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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

My GP's view on EBF - I'm not happy

99 replies

lyndyloo · 17/10/2007 08:31

GP really p'd me off yesterday. Went to see her about a couple of things and it came up on my records that I had mastitis recently. She was incredulous that I am still feeding DD at 15 months and said 'it's not doing me or her any good' and 'no wonder I am so run down' blah blah blah. I quoted WHO guidelines to no effect so then just shut up and let her rabbit on about how DD doesn't need the milk now etc. (Maybe she doesn't but isn't bf about more than that????)

Anyway just ventilating - feel a bit miffed and don't like the lecture. No point in complaining - she's a bit old school tbh but feeling a bit down and really could have done without the lecture. (This was on the back of asking a HV a simple question on Monday and being told 'don't know - ask your GP' in an amazingly off hand manner! God - if some of these 'professionals' utilised their 'customer service skills' like that in the private sector, they would get the flaming sack!)

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

OP posts:

Ineedsomesleep · 17/10/2007 09:00

That's so shocking. Glad you managed to stand up for yourself and quote the WHO guidelines.

You know you are doing the right thing

belgo · 17/10/2007 09:04

Are you run down? bfing an 18 month old contributed to me being run down. It was certainly the best thing for my dd2, but not totally the best thing for me.

Anna8888 · 17/10/2007 09:08

I am still breastfeeding my daughter (nearly 3).

When she was about a year old I got very, very thin. I also moved house and had a lot of organisation and physical labour to cope with. Breastfeeding is physically tiring and I found that I needed to lie in very late in the morning (until 9.30) in order to get enough rest during the 12-18 months period.

While I think EBF is great, I also think, like Belgo, that it can be very demanding on mothers and that you have to be prepared for that. My English GP also was incredulous that I still breastfed my daughter at 2 (I've never dared admit it to the French paedetrician ), which was the last time I saw him.

I think you need to be aware of the pros and cons of EBF for both of you and the compromises you need to make to ensure that it does you both good.

AussieSim · 17/10/2007 10:12

I found the longer I breast fed the easier it was just to not let on to people unless I was planning to do it right in front of them. I was comfortable with my decision and didn't need the lecture or even the 'look' - like I was doing something perverse! Things were different in your doctor's generation and as she hasn't had the personal experience she just can't relate.

MissChief · 17/10/2007 10:21

keepn going if you want, it's great. But do look after you - are you getting enough iron for example?

bobsmum · 17/10/2007 10:22

Does breastfeeding make you tired/rundown?

My GP told me this too and I thought it was nonsense! Was she right after all?

I fed dd til she was 22 mths and felt fine, but maybe I looked dreadful after all

I though the antibodies for the immune system were meant to benefit the child - that's why I carried on. Plus the reduced risk of me getting osteoporosis/breast cancer/ovarian cancer - that was good enough for me.

bobsmum · 17/10/2007 10:23

I did carry on taking a preg/bf vitamin supplement though, so maybe that helped?

chipmonkeyPumpkinNorks · 17/10/2007 10:34

I bfed ds3 for 2.8 years and it didn't make me tired or run down. We're designed to bf, why would it be bad for us?

Mij · 17/10/2007 10:46

Good thread, and interesting from pp about the 12-18 month period. DD is 16 months and I'm knackered, but that's as much to do with her going back on an almost totally liquid diet for the last week over a poorly/teething period.

Should get back on the vits. I'm always low on iron even without taking bfing into account.

But, just wanted to remind you that BFing stills releases oxytocin which may make you drowsy, however long you BF for, which personally I quite like - a bit like a toke on some gentle weed without the risk of getting nicked for it! Can you alter the timing of the feeds to make it less of an issue for you?

belgo · 17/10/2007 11:57

yes mij, I also like the hormone rush from bfing - it's like a glass of wine! It's actually a great way of getting me off to sleep, but the down side is, it did make me too tired at some point.

But I would never regret bfing as long as I did - it is so worth it - in fact, I would have liked to have continued to 2 years+

belgo · 17/10/2007 12:00

bobsmum - vitamin supplements are a good idea.

belgo · 17/10/2007 12:04

chipmonkey- unfortunately, there are many design faults in our bodies.

I'm sure bfing doesn't make every woman tired or run down, but it certainly contributed to me feeling that way, although I don't solely blame bfing. That's just my experience.

amijee · 17/10/2007 14:43

I feel very sad that you had this experience with your GP.

I'm a GP and have just stopped breast feeding my 15 month old son. It was the correct decision for me and I am certainly less tired than I was and have even gone back to the gym after 2 yrs!

It's important you take vitamin/iron supplements as well as calcium/vitamin D ( same as when you were pregnant) I'm guilty of not taking my own advice and got quite run down and have lost weight.

I think the biggest problem is ignorance. I must say I have learnt a hell of a lot of information from being on mum's net/kelly's mom etc but it's not the type of thing that is taught anywhere to health professionals which is criminal as breast feeding is such an effective way of preventing ill health.

I think extended breast feeding is such a wonderful thing for both mum and baby and I make sure I let all my patients know this.

chipmonkeyPumpkinNorks · 17/10/2007 15:06

Gold Star for amijee for being a supportive GP!

Anna8888 · 17/10/2007 15:14

Amijee - that's very interesting, about ignorance.

It actually took me a long time not to feel guilty about sleeping in every morning to 9.30 am during the 6-month period when my daughter was 12-18 months. When I look back, I realise how pathetic that was - I had just moved country, moved house, my daughter had just started walking, I was learning to be a stepmother (and had all sorts of major relationship issues)... and I was breastfeeding a lot as I didn't want to unsettle my daughter as she was settling into a new life/language/family.

I was very thin and very tired - not surprising. But I felt so guilty about lying in bed

policywonk · 17/10/2007 15:23

lyndyloo - I really think you ought to write to your GP's practice manager and copy it to the PCT - just get it on record that this woman is ignorant and unsupportive (not using that language, of course!) Include lots of properly-sourced info (there are loads of citations on kellymom) to torpedo her ridiculous assertion about it not being any good for either of you - this is simply not true, and it's not right that a health professional should be allowed to get away with this crap. The next woman she spouts this stuff to might take it at face value.

Also, I agree with the others on here that you should make sure you are taking good care of yourself - good diet, exercise, as much sleep as you can muster.

belgo · 17/10/2007 16:21

Amijee - there's the problem. Getting enough sleep, enough time to yourself to eat well and exercise, to make sure you have enough energy. It's a far simpler solution to stop bfing. At least that's the point of view of many people - my dh included. He wanted me to bf when my dc were small, but when he saw I was tired from bfing a toddler, it was far easier for him to want me to stop bfing rather then let me have the amount of sleep I needed (10+ hours a night, and rest during the day as well). This was because he was tired himself, and he needed me to have plenty of energy.

Bfing a toddler isn't considered important enough by many people in society - GPs, employers, husbands, partners - it's certainly not considered important enough to give the bfing woman the lie-ins and rest she needs.

meandmy · 17/10/2007 16:23

it is only there opinion! is what i heard the hv say today when a lady was told by gp not to bf her son!

Original poster

lyndyloo · 17/10/2007 18:30

Thanks for your replies. I AM rundown and yes BF is probably not helping as am tired and sometimes don't eat properly as running around after DD. Plus I hate my job and working 4 days and having to be a parent as well means I am knackered.

I have a blood test soon but know I am probably anaemic. I am off and on regularly as don't get enough iron unless I work at it. (I am a veggie). Need to keep up the vit and iron supplements I know.

Thanks for your replies. DD is a boobaholic and need to think about encouraging her to self wean tbh but I want to do this off my own bat not cos GP thinks I should!

OP posts:

moondog · 17/10/2007 18:55

The average GP knows fuck all about breastfeeding.
Once you understand that,it is much easier to ignore their crap.

Piffle · 17/10/2007 18:56

wot MoonDog said

bigmouthstrikesagain · 17/10/2007 19:04

echo what everyone else has said really - i am sitting here feeding 18mo dd and can recall gps dismissive (irritated even) attitude when we were discussing my going on to the pill.

I get annoyed that health professionals can be so blinkered about this. Have to agree it is making me tired and run down these days though at last once a week I fall asleep while putting dd to bed. Most annoying as I quite like having an evning iykwim. DD is exact opp of tired and rundown though

MaeWhooooohest · 17/10/2007 19:18

While I didn't exactly warm to her, my new GP didn't seem to think there was anything out of the ordinary about 'still' bf when I went to talk about going on the pill last week - which made a refreshing change. DS is only just coming up to 15 months but I'm already starting to feel like I have to justify why we're carrying on.

drosophila · 17/10/2007 19:32

YO have to tell your gp if they are prescribing stuff. I bf until dd was 2.5 and gave up a couple of months ago as I had such a bad cold I needed to take all sorts.

I still feel crap so probably not the bfing. As a working mum it is so hard to do what you know is good for you - cook healthy meals, exercise and have some me time.

tori32 · 17/10/2007 19:32

lyndiloo while I think its fantastic to have ebf for this long, if you went to see the GP about a couple of things which had potentially been caused by you being run down, then your GP was completely right to point out that it is possibly affecting your health.
Lots of people get hung up on the WHO guidelines but fail to take into account that the worlds biggest bf and populated areas are also the worlds poorest. Food is scarce and the main nutrition for an infant under 4yrs will be breast milk. This is not necessary in the developed world as a means for survival and the GP was correct in pointing this out, if your health is being affected.

Anyway, you will obviously do as you feel right so does it matter whether she agrees, shes only trying to look out for your health when all is said and done!

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