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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

Other Oddness

39 replies

kiskidee · 25/04/2006 22:13

I went to our local Surestart breastfeeding group with dd in tow. I was so keen to show off that dd was coming up to a year and still bf.

no other bf mums or any other mums for that matter turned up but hey, this is NE England. the HV (who is also one of the 2 'lactation consultants' for the whole district) and i discussed my early days difficulties.

I explained that the only 'difficulties' I experienced was entirely of my HV's making - telling me that at 2 wks old and me with flu, I had to top baby up with formula b/c she had not regained birthweight. (sent me into floods of tears for 36 hrs till the fab women on MN put me right)

Her response: but didn't she tell you to breastfeed first before topping up?

OP posts:

sazhig · 26/04/2006 16:02

FA - details for you from the LLL website about becoming a Leader:

"The prerequisites to applying are:
Personal Breastfeeding Experience
The mother has breastfed her baby for at least nine months when she applies for leadership. Her baby was exclusively breastfed until there was a nutritional need for other foods (i.e., about the middle of the first year for the healthy, full-term baby). If baby has weaned, the baby was nursed for about a year and the transition from breastfeeding respected the baby's needs.
Note: Special consideration may be given to a woman whose personal breastfeeding experience is outside the realm of a normal course of breastfeeding.

Mothering Experience
The mother values nursing at the breast as the optimal way to nourish, nurture, and comfort her baby. She recognises, understands, and responds to baby's need for her presence as well as for her milk. She manages any separation from her baby with sensitivity and respect for the baby's needs."

If you are interested is worth going along to your local group or ringing them up to see if they would accept you as an applicant:
\link{http://www.laleche.org.uk/index.htm\LLL website}

moondog · 26/04/2006 16:13

tiktok,was that a typo re NCT b/f counsellors training for 3 hours and the ABM's training being shorter still????

tiktok · 26/04/2006 16:15

Oh, bloody hell......I meant (of course) three years!!

Well-spotted, moonie!

moondog · 26/04/2006 16:17

Lol
Hope to do the ABM training one day when have the time and energy (have done the little peer support one).
When I saw your post,suddenly thought I could have done it between lunch and dinner.

tiktok · 26/04/2006 16:22

Actually, three hours is rather more than some midwives get, and quite a lot more than some HVs get :)

It's three whole hours more than any doctor gets, too.

moondog · 26/04/2006 16:23

Bloody shocking isn't it????

Mercy · 26/04/2006 16:36

kiskidee, I had exactly the same experience in hospital as you when dd was born - this was in London - but unlike you I gave up after 10 days . Looking back I still get quite angry at how we were treated. And waht really pisses me off is the memory of waking up in the night to see dd being wheeled out of the room to be nasally fed - nobody asked me or told me this was going to happen.

Original poster

kiskidee · 26/04/2006 19:28

tiktok, thanks for sharing with us the meanings of the different job title jargon. I knew I was wrong which is why I put 'lactation consultant' in quotes. I just couldn't get my mind around any other terminology. I didn't know that LC was a specific job title that went with such high credentials.

Karma, I am intending to complain. right now I am requesting copies of my notes as I also have issues with pre and post delivery care as well as dd's feeding issues. i have contacted my branch of the NCT which will assist me.

Mercy, after all this time, it still makes me sad and angry and was shocked to find myself crying over this a whole year since it has elapsed. This is why I am going to complain.

OP posts:

fastasleep · 26/04/2006 19:33

I might join the LLL... I've thought about it before but thought I would be shunned tbh

moondog · 26/04/2006 20:48

fastasleep,rather feel you would get a madalforservice above nad beyond the call of duty.
Hey,why don't you write about your experiences and submit it to the ABM magazine?
I'm sure they would publish.They are always on the lookout for articles.
They published a long article of mine and my experiences are in no way comparable to your unique circumstances.

Karmamother · 26/04/2006 22:20

Moondog, can I ask, since you've done the peer support course, how have you used it? How are you introduced to Bfing women who need assistance? I'm very interested in doing it with a view to doing the BFC one once DD is older.

laundrylover · 26/04/2006 22:59

I'm doing the peer support training in Sept as just missed this round by giving birth - how inconvenient!!
Would like to hear more about it too...

moondog · 27/04/2006 14:57

Karma,the mws have often introduced me to other b/feeding women in person,or passed on my (or other women's) numbers to new mothers.

I think the idea is just to keep it very low key...have women scattered throughout the community who feel confident enough to help with simple stuff if necessary and who are able to tell people where and how to go and get further help.

It was tremendous fun to do it,and much as I hate the expression, a real 'bonding experience' for the group I did it with.
Five years on,we are all really pleased to see each other again and talk boobs!

Karmamother · 28/04/2006 08:14

moondog, did you have any training for that? I was going to ask my hv if there was a scheme in place here but I've been looking at the training on the abm site. Am toying with the idea of eventually training to become a bfc once dd is older. I'd be interested to see how much of a weekly commitment you have to give.

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