WHAT CAN BE DONE TO INCREASE BREAST FEEDING RATES IN THE UK.

[lissie]

we all know that postnatal care is a huge factor, but what else can be done?


i speak as a failed bf-er who will try again with every baby i have, but supports the mothers right to choose.

[berolina]

Proper, trained, informed, adequately funded support post-natally.

Ante-natal sessions that do mention the 'negatives' (or rather the things that tend to leave you shell-shocked after the birth - the frequent feeding, the fact that it doesn't always just happen 'naturally') but put them into context and indicate where help and solutions can be found. Also a mythbusting session.

Banning of all baby milk (incl. 'follow-on' milk) advertising, incl. stealth marketing to HPs. Formula should be sold unbranded (which would also reduce the price, as currently formula users are also paying for the marketing).

[Reesie]

I'm soooooo passionate about breastfeeding and work as a midwife so i spend lots of my time trying to get mums to bf (especially young mums). Saying that though - I respect everyones decision on how to feed their babies and advise and support formula feeding mums too.
The most important factor I feel is the 'normalisation' of bf as pointed out on a previous post. In our culture ff is seen as 'normal' and breasts are seen in such a sexual way that to some people showing your breasts in public is only below par on flashing your genitalia.
Also we have missed out on a couple of generations of breastfeeding so we have lost the skill. We no longer have siblings, mothers and grandmothers who can rally around you and support with feeding your baby. The midwifery service does attempt to support new mothers but the service is understaffed and often hasn't the time resource to spend with a new mother. Instead we have friends/family who have formula fed their babies saying that their babies slept through the night/were in a routine/were much heavier at a really early age. However, the truth is that little babies need to feed frequently - it's natural although tiring - not an abnormality that needs to be 'fixed' by formula feeding.
I think the trend of formula feeding is changing - it's never going to be reversed overnight. Support is a big key - so please, please bfing mums - any pregnant mates, neighbours and family members - tell them how fab breastfeeding is! Also - tell give them your tel number anf get them to phone you if they are having problems (otherwise another well meaning relative/friend will talk them into ff

[GrimoireThief]

Ensure that the message "breast is best" is backed up with proper post-natal support, for as long as the mother requires it.

The most anti-bf message imo is the one you get from the health professionals when you run into problems - that they don't know much about bf, that they can't offer consistant advice, that they don't have time to help. All adds up to a loud and clear message to the mother that it's not a priority, it's not important.

[purplemonkeydishwasher]

"However, the truth is that little babies need to feed frequently - it's natural although tiring - not an abnormality that needs to be 'fixed' by formula feeding. "

thank you reesie. that is exactly the point i was trying to make only much less eloquently!!

[GrimoireThief]

Reesie - good for you! That's great to see and must be of huge value to the women you help.

The problem that I have found though is that many of my friends who have struggled, and almost all ended up switching to formula much sooner than they wanted to, were given poor advice by health professionals and had little or no access to trained breastfeeding support staff (or if the people they saw were trained it was poorly).

As a breastfeeding mother I can give them help if they ask for it, share my experience and can do a bit of myth-busting if appropriate, but it's very hard to contradict a hv or midwife.

I was crushed when my friend ran into dreadful and quite complex problems in the very early days of feeding her dd and I waxed lyrical about the support offered to me by my hospital only to find that she had no similar support available to her. Just a hv who told her that she didn't have enough milk so she should switch to formula. Which she did. I told her about the helplines but she needed expert face-to-face support and it wasn't there.

[Reesie]

Ggggggggrrrrrrrrr! I hate that old chestnut 'You haven't got enough milk' It's sooooo untrue. The problem is all down the the attachment and positioning of the baby on the breast. What your friend needed is someone to spend a bit of time woth her, show some interest and show her how to get baby latched on correctly. I always use the analogy of your breast milk is like a few pints of lager followed by a curry. If baby is't latched on properly he has too work really hard to get a smaller amount of breastmilk. So- he just get the lager and never reaches the curry house milk at the back of the breast. Of course what do you do if you only drink lager? You just drink more and more but your hunger is never satied. These babies just get the fore 'lager' milk and are constantly on and off the breast and seem hungry. Also - mums then get sore nipples as the baby hasn;t got enough of the breast in his/her mouth and the oral cavity rubs on your poor nipple, the nipple should be right at the back of the babies mouth out of the way of any friction. Once the baby is latched on properly, feeding is much easier and effective for him so he quickly has his 'lager' and devours his chicken tikka massala hind milk too. This results in a very sleepy full baby!!! I'm sorry if my analogy sounds weird but it makes sense in my head!!!!!!

[Reesie]

I should point out thought that I have met one or two women who really haven't seemed to have produced enough milk depite loads of input and determination. It's the quick remark of 'you haven't enough milk' without spending time with a mum and trying out a few strategies that I find really sad.

[JennsterSlugSlayer]

Love your analogy Reesie!

[maximummummy]

put together a magazine featuring celebrity b/feeding mums - positioning advice - not only emphasise the breast is best advice but show the evidence that formula is worse - put this mag in bounty packs given out @ ante natal appointments

[vole3]

Every 'shopping centre', whether it be a large mall, parade of shops or town / village shopping area to have at least 1 shop that has bfeeding facilities.
I usually use cafes when shopping outside of my local town, but of the ones in the town where I live 1 is upstairs with nowhere to park pram / buggy, 1 is down steps and too small to fit pram in and the 3rd one is fully glazed so would be like feeding time at the zoo with me being the exhibit (yes I do use the muslin in a variety of concealing ways, but ds pulls it off).
I did consider using the park bench outside the library, but the winos beat me to it! Also not so practical given the recent weather....

Perhaps we could lobby a highstreet chain that sells child related products eg Woolworths or Boots and suggest it as a good way to attract mums and their child-related pounds into the stores.

[determination]

Terramum,

ITA with everything you said..

It should be tought from as early as pre school.

ALL bottle fed dolls should be banned

ALL books for children relating to bottle fed babies should be banned

BFing mums should proudly feed anywhere and everywhere and be proud - like i do/am

There should be random posters, pictures and slogans about the streets/shops/pubs etc advertising brestfeeding and stating bfing is good and natural. So that people unconsciously read them and register them without noticing. This would plant some seeds.

ALL HCPs should be put thru vigarous bfing training and if caught recommending formula should be disciplined OR retrained at their own cost.

The NHS should give out FREE silverette to every mum. This would save the nipple pain and dramatically increase the bfing rates.

I could go on all day!

[meemar]

In the space of a few hours so many great, and workable suggestions have come forward just from a group of mothers having a discussion.
Most of these things would cost so little to implement too.
I just wish it was on the agenda of someone who had real power.

[purplemonkeydishwasher]

i've never heard of silverettes before. they look cool. (like i'd have robot boobs!) wish i had known about them 2 years ago!

[lissie]

see when ds was born i was under the impression that once he had a bottle, that would be it. i actually had a lot of milk and it was agony not feeding my baby because i felt i was fighting against my emotions as well as my body. i gave him a bottle of formula in hospital because i was too ill after having him to bf, we were both pumped full of drugs and he'd only had a tiny bit of colstrum (sp?) in 3days, so i gave up thinking that was that. 4d later the milk was pouring out of me, and it was such a waste!

[JARM]

FOr me, I feel EVERY woman has a right to see a BF councellor until feeding is established - FREE OF CHARGE.

I think the MW visits post birth need to be daily and not every 5 days like here, and as much help and info given as possible.

Feeding is such a vital part of life, and as a failed twice mother, if someone had just taken the time to sit with me and help me through those first weeks, it would have made all the difference. We cant all afford to pay someone for help that should in my opinion be given as standard.

[lissie]

there are so many great points on here.

[hippmummy]

JARM - I can't believe post-birth midwife visits are every 5 days where you are. . Thats terrible - it allows far too much time to lapse if you are having problems.

We had daily visits for 2 weeks, unless you were doing ok and they would come every other day.

[lissie]

i got daily visits for about 2w but only coz they'd screwed up so badly and i was so ill. my SIL got visits every 3d for about a week

[JARM]

first time round i was seen 3 times in 10 days, second time twice in 10 days.

And i wonder why i didnt get any support with BF!

[ladylush]

Support rather than bully new mums

[missis]

Paid maternity leave for longer than 3 months after the birth would help.

[Difers]

Missis - You get paid maternity leave for 9 months and up to year with the last 3 months unpiad. It is the law in the uk.

[lissie]

but what if you have to finish at 26w before the birth?

[Difers]

Lissie - Don't know....isn't that sick leave if for medical reasons??