Breastfeeding problems, find answers here

[goldenpeach]

I'm a breastfeeding helper and keep seeing all sort of questions asked about breastfeeding.
These are great reference for any problem...

kellymom.com (American site, evidence based and comprehensive, includes bottlefeeding tips for expressing mums and any problem you can think of)

www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk (they have a drug line in case you are taking medicines and what to make sure you're ok, plus good swine flu info).

La leche league's Book of Answers, it has any problem covered, including unusual subjects like breastfeeding and cancer (plus lots of other illnesses), breastfeeding after cosmetic surgery...

Try them and see!

also How Breastfeeding Works, which has the helpline numbers to call when you need RL help

also (obv) MN and its resident guru...

There are heaps of helpline numbers, from the NCT, the NHS...

But very few places where you can get quick reference for unusual queries.... Besides help lines are not open 24 hours a day.

I have seen more posts about problems, please keep this thread alive as it has a reference list that helps with virtually any problem!

I'm a breasfeeding helper but cannot keep an eye on every post.

Is it like a bfing supporter I wonder? OP, as much as I can see you are trying to help, lots of posters on MN appreciate individual advice which is provided in great volume. Also these sites are often linked to on threads anyway.

It's a trained volunteer who helps out at breastfeeding cafes giving mums information and helping those who have problems.

I did my training with the Breastfeeding Network but there are similar but less rigorous training programmes from other organisations and the volunteers are called peer supporters.

The sources I mentioned are the best as far as I know as they deal with any problem (even extreme ones, like breastfeeding and HIV, breastfeeding and cancer, etc, breastfeeding and smoking/drinking) and offer evidence-based information. The Breastfeeding Network has good pdfs you can download on Thrush and Mastitis, very clear.

Kellymom is particularly user friendly and it has chapters on anything (breastfeeding fussy babies, premature babies, bottlefeeding for breastfed babies...)

don't forget though, sometimes mums want some individual support and attention though. they need to voice their feelings and get support from other mums and hcps etc.

so while i think this thread is helpful i also think it's important that mums keep posting their own threads and getting advice on a one-2-one basis as well.

we have a few breastfeeding counsellors on mumsnet who are kind enough to spend a lot of time on such threads

Char, I appreciate what you say, but it's important to have evidence-based sources as individuals' experiences might not be available, plus there are lots of websites out there but not all give out correct information.

I have been a volunteer for a year and a half, and never failed to find a solution through those references if I were stumped.

ut goldenpeach, mums in need sometimes just need to talk to other mums! it isn't always just a case of "hmm here is some evidence based research, i'm fine now"

I agree that mums need to talk, but incorrect advice is harmful.

I'm not dissing the support, but it's best to go to a breastfeeding cafe or failing that ring a breastfeeding line if a problem is serious.

I'm glad that there online counsellors here, I'm hoping to train at that level this or next year.

I use kellymom and have used bfn in the past very frequently. I have still posted on MN for advice as sometimes I want to talk to others.

and bearing in mind that training to become a bfc takes at least 2 years i don't thin you;ll be getting to that level this or next year.

agree with starlight. good intentions, but please don't underestimate mumsnet for good quality advice and, more important, support

links to breastfeeding helplines, kellymom, baby cafes etc is usually iwthin the first few posts on any breastfeeding problem post..

but mums nearly ALWAYS want to chat to other mums more than anything else.

if you ahve had any breastfeeding training as a helper or supporter then you should understand that

In fact, what Starlight said, as she has said it in a much clearer way than I can

In my experience of MN, most crap advice is challenged fairly quickly. Often advice is to call a bfing helpline too.

Good grief, have you checked those sites? They give good advice, easy to read, so comprehensive, so friendly...

They are not dry and they are not patronising. There is one pdf for mums who smoke and it's very understanding and helpful.

Unlike you, I relied a lot from these sites as I kept getting conflicting information from people and we get people at the cafe who are in tears after a visit from health professionals.

I only had good intentions in posting here. If you want to misunderstand and make me feel small, have your fun.

I don't think anyone is trying to make you feel small. MN is a huge advocate of Kellymom - almost every thread on breastfeeding problems has a post in it linking to a page on there, so don't feel that people here aren't with you on how good such sites are as a source of information. I have a folder in my favourites that is gradually filling up with links to useful bf resources, all of which have been linked to from MN!

Other websites, yes, are patchy on breastfeeding support and often give out wrong information which is left uncorrected.

However mumsnet is the best parenting site I have found in terms of breastfeeding support, and people often link to the websites you have mentioned (often to the page directly relevant to the person's problem) - posters are also quick to recommend people phone the helplines if online support is not up to the job.

If you are feeling panicky and upset about something, reading a website such as kellymom, trying to find the relevant information etc, can feel overwhelming. That's not to say it's a bad thing to recommend mothers look at these resources - they are a useful first reference, but sometimes you just need to know someone is listening to your specific problem.

I think people are being a bit prickly because you are implying that kellymom etc are the only resource - they are fantastic, but so is the board and the excellent, well-informed posters here. You can have both!