Do you have questions about breastfeeding? Ask PHE’s expert

[JustineBMumsnet]

Whether you’ve struggled to breastfeed in the past or you’re pregnant for the first time and new to thinking about breastfeeding, PHE would like to help answer the questions you have about breastfeeding, and they have breastfeeding expert Jane Scattergood on board to help.

Here’s some information about Jane:

“Jane qualified as a midwife in 1992, and is a specialist health visitor. With a long career in supporting women and families in all aspects of health from pre-conception to school age, Jane has supported breastfeeding mothers and promoted breastfeeding extensively and in all settings, acute neonatal hospital care, community health visiting (including supporting the training of breastfeeding peer supporters) and around the time of birth in hospital and home."

Ask Jane your questions about breastfeeding by 1st June 2018 and we’ll select 10-15 questions for her to answer and post her responses as soon as possible. All who leave a question below (regardless of whether it’s chosen or not) will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £150 voucher for a store of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck

MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs apply

[Natsai1]

How do I wean my 2 year old off the breast? I have been trying for some time but he uses it to help him sleep

[CollyWombles]

@whofuckingknows I have never heard of that before. Yes it does sound like DMER. The emotions on let down were definitely irritation and despair.

[ThenBellaDidSomethingVeryKind]

Do you think it is important to make pregnant mums aware that breastfeeding can be hard work, and time consuming, in the early weeks? FWIW, I breastfed both my dc for 6 months, and was well prepared the second time round, but on the first occasion the length of time a feed took, their frequency, and the ‘art’ of getting a good latch were all very much surprises. I think because of the drive to encourage breastfeeding professionals don’t always give a realistic picture, and I don’t think this would necessarily put mums off.

[Whofuckingknows]

That was meant to be a reply to CollyWombles.

[Whofuckingknows]

Could be a form of DMER?

[Tortycat]

Bf dc1 was a nightmare due to an undiagnosed tongue tie. I was told endless times by midwives, hv etc that his latch was fine. By the time it was diagnosed at 5 weeks it was too late to get back to ebf do we mix fed til 1.

dc2s tongue tie was also missed at the hospital despite me asking them to make sure, but luckily was spotted by the midwife and clipped in soecialist centre at 3 days. It made such a difference and still bf dc2 at 2.5 years.

• why are services to support/ diagnose tongue tie so patchy? what training do midwives get? I'd not even heard of this before having my first baby (nct class was useless re this aspect).

[CollyWombles]

I am newly pregnant with my 5th DC. My previous 4, I express breastfed for around 4 months before moving to formula.

I had a strange issue with breastfeeding in that the let down sensation made me feel sick to the point of throwing up. I hated the feeling and would have to put DC1 down to run to the nearest sink.

I developed PND and 3 months of forcing myself to breastfeed ended in a final night where there was no milk to be had and I switched to formula. I was too scared to try breastfeeding again and developing PND with my subsequent children.

I am a lot older than I was with my 4dc and I think I would like to try to BF DC5 when he or she arrives. Have you ever heard of my specific issue with the let down? Is there anything I can do that could help me successfully breastfeed?

[IWasThere4Aug12]

Once BF is established do babies really get confused switching between bottle and breast?

[MakeYourOwnFuckingTea]

I'm very overweight and embarrassed by my boobs. Whenever dd needed feeding I would have to go home as I was unable to discreetly feed like my friends could. Do you have any advice for those in a similar position?

[QueenOfPharts]

Do you think that every mum that wants to can breastfeed or are there some cases where it is actually physically impossible?

[BadlyWrittenPoem]

How can a new mum inexperienced at breastfeeding access help to find out if the baby is latching correctly?

[Natsai1]

My milk did not come in till 5 days after my son was born. As a result my son was not interested in being breast fed as he was use to the bottle by then. What could I have done to help encourage my milk to come in sooner and to help my son accept the breast? I really didn’t want to bottle feed but he just wasn’t interested in the breastfeeding every time I tried.

[Highfever]

Advice on feeding a toddler in public appreciated. He gets very distracted and then frustrated as he still wants milk/ comfort/ sleep. Fedup with boob gymnastics. He's 17mths and I know i need to redefine our feeding boundaries if it's to continue happily til he weans naturally- just struggling with the tantrums.

[dannydyerismydad]

Why is breastfeeding support so patchily funded up and down the country? Don't you think it's time to remove responsibility for commissioning services away from CCGs and put a proper national support scheme in place?

[PollyCotton]

Why do so many HCPs think they're entitled to stick their fingers in my baby's mouth & decide whether the posterior tongue tie is big/tight/serious enough to be causing problems? My eldest ended up diagnosed with failure to thrive, my second & third both had their PTTs cut after I demanded to see the IBCLC. Everyone else - multiple HVs, GP & "infant feeding specialist" at the hospital - offered to "check" if there was a tie that might be affecting feeding & every single one of them told me there was no problem. I went from agonising feeds that made me bleed to absolutely no pain once the scabs had healed.

Why are people who are supposedly trained to support exhausted, vulnerable women learning to breastfeed not being taught properly about tongue ties? I think breastfeeding rates would go up if those supporting new mothers understood that there's more to feeding than what looks like a good latch.

[NeverTwerkNaked]

A few questions from me

• with both mine I ended up with extended hospital stays. I am convinced that is what helped me establish a latch and keep the breastfeeding going even when it felt so hard. Do you think women might benefit from having the option to stay longer in hospital and getting more support?
  

• a lot of GPs and other medical specialists (outside allergies) still seem blissfully unaware that breastfed babies can react to allergens a mother has eaten. My son ended up very ill before he got better because i was laughed at by a GP when I asked if it could be something I was eaten. What is the general advice if you think your baby might be reacting to something you are eating?
  

• I’m concerned that certain breastfeeding advocates spout nonsense that can lead to bottle feeders feeling needless guilt. I heard all kinds of nonsense about “closer bonds if you breastfeed” when pregnant with my first, but when I had to switch to bottles because of his allergies I actually felt much closer to him and my PND diminished (because he was no longer so horribly unsettled). Do you think the breastfeeding / bottle debate should be presented purely factually without any of the manipulative subjective fluff about “bonding”?

[lulu12345]

Do any foods / drinks help increase your milk supply or is this a misconception?

Do all women produce different volumes of milk, and for that reason need to feed at different intervals? (Ie I have to feed my daughter every two hours)

How much volume of milk does a baby take from the breast at different ages?

I’m returning to work when daughter is 7 months old.. can I still breastfeed her morning, evening and overnight but leave a gap of up to 11-12 hours? Can the body adjust to this schedule?

[BaconCrispsGone]

How common is it for a woman to 'not have enough milk'? As opposed to getting bad advice or mot really wanting to breastfeed.

[BonjourMinou]

I breastfeed my 11 week old but let him have the odd bottle of formula (max 1 per day, some days none) to practice bottle feeding ready for when I return to work. I do this because I'm no good at expressing - third baby and I've given up!

Will the formula have a negative impact on the benefits of breastmilk? (I.e the way it lines baby's stomach)
Will it affect supply in the long term?

[LondonTheNovel]

I BFed my first child til he was two, all normal.

Second child, I can't remember exactly how early on, but I think within the first week - she only takes from one side. I am still BFing her now at age three and she has never bothered with the other side in all this time - any idea what that's all about?! (I mentioned feeding first child normally as obviously both breasts were working fine for him!).
And should I be worried at all about myself - is it a possible indication something is wrong? I did actually have a mammogram a while ago (not because of this) and all looked fine, but still I sometimes wonder!

[hodgeheg92]

Any tips for avoiding mastitis again?

[GetKnitted]

Sorry LostMyBaubles my post wasn't a direct reply to your question, just coincidence. My personal view of my own experience was that having Morphine* completely ruined the first days with my first DS. I wish you very well with your coming birth and, if you do need extra pain medication, of course you should take it.

*named so to make the doctors feel comfortable

[GetKnitted]

Why do you think the midwifery profession turns so quickly to giving mothers in labour heroine, when it has clear and potentially devastating effects on mothers and their babies in the first days of their life together when they should be establishing a lasting bond. Why is follow up care for drugged new mothers so lacking, why is there such limited awareness of the potential for potentially unusually lengthy reactions to heroine treatment and for how long will this situation continue?

[LostMyBaubles]

Im pregnant with my 4th ans ive never successfully breastfed.
Im adamant that this time I will get it right.
What tips/ things do you recommend?

I do have very medicated births and pphs etc does thos effect anything??

Thank you

[TillyTheTiger]

I am breastfeeding my 2yo son a couple of times a day. We've been TTC our second child for 10mo without success (we got pregnant with DS on the first try). My periods have returned and are fairly regular - but could breastfeeding be affecting my fertility?