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Infant feeding

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

Anyone hear Woman's Hour today?

8 replies

NorkilyChallenged · 17/04/2009 15:15

Discussion on "is breast best"? Actually quite interesting, if you get past the provocative titling, the guy they interviewed was pretty balanced and sensible overall [can't remember his name, and can't find it online] but they had Claire Byam Cook (sp?) on.... Even the other interviewee was trying to (politely) distance himself from some of the stuff she was saying . At one point he said "I don't have the knowledge about latch to speak about what Claire just said but I've never heard that theory before" (which to me sounded very much like "I think she is talking out of her behind").

Very noisy children meant I didn't hear it all properly so will have to listen again over the weekend but did a quick search and couldn't find a thread on MN.

OP posts:
NorkilyChallenged · 17/04/2009 15:17

Trying to do a link to the item but DD2 just waking up so can't actually listen to it myself now.

OP posts:
norktasticninja · 17/04/2009 15:19

Listen again link here, I haven't heard it yet though. Will have a listen when I get home...

norktasticninja · 17/04/2009 15:19

Ooops x!

SazzlesA · 17/04/2009 15:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

extremelychocolateymilkroll · 17/04/2009 17:54

Also thought it was very interesting. I think Claire Byam Cook is fab. Went to see her when really struggling with bf and without her support and advice - even though I only saw her once - don't think I would have been able to continue.

Snoopy99 · 18/04/2009 13:48

I'd advise everyone to take a bottle of formula with them in their hospital bag.

I experienced exactly what they were talking about on Woman's Hour. My baby still hadn't breastfed by day 4 (despite persistent trying, using breastpump to express, everything) and the midwives did nothing about it.

Every single one (and there were about 8 because they are all agency and you get a different one each shift so nobody takes overall responsibility for you) just ticked on the sheet 'mother breastfeeding' and that was that. When I tried to explain that he wasn't getting anything they just weren't interested.

I was so worried because I know that adults can only live about 5 days without water. It never entered my head that I should give him formula until the woman in the bed opposite me suggested it. I have no idea why I didn't think of it, I'm not particularly anti-formula, but I think it's just drilled into you that you have to breastfeed.

I sent my husband down to the midwife's desk to get some formula and they were really funny about giving it to him - presumably because they have breastfeeding targets (though you'd think they'd pay more attention to their baby survival rate targets).

When I gave him the formula, you could literally see his whole body relax. He'd been screaming constantly for 2 days before. Anyway, he still ended up with jaundice for about a week because he hadn't had enough liquid to get rid of the toxins in his blood, which wasn't nice but better than him being dead, which I honestly think was about 24hrs away.

When I got home, I did manage to resume breastfeeding. I fed him combined breast and bottle til he was 6 months old.

tiktok · 18/04/2009 14:21

Snoopy, you're describing very poor postnatal care - just as they described on the radio clip. It really is no good telling mothers to bf, having targets and so on, if the skills to help mothers bf confidently and effectively are not there

Constant screaming should have been one sign things were not going well.

doulalc · 18/04/2009 15:19

Tiktok....I agree wholeheartedly. It is such a disservice to mothers and families if the knowledgable support is not available.

Snoopy, I am so sorry to hear that you were not listened to and better support was not provided. It's wonderful that you were able to get back to it and offer some breastmilk for 6 months!

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