Help re breastfeeding

[mears]

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Original post from Flower:

Can anyone give me any advice please. I have been asked to care for an as yet unborn baby who will be coming into local authority care when he/she is discharged from hospital. As a foster carer for many years this is a new one on me: Birth mum has requested that until decisions are made as to the future of her child she be allowed to breast feed. I am puzzled as to how this can work. Can she express milk for a full day the day before and what happens the first day until she has expressed/ Sorry if this seems garbled but my own children are well grown and it over 20 years since I breast fed them.

Thank you so much, I wouldn't have had a clue. I must add that my "job" if you like, is to care for the child but I have to admit to being really quite concerned about the implications of this. If birth mum is a drug or alcohol abuser will either of these substances carry into the breast milk? If she is expressing how will anyone know? It also means that someone from social services will have to collect the milk and then get it me on a daily basis. I have never expressed milk and have no idea how long it keeps for.

Difficult one. I suppose it depends on SS's assessment of the birth mother's motives and why the baby is being placed in care at birth. If they believe she thinks that by breastfeeding she'll get to keep him/her longer then it may not be in the child's best interest, but ultimately it may be for a panel or court to decide.

I suppose she could express whilst in hospital from the outset but the delay between her expressing and you feeding the baby would mean she'd be in catch up mode and it would be hard to maintain a constant supply for you. Unless a reconciliation is being considered it seems doomed long term as contact may necessarily be more limited than successful breastfeeding requires.

If she is going to express she needs to do it often - at least 8 times in 24 hours inc at least once at night. If she doesn't manage this then of course she will produce some, but it won't be enough long term to sustain bf and her milk supply will dwindle.

If she has been a habitual drug user, then breastmilk feeding may be the kindest thing for the baby, as withdrawal symptoms will be lessened.

I am not sure if the same applies to a heavy alcohol user.

Good luck with this.

Women who are use drugs are encouraged to breastfeed to reduce the withdrawal symptoms in the baby, however I think that is only helpful when the mother starts to reduce her intake of drugs too. I have concerns about women who continue to abuse drugs and breastfeed in the longer term.

Having cared for a newborn about this time last year who was born addicted to methadone I am very concerned as no-one seems to be concerned that this Mum is a "sometimes drug user". That baby, and to a much lesser degree of course, we, went through hell for a few weeks after his birth. The pain these babies endure is horrific. The cry of a drug addicted baby is unlike anything I have ever heard before.
My local authority's response to my concern is less than helpful, "oh well if you dont think you can cope we can look for another carer"

I do understand your concerns. Drug use obviously is not the only issues in this circumstance otherwise the baby would not possibly be going directly into care. In my experience, if there is a chance the baby will stay with the mum then they will stay in hospital together until the csae conference. However, if circumstances are such that the baby required to go immediately into care it is highly unlikley that the mother will be able to sustain breastfeeding at all. If there is the possibility of the mother expressing then you will be given guidance by the midwife who will be checking the baby post birth. I have to say in my experience (IME), it is unlikely that the mother will pursue breastfeeding if the baby is taken directly into care. It is a huge commitment to express enough to establish milk supply and it takes commitment and regualr expressing. Women with drug msiuse histories tend to have a very chaotic lifestyle.
Don't worry about it till you know whether it will be reality or not.

Thanks Mears, you are probably right. What is it about new or different challenges that worries folk so, me definately more than most!!! I think as its very recently that my last "little one" moved on and I'm feeling pretty vulnerable anyway, I was hoping for a more "straightforward" case this time. Ah well, back to the drawing board.