Breastfeeding info for HCPs- Today's BMJ

[emma1977]

There is a really excellent review article in today's BMJ about breastfeeding.

I strongly urge all HCPs to seek it out and give it a read. It is especially useful in explaining and quantifying the relative benefits of BFs. Also good to note that the WHO growth charts are going be used as standard come 2009.

I've just read it in the bath after BFing 4 month old ds, so feeling very virtuous!

Very impressed you've managed to read the BMJ on the friday it comes out!! Will try and look at the article over the weekend, sounds promising.

It's a sad sign that my idea of a good night in these days is reading a journal in the bath undisturbed!

PMSL at a break to read the BMJ in the bath as being a good night - but know exactly what you mean!

It's a great article isn't it! I'm breastfeeding my 9 month old and after the on call day from hell where I was writing referral letters whilst expressing (thank god for expressing bras and doors that lock) I felt very virtuous reading it! Since going back to work am very passionate about HCPs lack of knowledge (and I include myself in that). I plan to do the LLL training to try to get myself better informed - anyone else have similar plans?

I'm training to be a BF peer supporter.

Some of the so called advice I've seen dished out by colleagues is just woeful. Orange juice for a 6 week old BF baby who hadn't pooped for 2 days, anyone??

I've been wondering whether it's worth trying to organise some kind of BF update for local GPs.

hello there. i also posted a topic on this last night. it's a good article which i hope will stop a lot of mis-information from hcp to mothers.

have been toying with idea of peer support etc myself. How do you do it?

lyra, are you doing nights whilst bf? I am due to go back in july and thought i'd be exempt from nights if bf but i can't find any legislation on it anywhere.

I thought it was superb, partic the comment about HCPs identifying their lack of knowledge and passing women onto BFCs.

I do love Cochrane reviews

I would also love to become a BF peer supporter- does anyone have any info as to how to go about it?

I agree with others here, in that I am shocked by how little I knew about BFing in a professional capacity until I had my son. Now I feel quite the expert and would love to help other mums.

Nice to see lots of BFing medics on here!

is there a link to this please?

I'm starting a peer supporter course with a group called Bosom Buddies in June. It was organised through the local branch of the NCT and was in the latest newsletter, but the counsellor running the course is with the ABM. I'd suggest contacting the support organisations and see what they offer. There is usually some info on training on their websites

I can only link you to the extract, as you either have to subscribe to the BMJ or buy the full article.

BMJ link

If anyone is really interested, I will photocopy and post it to them.

Re training: I got some info from la leche league. They do 3 levels of training. I hope to do their initial training, and then think about going to do their full peer support training. I'd also heard that ABM training was good too.

Weasle - I'm a GP and I don't do any nights . The nice thing about being a partner and technically being my own boss was I just announced to the partners that I would be taking 2 expressing breaks on my short days, and 3 expressing breaks on my long days. I have read on other threads that there is legislation protecting breastfeeding employees but I don't know the details of it. La Leche League could probably point you in the right direction. So far the only problems have been receptionists getting embarrassed as they find my door locked and I shout "expressing!" Before I went back to work I read Hirkani's daughters which is produced by La Leche League here - it's full of lots of really inspiring stories, including some medics, of women all around the world who've gone back to work and kept feeding.

I thought it was a fab article too! Hope HCPs other than those of us already breastfeeding see fit to read it!