Mummy in the foothills

What a horrible rude woman, If you'd have punched her it would have been justified

AlienUk

I have to admit, I did shed a couple tears over this (being as though I had just had the baby and was still hormonal). Then I was glad she'd been so horrible, because I was determined to breastfeed and this strengthened my resolve...

andrewdean

I am only quoting what the lactation consultant told us, as I am no expert I would have to defer to her knowledge. However it does make sense that if there is no change in breast size, then there is a good chance of being unable to provide enough milk. In our case it was about one teaspoon per breast, not enough for a growing baby. This caused considerable stress and disappointment to my wife, especially as so many experts pushed breast feeding.

The main point is do not expect that everyone will automatically be able to breastfeed and the doctors should warn mother who do not develop of the possibility rather than wait till the mother has given birth and then finds that she is unable to provide at a time great stress and hormone changes.

If you check out these two sites you will find more info

http://www.babycenter.com/0_breast-c...egnancy_262.bc


[QUOTE = http://www.007b.com/breast-development-3.php]
http://www.007b.com/breast-development-3.php

If your breasts do not grow any during a pregnancy, then that is a different issue, and may signal under-developed breasts. In that case you want to be prepared and talk to a lactation consultant before giving birth. [/QUOTE]

andrewdean

You were apparently lucky, unfortunately for some it is not an option and they should not be made to feel a failure as a mum simple because they cannot breastfeed.

As my wife tried for a number to weeks after our baby was born to pump milk in order to add to the formula, as well as presenting the breast to him, she definitely did try to breast feed. As it was we paid privately to have a lactation consultant come to house after we came home and my wife tried the supplements she suggested so I would not say that there was any lack of effort as she really wanted to breast feed.

Supplement
http://www.motherlove.com/product/51...-Capsules.html

Sally Redux

The problem is that using bottles usually makes it difficult to get the baby to take the breast. The sucking action is completely different.

fatbrit

TMI

andrewdean

Lactation consultant said latching and sucking were not a problem, also recommend what type of nipples and bottles to get as some are better at mimicking human breast than others.

cindyabs

I just knew it would all come back to nipples.

Sally Redux

Sort of, but as a general point if you want to breastfeed, bottles and dummies should be avoided.

scrubbedexpat097

Reread what I said. I know how disappointed your wife must have felt, especially after she tried. My gripe is with the people who have no intention of even giving their baby the chance to start on breast milk because that is not what they believe having breasts is for.

I only breast fed my first child for 3 months as my breasts stopped producing milk, my father died suddenly and my GP told me that sometimes a sudden shock to the system will dry up the milk supply. I know that made me feel very inadequate, so I sympathize with your wife. Thankfully with my second child I had no problems and breast fed him for 12 months.

andrewdean

My gripe is that the doctors did not warn us about the possibility, prior to the birth they only looked at below the waist. We did attend a class on breastfeeding and the lactation consultant/nurse running the class made it sound as though it would be automatic. They only went on about feeding positions and latching. To me it appears as though there should also be some medical care and assessment during pregnancy to see that the breasts are going to be able to produce. If we had been warned earlier we could have started on the supplements and also not have been so stressed after the birth. We just glad as due to the 'extended' stay in hospital the issue was addressed before we left. otherwise it would have been the first visit with the Pediatrician about ten days later.

I do find that they have fast turn around here at the hospitals, normal birth out the door in 24 hours and C section 48 hours, luckily our insurance covered us for a fixed price and we had 5 days before discharging. Is this the same in the UK these days?

The Horticulturalist

Turnaround is fast in the UK too, I know that can seem like you're being flung out the door, but the longer you stay the more you risk hospital acquired infections.

I worked with breastfeeding mums for several years as a community nurse, you really can't tell prior to birth whether someone will have enough milk, there's really no way to know ahead of time that I'm aware of.

Bottom line is that there's a lack of knowledge out there, far less people breastfeed now than don't. I heard many health professionals, including midwives, GPs and paediatricians give out some of really poor breastfeeding advice.

Bob

But a nurse comes to check in on you fairly soon and regularly....whilst out here it's weeks before you see a doctor again, well a month.

The Horticulturalist

At home you mean? Yes, the postnatal care in the UK much better, you get a midwife every other day or so until the baby is 11 days old, then the Health Visitor sees you and you usually are seen by your GP in the first week you are home.
GP sees the baby again at 6 weeks, unless it's changed since I stopped working.

Mallory

Yet, more US babies are breastfed than in the UK. Must be better at it! LOL.

http://www.babyfriendly.org.uk/items...l.asp?item=108

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databri...tm#More_Likely