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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Breastfeeding: am i a weirdy hippy?

30 replies

allyco · 06/08/2006 22:20

Because the HV thinks I am. I have breastfed all my five, the youngest being nearly 4 months old now.

The HV asked me how feeding was going and I said it was fine and she asked me some various questions about routines and how often I feed in a day and so on. She seemed genuinely interested, and said she was asking because so few women on her "patch" BF and she would like to be able to help out if she could by answering their questions and so could I tell her how often I feed etc.

Well. I don't know how many times a day I feed DS I really don't. I just nurse him when he wants it. Likewise at night and he sleeps with us.

She looked at me most peculiar and said she couldn't believe I had no idea of how many feeds a day and didn't I know it was dangerous to sleep with a small baby?

Aarrgghh.

Now I've probably forgotten more about BF than she's ever learned but of course it's set me off worrying. Hormones probably. Please tell me I'm not the only one who doesn't watch the clock or add the feeds up or sleep with DS? Or am I really a WEIRDY HIPPY?

OP posts:
Tatties · 06/08/2006 22:22

No you are not a weirdy hippy - you are meeting your ds's needs perfectly

Lact8 · 06/08/2006 22:22

You big hippy, you

Remember: Ignore Your HV!!!!

Original poster
allyco · 06/08/2006 22:32

Thank you, thank you. Yay, am feeling better.
It's so pathetic. I mean I have FIVE kids and haven't managed to starve them or overfeed them to death or roll on them, and yet all it takes is a look from the HV and I forget all that and am posting here when I could be BFing .

I must calm down and grow up.

OP posts:
laundrylover · 06/08/2006 22:34

I feed willy nilly all day but do clock those night feeds - otherwise how would I know about a 12 hour sleep through at 18 weeks!!!!
Guess your HV never bf?

Lact8 · 06/08/2006 22:37

I know what you mean, when mine have had their reviews and the HV asks me about their development and what they can do, my mind always goes blank and I feel like such a rubbish mum

Then she leaves and I realise I'm not that bad after all

notasheep · 06/08/2006 22:37

A weirdy hippy doesnt see an HV [grin}

notasheep · 06/08/2006 22:38
Grin
Original poster
allyco · 06/08/2006 22:41

notasheep.

Laundrylover - funny, I asked her that and she said no, she decided on bottles from the start so "people could help her out".

FFS

OP posts:
tiktok · 06/08/2006 22:42

When she asks you how many feeds a day your baby has, and doesn't understand the answer 'um....as often as he seems to want it' ask any of these

  • how often she scratches her nose

  • how often she has a drink or a snack of anything

  • how often she smiles or laughs

You could also ask to see the research to back up her assertion that it is unsafe to sleep with a 4 mth old.

HarpsichordCarrier · 06/08/2006 22:42

that's true, actually
I have no idea whatsoever how many feeds dd2 gets in a day, because sometimes she has a bit and sometimes she has a lot, it depends how hungry/thirsty she is.
but I haven't seen a HV at all with her oooops. have had a plaintive little message on my answerphone this week asking me to gho in for my eight month check and saying "erm, we haven't seen you in a while"
imo you are doing a great job. good for you

laundrylover · 06/08/2006 22:49

Tiktok, I fear that some HVs could possibly recall the number of times they laugh or smile in a day.

Quootiepie · 06/08/2006 22:49

snap... your no weirdy hippy. I dont know times ,lengths of feeds and I sleep with DS. When DS cries, and mum is here shell ask when he last fed... and ill reply "oh, about 15 minutes ago"... sometimes he just wants more!

MiaMamma · 07/08/2006 18:13

I have no idea how many times DD (3months) feeds, like HarpsichordCarrier my DD eats sometimes a lot and sometimes has a little snack (I can't count it as a feed). I know she eats quite often, every 2 hours or so but in the same time can go without feed 3-4 hours.

Tommy · 07/08/2006 18:25

If you're a weirdy hippy then I was too! Makes me so thet even HVs don't seem to understand about breastfeeding. How on earth do they ever expect the breastfeeding rates to go up if they're so ignorant?

cazboldy · 07/08/2006 19:13

agree with the last post, and would say that obviously hv has never bf!

FrannyandZooey · 07/08/2006 19:29

This makes me feel so sad.

PinkyRed · 07/08/2006 20:06

When my dd was the same age as yours, I could tell you to the nearest minute how many times she'd fed, for how long and on which breast.

This is because I am an overanxious paranoid first time mum who was too scared to relax and trust my body and dd to get it right.

I hope to graduate to being a weirdy hippy with my next one.

Adorabelle · 07/08/2006 20:51

My dd is now 2.2 yrs & still feeds on demand

A nurse practioner gave me a very stern lecture
when dd was 6 mnths, said I was giving her Far
too many feeds a day & at that age she should
mostly be eating solids! I only put her on solids
the previous day & the nurse was not impressed.

I should have told her to mind her own bloody
business, but I too was a pretty anxious 1st timer. I just carried on as I had been & dd & I
couldn't be happier

oops · 07/08/2006 21:00

Message withdrawn

Quootiepie · 07/08/2006 21:05

I have the nicest HV... she told me to in no way limit DSs feed, reassured me through the feed-a-thons he went on, told me it was OK to hold baby all day, and OK not train him to go into a cot if I was ok with it. I was so worried that he'd fall asleep on the feeding pillow on my lap, but she said it was fine - I couldnt give him too much love. The only experince id had of parenting was programmes focusing on routines etc. and I was so worried... at least theres one good HV out there! I feel very lucky.

Adorabelle · 07/08/2006 21:11

What a Fab HV Quootie! Keep doing what you're
doing & bugger all this silly nonsense of getting baby into a 'routine'. You sound like a lovely mum who is intune with her baby & I think that's wonderful

Adorabelle · 07/08/2006 21:18

My dd always b.fed to go to sleep, co-slept till
19 months & then suddenly decided that she would much prefer to sleep in her cot!

She now sleeps through all night (mostly) & hardly ever gets in with us anymore. I aslo carried her in a sling constantly till she was 8 mnths, shes the least clingy child I know & even slept at Nanas house for the 1st time on Saturday so we could have a night out & a lay in

mummy2ashton · 08/08/2006 22:18

ya big hippy ya!

i was/am the same. have no idea how often i feed ds, and he is 18 months old!

also, hvs are trained mainly in treating illness. they may not even have children, they are certainly not childcare experts. tell her to bugger orf with her opinions next time!

spots · 08/08/2006 22:29

I want quootie's HV.

It's a bit like when people ask you 'when is she due her next feed?'... as if you knew!

pinkdolly · 09/08/2006 08:27

Hiya,

Just wanted to say that you are totally right. Most of the time I ignore my HV's, in my opinion you know your child better than anyone else.
My dd3 is 4 weeks old, I couldn't tell you how many times I feed her during the day. She requires lots of cuddles and as a result quite often sleeps with me.

This woman obviously has no idea about breastfeeding and therefore shouldn't be giving advice on the subject. in fact after 5 kids perhaps it should be you giving her advice!

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