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

[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?

[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.

[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.

[BadlyWrittenPoem]

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

[QueenOfPharts]

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

[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?

[IWasThere4Aug12]

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

[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?

[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).

[Whofuckingknows]

Could be a form of DMER?

[Whofuckingknows]

That was meant to be a reply to CollyWombles.

[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.

[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.

[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