Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Site stuff

Join our Innovation Panel to try new features early and help make Mumsnet better.

MNHQ

Your thoughts on breastfeeding policy and what could be done to improve it/ increase breastfeeding rates

325 replies

JustScreamMumsnet · 29/10/2009 11:10

Hello Mumsnetters, we've managed to get a meeting with the person running the Government's breastfeeding initiative and would like to pass on Mumsnet's top suggestions for improving breastfeeding policy and to outline the key issues.

So let rip! But do bear in mind that there's probably bugger all in the pot, so, much as we'd all love to have a one to one breastfeeding counsellor for the first 48 hours for all type thing - that's probably not a realistic suggestion at this point.

OP posts:
AvrilH · 29/10/2009 20:34

A major reason that my DD became so ill, was that I did not realise that when I buzzed for help the HCAs who answered were not midwives, and that they had no training whatsoever in breastfeeding. I trusted them when they told me to just go to sleep because DD would still be there in the morning (she was actually in intensive care by then). She had been identified as being at high risk of hypoglycaemia, and was already showing signs, but I just did not know that.

I trusted the midwives on the delivery ward when they said I would have help some hours later on the postnatal ward. I trusted the postnatal ward midwife who took charge of me when I was transferred there.

Just to counter the anecdotes of useless health visitors and community midwives - mine were really excellent. I finally had access to the daily professional support that was not available in the hospital. Ihad also eventually switched to bottlefeeding so as to get my baby out of SCBU and out of the hospital - but my notes say breastfeeding. I got breastfeeding established once I was home.

edam · 29/10/2009 20:39

ooh yes, training for health care assistants too - for EVERYONE who comes into contact with p/g women and mothers, no matter what their professional title.

JetLi · 29/10/2009 20:41

Agree with everyone who says to be more honest about it being painful at first. I'd have appreciated that bit of honesty up front. I got the DVD (TBH I still haven't watched it), but I was also given a copy of "A Mother's (and others) Guide to Breastfeeding" by my community midwife (website www.mothersguide.co.uk) - I think it's a bloody marvellous 31 page publication. There's a problem solving chart at the back which says one of the causes of nipple soreness is due to nipple stretching and the solution is marked as "None - soon passes" which was true for me (6 or 7 weeks in I was pain free). It's the only source of information I had, which was honest about the pain, and I think I may have given up if I hadn't believed the pain would pass in time.

Not sure how many others have this guide? I still refer to it regularly.

Also, please train the GP's, as well as the HV's etc - mine insists breastmilk is richer in the morning! Drives me batty.

One thing I really hated was all the pushing and pulling of baby and boob on the postnatal ward and beyond. In my case it did eventually result in a temporary situation where DD screamed anywhere near the breast. I know it's possible to get a baby onto a breast without ramming the two together with force because at my (wonderful) local BF drop-in it was all done hands-off.

Might be a bit controversial, but I think what might have helped me was to have had an experienced BF Mum actually feed my daughter so that she properly, truthfully could comment on her latch etc. Then also it probably would have helped me to try feeding an experienced breastfed baby who knew what it was doing at the breast. As it was I felt like both me and my daughter didn't really have a clue at first.

Let's label cows milk as cow's breastmilk and label formula as Modified cow's breastmilk

shonaspurtle · 29/10/2009 20:42

Avril, I remember you from a previous thread - we gave birth at the same hospital. How's your dd now?

star6 · 29/10/2009 20:43

I've only read a bit of this thread tbh, but a big one for me would be to make sure women get the support they need straight away after the baby is born. When my DS was born 13 months ago, the MW asked if I wanted to bf. Then the paed and other dr said they would need to give formula as his blood sugar was low. I said I'd like to bf can you show me what to do? I have no idea and I want him to latch properly from the start. She smiled kindly and said "he will know what to do sweetheart" Well, guess what? He didn't. I asked several people before I got some help. One nurse came over and looked at my breast and told me it looked a bit chewed and to get some help with the latch. I remember thinking, ok... well why don't YOU help me??? I was stuck in that horrid hospital for 4 days in pain from the episiotomy and trying to get help. I had a bf counselor on my mobile but kept getting told off for using my mobile .
I continued to bf for a little over a year but only because I was determined to do so - I had cracked, sore, chapped, thrush...etc on nipples for a while and didn't feel secure in breastfeeding until 16 weeks! I saw a bf counsellor whenever I could, went to LLL meetings... but that was all on my own accord and because I was determined to do it. I know lots of people who give up very early because it hurts and they don't have the support they need.
MW's should not tell 1st time moms that their baby "will know what to do" because if they don't know exactly what to do, it HURTS. A LOT.

hazeyjane · 29/10/2009 20:43

Mums and partners to be given honest b'feeding information antenatally - with helpline numbers, information on how partners can provide support, advice on things like tonguetie, cracked nipples etc (information is power!).

more help provided at the very beginning - If things go wrong with a latch, tonguetie not identified etc it doesn't take long for nipple to crack, blister, etc which really can make it impossible to continue.

When help is provided, that MW/HV/volunteer whoever, helps through whole feed rather than seeing latch ok, then buggering off only for baby to slip off and it all to go tits up.

Simple clear information about milk supply, how soon after birth b'feeding needs to be established, weight gain etc.

Formula to be treated like a pharmaceutical, with research shared between countries and sold as a generic product. (Alright, that will never happen!)

I agree with the idea that if we can help the people that really want to bfeed (all of my friends started, and most of them gave up in the first couple of months because of issues around weight gain, cracked nipples, and milk supply), then b'feeding numbers will increase, and it will become more of a cultural norm.

Booooooooooyhoo · 29/10/2009 20:44

also, could it be brought into the curriculum?

at some local schools, child development is available as a gcse subject. bfing could be taught as part of the course and taught properly, that way being introduced to girls as the natural/normal way to feed a baby, before it actually comes down to a decision.

actually, no reason why it just has to be taught to girls.

AitchTwoToTangOh · 29/10/2009 20:48

god, yeah, absolutely, get it taught in schools.

no one think my nhs direct idea is a good one? i know nhs direct is shite but at least it would put someone on the phone (unlike nct) and they can't go off-piste and start quoting myths cos they stick to a script.

shonaspurtle · 29/10/2009 20:53

Yeah, I do especially if they could also refer you to local support as i do think there's only so much help you can get on the phone.

I do think part of the problem is that a massive number of hcps think secretly, or not so secretly, that it's just not that important. You know, the way you get your gp telling you what they did or what their wife did, your hv tells you her daughter couldn't bf and her gs is just bonny etc etc etc. It all seems to be geared to getting you to ff. Probably because they just think you'd be happier, and well, it doesn't make any difference does it?

Booooooooooyhoo · 29/10/2009 20:53

oh yes aitch, nhsdirect idea is good, i think there are alot of good ideas so maybe people forget to mention which ones they think are good IYSWIM

shonaspurtle · 29/10/2009 20:54

(I do I do I do )

AitchTwoToTangOh · 29/10/2009 20:56

i remember the old days when threads were peppered with 'good post'... [nostalgic]

fishie · 29/10/2009 20:57

aitch i think your suggestion is excellent. inoffensive, cheap and effective.

AitchTwoToTangOh · 29/10/2009 20:59

excellent post, fishie.

AvrilH · 29/10/2009 21:01

It is a good idea, Aitch, but I think it could distract from the current options

  1. phoning your community midwife
  2. phoning nct/la leche

both those are better because the second will usually bring more trained support and the possibility of face to face contact

the first should lead to a knock on the door

Shonaspurtle - that goes back to another good post about it being important to train hcps in the why as well as the *how (btw my DD is doing well)

Booooooooooyhoo · 29/10/2009 21:01

good post aitch

star6 · 29/10/2009 21:02

Good post, Aitch

star6 · 29/10/2009 21:02

argh! Stupid slow computer! xposts boooooo

FaintlyMacabre · 29/10/2009 21:03

Totally agree with shonaspurtle (and indeed said something similar myself up-thread . I think a lot of HCPs and other people who are in contact with breastfeeding women believe that breastfeeding isn't really that important. If that is their opinion then no amount of training courses are going to make them effective at supporting women.

Booooooooooyhoo · 29/10/2009 21:06

sorry for hikack but did anyone see tonights emmerdale?

nicola told chas she was doing the most natural thing and what's best for her baby by breastfeeding. woul have been even better if it had shown her doing whats best for her baby. (i dont mean flashing her boobage but a glimpse of the baby wouldnt go amiss)

Booooooooooyhoo · 29/10/2009 21:08

hikack???? begging your pardon, i do of course mean hijack

AitchTwoToTangOh · 29/10/2009 21:09

i don't think it need detract from either of those things, tbh, if anything it would get people through the night and impress upon them the importance of some face to face the next day. and like i say, must've phoned the nct ten times and never got an answer, so that's far from a given.

anyway, like fishie says, adding an algorithm to nhsdirect will cost them fuck all and is at least a start, so it's something to think about.

shonaspurtle · 29/10/2009 21:10

lol good post earlier FM.

Maybe though it means that the courses for hcps have to be structured differently - to acknowledge that people will come to them with experiences/opinions that may colour their practice and the course should seek to explore these/convince them.

Maybe they're already structured like that. I dunno.

AitchTwoToTangOh · 29/10/2009 21:12

i think, from a previous convo on here, that the training that even midwives get in bfing is a matter of a few days on their midwifery course. then they can take another two day course every three years thereafter, but not if they don't want to. something like that, anyway. bullshit, basically.

Booooooooooyhoo · 29/10/2009 21:16

really aitch? i didnt know it was that little, i presumed they would do a refresher training course to keep in line with the most up to date info, at least annually.