Breastfeeding support is there if you ask for it, you just have to empower yourself

[psweudonym]

Discuss.

I was successful in bf exclusively for 6 months, I finally stopped at 12.5 months.

It was shockingly hard to start with and there is only one reason I managed it - my MUM. I got no support from anybody in the health profession and just to add, I was turfed out of hospital with a premature baby after a single night (bed shortage) and feeding was not established (could not get baby latched). I was in a terrible state and the only way I managed to bf was because my mum is an extremely strong person who had bf her own kids and knew what it was like. I would have been in no fit state to seek bf help from anybody.

Plus, waiting til baby is born to provide help is no good. You need to know the reality of bf beforehand to be more likely to be able to do it. My NCT antenatal lesson was no good because it did not explain the reality of the situation. It showed lots of complex equipment and did not explain what any of it was for.

crokky - what complex equipment did you see in the NCT breastfeeding class? That sounds really unusual - I know some people might show a breastpump in the class, but that's about it, and the counsellor would definitely say what it was for.... Did you say in the evaluation that this was something you didn't find helpful?

Empowering yourself when you are feeling great, had enough sleep etc is hard enough...let alone when you have just gone through labour, haven't slept in days, have a new baby you have no idea what to do with & are being bombarded with differing advice or comments from everyone you see.

I thought I was fully empowered before I had DS. Done an NCT antental class, including bfing session, been to 2 LLL meetings & had a nice list of every BFC in the city & surrounding area as well as being close friends with one of the LLL leaders......& then had a 50 or so hour labour & didn't get any more sleep until 3 days after the birth. I couldn't even remember where the list was, let alone have the gumption to use my mobile to call one of the numbers. It got to the point that I contemplated actually throwing DS at the wall to stop him crying because I simply couldn't take being that tired......there was no way on earth I was able to make any rational thoughts about what should or shouldn't be happening bfing wise. It wasn't until I got 4 hours of blissful kip when I gave DS to one of the mw's & said to put him in the nursery that I was able to realise that everything they were doing was hampering the bfing....but even then I still didn't have the balls to ask to use the phone to call one the numbers...I waited another 2 days until I had escaped the hospital & could use my own phone.

good for you - go tye dye a t-shirt or something hippy

huh?

Still don't know what all the bits were! I did say I didn't find it useful in the evaluation because it was too complicated.

Is it me who has to go and tye dye a tshirt?

I disagree with both premises.

1. BF support is not there if you ask for it, an incompetent HV who hasn't been trained is. Sometimes she'll point you in the direction of a BF support group, but it'll be once a week two bus-rides away and if you've just had a caesarean and you've got a toddler, you're not going to be able to cope to access the support.

2. Empower yourself? When you've just had a new baby?

Well that's obviously too stupid to even begin to criticise, really, isn't it?

I called a helpline when I was having trouble breastfeeding one of the girls. The woman on the other end was worse than useless, to me they are pointless or was for me because I needed phsyical help. When I explained my problems to the HV she told me she was suprised I was still doing it as most women would have given up. It was purely my determination that kept me going.

hunker for a woman who isn't here, I do see you a lot you know

Where is binkle?