Bit surprised

[showtunesgirl]

This week I've been working with quite a few paediatricians. Without fail, all of them have been surprised that I am still feeding 8 m/o DD. I hadn't realised that this was a rare thing to do. 8 months isn't really very old is it?

no. 8 months is not old at all.

WHO guidelines (as you probably know) suggest 2 years minimum of bf.

in many other countries, especially Scandinavian ones, BF past six months is the norm.

sadly, in the UK bf levels past 6 months are much lower.

disappointing that paeds you've met don't know appear to know any of that.

You try explaining self weaning to a senior paed on rounds - that was met with a very confused Dr! The Paed. was trying to tell me DD4 might not be getting any milk from me any more at the very advanced age of 6m, so I explained DD2 who was about 2 1/2y was also nursing so would be able to tell me if there was no milk (I said she only nurse for approx 30 secs both sides every day or two). The Paed. asked why she wasn't on food yet as though 60 secs of bf every 48 hours was enough to sustain a 2 1/2y so I had to explain self weaning (on solids, jaw development etc etc) much to the amusement of the junior drs behind her! Bizarre that a senior Paed. leading rounds didn't know that toddlers can eat food and nurse

So no 8m really isn't old. DD2 recently self weaned at 4y 8m so you are at least 4y not too old!

Ah, I think I missed out a key word in my OP! All the paediatricians were pleasantly surprised! :)

DH brought DD to me to feed just after lunch, her late morning morning feed she had via cup, and all of the paeds gave me huge smiles!

IME doctors do not know/care how bf works. Only midwives seem to encourage it.

DD was admitted to hospital at 6 days old due to losing weight and although I was assured they supported bf, they merely allowed it to happen. No support or information available at all.

And you're right, 8 months isn't so old.

ooo x-posted.

Glad they were pleased.

I once had to explain how tandem feeding worked to a senior midwife. I was happy to do so, she was happy to hear it, but I was really surprised that she didn't already know how it worked.

truth i had the same with tandem feeding, i was feedin ds2 and ds3, ds3 was a newborn and ds2 had a hospital app, he got very upset after being examined by the dr (for an umbilcal hernia) and so i bfed him he was about 2 and a half? the dr was horrified and said 'you do know he should be eating solids by now?!' umm yes and he does he also bfeeds as well! he then went on about how i couldnt make enough milk for both, ermm yes i can as you can just by the baby who never lost any birth weight )was 9lb 5oz) and just got HUGE, plus people do feed twins/triplets etc! he was a numpty!

i had a lovely experience when preg with ds3 and i had ds2 with me and bfed him and she was thirlled i was still bfeeding and raved about the benefits of tandem feeding but thats the only good experience, most are clueless and ia hve had gps tell me that cows milk is ok instead of bmilk from 4mths!

I have to admit, I am quite looking forward to DD's 1 year check up when she has her vaccinations as I want to see if they assume she is on cows milk/being FF.

At the same time, I feel sad that health professionals assume people aren't breastfeeding or don't know much about it. Would it be great if it were the other way round and they assumed everyone was BF?

midori - In my experience they don't ask or just tick the FFing box anyway even if you say you bf (even if you bf in front of them!). Not sure what the point of collecting those stats is if they aren't accurate at all.

at my DS' one year check, the HV said to me in a very exasperated fashion: "you can stop breastfeeding now, you know. you don't have to do it anymore."

whenever i go to my GPs, or for repeat specialist appointments, i always have to remind them that i am breastfeeding and make sure they check Hale before prescription. so many times they are about to prescribe something that is contraindicated, when there's a perfectly reasonable alternative.

5madthings - Luckily I had a very chilled out MW with DD3 who knew I was tandem nursing DD1 & DD2 while pg so I didn't get any lectures on robbing the baby of nutrients or some such twaddle. It really surprised some of the other MW I saw though!

oh yes robbing the baby of nutrients and the disbelief that i wasnt anemic, they assumed i must be and ordered extra blood tests to double check my iron stores as well as my iron levels as i couldnt possibly be pregnant and bfeeding NOT anaemic, umm yes i can!

I am a doctor, EBF until 6mo, BF until DS was 16mo when I was 4mo pregnant.

Yes, some people were surprised but that was because only 2-3% of babies in the UK are EBF to 6 months. It is unusual. It is rare. That's not the paediatricians' fault!

Everyone was very encouraging about it & congratulated on a good job.

I had B12 anaemia when pg with DD3 but that was because I had pernicous anaemia and needed B12 injections not tablets (pernicous is were the body makes ant-bodies to attach the intrinsic factor that digests B12 in the stomach) nowt to do with bfing though!

The MW at the booking in with DD4 was a bit shocked I was bfing DD2 and DD3 (DD2 is the size of a 6y even though she was just over 4y at the time) when I was asked 'Are you planning on breast or bottle feeding this baby?' and I answered 'As I'm bfing DD2 & DD3 I'm not exactly not going to bf baby!'

I had a similar reaction from a GP when he was prescribing something for me and I mentioned I was breastfeeding. He asked me how old is the baby? I told him two years. He was shocked and said "Why isn't she on solid food now?" I couldn't believe I had to explain to a doctor that it's possible to bf a toddler who also eats solid food.

with regards to drs and prescribing things i have to see a consultant for my eczema, anyway they were really suprised at me bfeeding but what really shocked me was when preg with ds2 i had a bit of eczma on my nipples, wasnt too bad just a bit dry and itchy and i asked if it would casue issues with bfeeding or was there anything i could do and they told me NOT to bfeed as that would only make it worse! the fact that bfeeding would help my baby be less likely to get eczema didnt matter at all, they seemed to thinki was crazy for bfeeding as that meant i couldnt take hte drugs they wanted me to take andi was 'just making it more difficult' for them to treat me!

as it was i bfed fine even with eczema, it did make me slightly more prone to thrush but i used a solution of bicarb of soda mixed with boiled (cooled) water to wash my nipple and aerola and then dried them and that seemed to help :)

5madthings that's pretty much the scenario i have. skin disorder as well!

and yes, the consultants do get uppity about me refusing treatments that aren't suitable for bf mothers.

tbh, i'd rather live with the inconvenience and the pain of my skin condition than i would stop bf - but they really don't undertstand that at all.

there are of course other treatments available, but possibly they are more expensive, or less used... i don't know, but it is very frustrating that BF seems to always be a problem for them.