Unsupportive Breast Feeding Support Group

[BabiesEverywhere]

Title says it all.

What can I do to help the situation, if anything ?

I went to this breastfeeding 'support' group a while back and after being told I MUST wean DD that day onto solids as she was dangerously underweight.

Went home in tears, cross referenced all DD's weights, dates and all the latest WHO stats and she came out on the dot at the 50% level...so bog standard baby. Of course I knew she was fine, just looking at my bright happy child with plenty of bowel movements I was confident about our nursing until I went to that group.

Due to many RL problems which I'm not going to go into here, I never got around to going back to this group.

But this morning I had nothing planned and as I'm thinking of training to be a breastfeeding counseller, I thought I would wander along and have a chat with the new mums.

I wish I hadn't gone

The horrible woman was still there handing out baby rice samples to all the 4 month old babies mums, explaining that it is too hard to feed exclusively to 6 months, though she is here if they want to attempt it. (with rolling eyes and tone of voice which shows how little she believed anyone can do it)

I pointed out I did it and that I felt I had better follow the govenment guidelines as I had allergies in the family and didn't want to give my child an increased chance of developing health issues. At which point she told me that it was all rot and there is no NEED to fee that long.

She then pointed asked if I was STILL breastfeeding my daughter (hopeing to get rid of me I think) oh yes said me she is only 13 months old and I latched DD on for a quick feed.

This is not a breastfeeding support group if all she does is tell people to wean early...it is not a weaning group...she is paid to encourage breastfeeding until 6 months not to tell people how impossible it is

She hates me and I intend to go back next week and every week there after...might take some printed material on the evils of early weaning and hand them around the group...or would that be too cheeky.

Or maybe I can set up a breastfeeding support group in the same room for babies aged 4 months and older ;)

Any advice welcome but I feel for these mothers getting crap advice on breastfeeding.

if she is handing out baby rice samples then she is obviously getting lots of free goodies from baby food companies and that is stopping her doing her job adequately,

not sure who to complain to?

is she part of the PCT or volunteer

she needs retraining or reposting if she cannot promote, encourage and support breastfeeding

am shocked! So crap
What kind of group was it, an NHS one, or informal?

Sounds awful and like a contradiction in terms! Who runs it - is is just this woman or is it a baby cafe/NCT/NHS clinic?

That is it, I don't know you to complain too, I wish I knew who to talk too.

I would be happy to help the group on a volunteer basis. I am no expert but I have done it for 13 months and I know a hell of a lot more than she knows.

what are her actual qualifications? is she a lactation consultant? sounds like she's got her head stuffed up her arse tbh.

agree with lulu - if she's getting free samples of stuff then she's being influenced by outside sources, and that's Not Cool. if it's NHS you can complain to the PCT, if it's LLL or NCT you need to talk directly to those organisations i think.

if i were you, i would definitely take some material on the dangers of early weaning - as well as going along every week, bf-ing your beautiful 13mo, and generally being supportive of breastfeeding. you could set up a splinter group - there's info on starting up a baby cafe here good luck!!

Just got off the phone from the local PAL's department for the local PCT.

They don't know who runs the breastfeeding group and suggest I go along and ask. They are unbothered about the fact that the lady is unsupportive and said if I was concerned I should complain in writing to the ladies boss, but they don't know who she is ?

Any good links for the dangers of early weaning ?

I'll just check out the link for baby cafe.

kellymom's always good - here, there's also a pdf format of the WHO'S guidelines here

I'm going to ring up tomorrow ans ask who is running the group.

I'm going to speak to the boss and my first tact is to ask to volunteer to 'help' the group. If I am not allowed to help, I'll make a complaint about the lady who runs the group and see if I can make a difference that way.

I am just feeling a little bad for getting involved. The lady is nice enough (not my kind of person but OK) and she is doing what she thinks is best.

But she is giving out advice which was properly the norm when she was having kids XX years ago but times have changed new studies have shown why breastfeeding is best and for a mininum of 6 months, why is she still giving out this outdated information.

Thanks for those links, Dryad.

I might knock up a brief flyer with a few facts, few website address and maybe links to NCT and LLL helplines.

I have decided to go with the softly softly approach...I will keep going to the group and show by example that babies should be fed past 4 months. Give what advice I can, if I can do so without getting kicked out.

I also got off my backside and have booked myself on a tutorial with a NCT breastfeeding counseller trainer to be assessed to see if I'm suitable to go on the breastfeeding counseller course (3 tutorials, an essay and an interview just to get on the course)

i'll join your group!! we could be the militant bf group lol
don't forget to tell them all about blw as well, that freaks my lot out as they get out the baby rice samples
good luck with the nct training, it sounds a fab course

i would sayy DEFINATELY get some materials and "properly educate" this woman.. and at the same time educate the mums who are not already aware..

This evil witch obviously failed miserably at BFing her own.

My husband knows how tactless I am at the best of times and thinks I'm going to get chucked out of the group.

I think I will get chucked out too, but how daft that I am worried about talking about the recommended research based best breastfeeding practices in a breastfeeding support group.

Wish me luck next Wednesday

Babies,this is staggering
FFS what hope is there if people who are supposedly promoting breastfeeding come up with this guff.

I would ring Association for Breastfeeding Mothers and ask for their guidance.

08444 122 949

Thanks Moondog, spoke to them and they have given me a number of someone to ring for further advice.

Best suggestion so far is to keep going to the group with relevent information and tactfully spread the information.

Turns out the woman running this group has never breastfed her own kids and has had no specific breastfeeding training !!!

I found a HV to ask to look into this situation who is very pro-breastfeeding. I explained in nice terms that though the lady was very nice and good to the group (I was very cross when I wrote the OP), the information she is giving is wrong and against guidelines.

The HV said that she would sort it out but when I gave the name of the person/location of the clinic..she went quiet and said she knew the lady and that she thought in this case it was a training issue.

So this lady will be undergoing more training in the near future. Which I am pleased about of course.

Sadly, I don't think that will make a difference, as when I challenge her assumptions..she shows awareness of the goverment guidelines but she does not believe them.

I will keep attending the group and see if I can help any of the mums out on a unoffical just a mum who breastfeeds basis...wish me luck