left me feeling frustrated).

But I so wish someone had corrected my latch from day one it would have prevented hours of pain and many, many, many tears.

Thou to add my DD is coming up to 1 and we still are BF with no signs of stopping :)

The seeking out support is key it seems.

I suspect I looked like I was getting on with it ok and because I'm a slightly older mum, maybe the MW thought I didn't need help. I'm in charge at work so not used to asking for help.

Was in hospital for 3 days with DD, got lots of help and support from lots of staff including very enthusiatic student midwives and an old hand who showed me how to feed lying down (the best thing anyone ever showed me). Community midwife at home was great too. Still bfeeding DD (now 24 months).

DS was born almost 8 weeks early, I went onto autopilot as I knew what I had to do, (express at least 6 times in 24 hours, keep offering DS breastfeeds until he finally took) but I got more support from the midwives on my ward and my local La Leche League group than the staff in neonatal. One staff member, while trying to explain why DS was getting fortifier said "It's to give him more calories...it'll make your milk more like our formula" . Seriously. The fact I was still bfing DD sent one of the neonatal nurses into a tailspin and the opening gambit of the paed doing DS's discharge examination was "So how's he feeding? Is he taking his bottles well?".

Just to add, DS is now 11 weeks and breastfeeding like a trooper.

In Halifax at the time, fantastic support in the hospital. No assumptions that you knew what to do, and loads of encouragement (but not undue pressure) to keep going when I felt fed up with the whole palaver.

Can't fault them, wonderful support.

I got good support from midwives, HVs less so. DS was born at 7am after a really long labour so we both ended up sleeping until around 4pm so I panicked but they were great, just helped me get him latched on lying down, and tucked him into bed with me encouraging me to co-sleep. We had an early discharge and I went home the same day, but when I had problems latching him on in the next few days the midwife who came out on the home visit helped me get him sorted.

I also found the breastfeeding forum on ivillage very helpful. I hadn't found mumsnet at that point but I think the support here for new mums is fantastic as well.

I got a hard time at around 4 months from HVs when DS' weight dropped (they wanted me to start weaning) and also for feeding past about 18 months when DS still wasn't eating brilliantly. They were worried that me breastfeeding was inhibiting his food intake - it evened out in the end, and he eats loads now (despite still being breastfed!)

I had no support at all really. I had 3 homebirths though and no problems so I suppose that's why. When I did have issues or concerns I only had 1 BF friend to ask, everyone else was onto formula after a few weeks. The midwives obviously asked if it was all going o.k at the visits but once discharged I was on my own. There are a few breastfeeding support cafe thingys nearby but I never felt like I had issues major enough to use them.

The only negative/unhelpful comments I got were from a HV when ds2 was 17 weeks to start weaning (I didn't) and a GP when ds2 was 7 months who told me to stop as I'd gone past 6months so that was more than good enough (I didn't stop till he self weaned at 11months).

Thank goodness for the internet!!

Well according to the Independent today, BF rates are on the rise: www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/new-mother-breastfeeding-rates-rise-2300538.html

Slightly surprised that the government think HVs help with BF because that doesn't seem to be the case on this thread!

Mixed levels of support from midwives and hv's.

Had lots of trouble getting started with dd but think it was due, in part anyway, to dd having a tongue tie. Didn't know anything about Tongue ties before and it was only noticed by a student midwife ( who was very supportive and helpful whilst in hospital recovering from cs). Paediatrician looked at it but said it was unlikely to cause a problem.

10 days later, after many tears, terrible pain and dd losing weight, a great mw referred me to another midwife who clipped her Tongue tie, dd struggled for a few more days and i changed the way i got her latched on, but a week later bf established and still going strong 16 months later.

I really think more needs to be done about education before hand ( i didnt think NCT lady was that great tbh, she just went on about the benefits of bf and how she had helped lots of ladies with mastitis). Also think the nose to nipple latch idea isn't great for everyone.

Hv just said I should switch to formula. Thanks for that love!

Interesting article gallicgirl - I was surprised at the high rate of BF until I read that it includes babies who were put to the breast once. Let's see how the stats for BF rates at 6 weeks and 6 months compare.

More than eight out of 10 newborns are now breastfed, up from six out of 10 in 1990.

The data for 2010, from the NHS Information Centre, covers the whole of the UK.

A breakdown shows that breastfeeding rates were higher in England than in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, although rates have risen in most areas.

The report covers babies who are initially breastfed - including those who have been put to the breast only once.

More detailed data on the proportion of women who are still breastfeeding six weeks later and when their child is about six months old will be published next year.

Yup, I think the 6 week rates will be a lot lower. I suspect most people give up in those first few weeks, myself included.

Child 1: community midwife put me in touch with breastfeeding group antenatally, hospital midwife spent hours with me trying to get the latch right, health visitor was ABM member and told me to ignore GP who tried to convince me to "top up" my perfectly happy 2nd centile baby, just because she was second centile

Child 2: hospital midwife was sitting with me for an hour in the middle of the night showing me to hand express on a fake boob and helping me to get some milk into a syringe, as baby was a bit too sleepy and hadn't drunk for a long time (6+ hours), had some trouble with sore/bleeding nipple, but excellent help from peer supporter.

I found the support I received ace, in and out of hospital, although know some women tell the exact opposite despite having been in the same hospital etc. Maybe I'm just lucky to always have ended up with the good midwives?

I had no support at my homebirth. After stitching me up, I said to the MW "what about bf?" He said oh you know what to do, nose to nipple, tummy to mummy. DD asleep by then so he said to wake her up during the night and try.

Next day, still hadn't got her to latch on. Other MW tried getting me in position ("this is your baby hand, this is is your booby hand, bring them together" ) and stroked DD's cheek and commented she had no rooting reflex. Much later I wondered if sleeping pill I was given after a week of contractions had led to this as side effects, which I was unaware of at the time, include sleepy baby who can't latch on. There followed DD's 2nd night on earth, which was full of crying and trying.

Sorry, this turns into such a long story when I tell it, I'll try harder to keep it short. In brief, very mixed support round here. Community MWs I saw not great, nor the MW support assistant they sent instead, and noone told me about the existence of BF counsellors til I had struggled for over a week and was so stressed I was crying half the time and DD hadn't fed for more than about 5 mins in 12 hours and DP was ringing and ringing MWs and they kept saying they'd come and didn't til the 3rd day when finally they sent the most fabulous woman ever, a BF counsellor.

Knowledgeable, calming woman, proactively called me to see how I was getting on, lent me a breast pump as I'd been told to top up by MWs but mainly so that we could give DD a little milk from the bottle to take the edge off her hunger enough for her to keep trying to latch on until we both learnt to do it. She reassured me that in a week or two I would look back and be amazed at the difference and she was right.

I'd have paid hundreds of pounds for her services, if only we had been able to find someone who offered that and as I say, had no idea of her existence til desperate. NCT BF counsellor was no good either, never called me back for a week and then said "guess you realised I was on holiday"!

I had these guys and they were amazing. They couldn't do enough. In the end I still "failed" mix fed till 3 months, but it was a combination of baby not being interested and producing barely and ounce of milk for an hour of pumping and having a baby screming in my face for more when drinking from my breast and their just not being enough milk. I hope it was a one off and I will be able to BF properly next time

oh and must add they called me on the second day! I had never even heard of them before, nor do I know how they got my number

I was thinking about bf last night. I ended up ff my dd and feel tremendous guilt about it. We're about to start trying for another baby and I would love to be able to bf next time, but I struggled so much last time it's already making me anxious. Is it possible to sort of preemptively arrange loads of support does anyone know? Like could I get in touch with a group or something in the final few weeks of pregnancy so that I have support and help with it straight away?

The feeding issue has now made me terrified of having another baby!

DS was born at Royal Derby Hospital 7 weeks early, but because neonatal was full at Derby and Nottingham and he was a good weight and breathing ok, they put us up on normal post-natal ward. There I had HCAs grabbing my breast and trying to force it into his mouth when he showed no interest in feeding. Some HCAs told me it was normal for a baby not to want to feed after birth, some told me he had to feed every 3 hours as he was premature. 12 hours after birth and still not having latched on his blood sugar dropped dangerously low so he was given formula from a cup.

For the next couple of days I spent 20 mins every 3 hours trying to get him latched on, having failed a HCA then cup-fed him formula (I wasn't allowed to!) So day 4, having never fed my baby myself, a MW finally came and said he had no sucking reflex as he was prem (he really didn't, he did nothing when you put your knuckle in his mouth). Then tried a bottle with a prem teat, he took some of it. I'd been trying to express every feed, but never produced a lot.

Was sent home next day - DS back in hospital 5 days later as he was taking an hour to drink 30ml out of his bottle (first baby, I thought this was normal) and still no sign of interest in the breast. He'd lost 16% of his weight, couldn't control his temperature and ended up being tube-fed for a week. Eventually discharged and just told to keep expressing after every feed and offer him the breast for 10 mins before every feed. No further support, I finally gave up the expressing at 6 weeks old.

Sorry that's so long, I don't appear to have gotten over it yet (DS is 8m now.) In short, the feeding support, whether breast or bottle, HCA in the hospital or community midwife when back at home, was wholly inadequate, and in my opinion flipping dangerous.

yamayama My BF support group welcomes pregnant mums.

I have had a lot of support. DD1 was born 12 weeks ago at RLI in Lancaster. MW's were brillant and my HV brillant (she breastfed her children and recently supported her daughter to breastfeed). My mum has been very supportive too.

I also sought out support and attend a support group, have rung the helplines and constantly browse this section of talk.

It also seems the norm amongst the new mums I meet which helps too with regards to feeding in public - like their success helps my sucess.

I was lucky that DD knew what to do though, just suffered with sore nipples, oversupply until approx 8 weeks in. We've cracked it now though.

I had so much support with my first. I had EMCS and at Epsom they were so into BF'ing - nothing was too much trouble for them and whenever I needed help they came in and sorted out my position and put my right. Also, my midwife was amazing. I feel if not for that then I would have given up. It made breastfeeding second time around so much easier.

I am in london and had great support. Antenatal BF half day workshop, immediate skin to skin, help with latch and then day 2 community midwife spent ages going through different feeding positions.

Think it works too as hospital has uptake of >90% initial BF rates.