*Breastfeeding Uncovered - Channel 4*

[Princess81]

La Leche league are an awesome support for anyone wanting to BF. I wish I’d known about them when I had mine. I would never pressure anyone to BF, but you’ll find most women start off saying that they want to, so it’s up to us to support that choice. That means having baby at the boob a LOT in the first few weeks when you’re knackered and sore, and baby doesn’t settle well because they are trying to create a better supply for the next day’s food. It’s so hard to explain the physiology of breastfeeding, which i suppose is why some midwives come across as pushy over it.

 

[night owl]

I’m definitely going to try my very best to do it, and yes IVW you’re totally right all of our midwives, nurses and other care/support staff do do a wonderful job in the end, they all deserve huge credit, gosh it’s making me nervous now thinking am I going to able to successfully do it or not and I’m not even preggers!

I’ll know where I’ll be coming for support though - this forum

 

[IVW]

I’m definitely going to try my very best to do it, and yes IVW you’re totally right all of our midwives, nurses and other care/support staff do do a wonderful job in the end, they all deserve huge credit, gosh it’s making me nervous now thinking am I going to able to successfully do it or not and I’m not even preggers!

I’ll know where I’ll be coming for support though - this forum

Hell yes

 

[Selly]

I saw the subject and thought here we go... so happily surprised to see the discussion on here
I was all about breastfeeding before having ds. I was all about home birth. But neither were meant to be for me in the end!!
If I can bf next time round I will, but if we have the whole host of issues we had last time (to the point a lactation consultant suggested I go on blood meds that people take for agina because of nipple circulation issues!!!! So many crazy things!!!) then I will try to last as long as I can and not beat myself up again about it
I think the pressure put on is an issue. I spent the first month a complete nut case as I was convinced I was damaging my son by being able to breastfeed and getting no sleep as I was pumping. To the point I would be sobbing a lot and caught myself doing it infront of my son. So I really didn’t enjoy our initial newborn time together.
It took a month and a cranial osteopath )another suggestion by lactation consultant) to say there’s nothing wrong with your baby and he might now just be picking up on your stress. Why don’t you formula feed he will be fine. For me to finally allow myself to be ok about it.
Sorry, rambling. But it’s such an emotive subject for some people (I.e. me being one of them!) still feel some guilt about it.
I think people who have an easier ride with bf are really lucky but sometimes don’t understand how hard it can be. Even with all the support I had and paying loads for experts it still didn’t work xxx

 

[IVW]

I saw the subject and thought here we go... so happily surprised to see the discussion on here
I was all about breastfeeding before having ds. I was all about home birth. But neither were meant to be for me in the end!!
If I can bf next time round I will, but if we have the whole host of issues we had last time (to the point a lactation consultant suggested I go on blood meds that people take for agina because of nipple circulation issues!!!! So many crazy things!!!) then I will try to last as long as I can and not beat myself up again about it
I think the pressure put on is an issue. I spent the first month a complete nut case as I was convinced I was damaging my son by being able to breastfeed and getting no sleep as I was pumping. To the point I would be sobbing a lot and caught myself doing it infront of my son. So I really didn’t enjoy our initial newborn time together.
It took a month and a cranial osteopath )another suggestion by lactation consultant) to say there’s nothing wrong with your baby and he might now just be picking up on your stress. Why don’t you formula feed he will be fine. For me to finally allow myself to be ok about it.
Sorry, rambling. But it’s such an emotive subject for some people (I.e. me being one of them!) still feel some guilt about it.
I think people who have an easier ride with bf are really lucky but sometimes don’t understand how hard it can be. Even with all the support I had and paying loads for experts it still didn’t work xxx

Thank you soo much for your input - its always good to get peoples experiences in, so we arent so narrow minded about it.

You shouldn't have felt guilty as you definitely tried SO hard to make it work, but i know thats easy for me to say and as a mother you would end up sitting there almost 'beating yourself up' about it and really shouldnt.

You meant well and definitely did the best you can and what will be will be

Again it all comes down to education, its taken for me to be in this forum to really understand how making a baby really works, god that sounds bad and i will also be coming here for education on breast feeding.

 

[keeptrying14]

I tried and tried with my dd but she was not having any of it. Even the bf lady said some babies just don’t take well to it. With my ds he took straight away and I did it for 4 months and weaned him off. Personally I didn’t really enjoy it but did it as I knew it was a good thing. I think you can’t stres about it just go with the flow try and bf if it doesn’t work then there is formula. Fed is best in my opinion

 

[Chase]

I have breastfed both my kids.

My first couldn't latch due to health issues so I expressed and bottle fed for a year. The hospital pushed formula on me so much despite my wishes being expressed several times. They refused to help me to breastfeed in the early days, it was awful. My kids didn't eat for the first 36 hours of his life due to complete lack of support. I remember being told to hand express but I had literally no idea what that meant or how to do it!

With my second baby breastfeeding was a bit easier. He latched straight away but bobbed on an off my boob struggling. Then on our second day in hospital and axillary literally took him off my boob because I was 'doing it wrong'. It took 5 days to get him to latch again!!

As he was my second baby people assumed I didn't need help but I had never fed from my boob before it was hard.

The programme wasn't a bf vs ff debate. It was a programme around the lack of support for mums who choose to breastfeed but end up stopping because of lack of support.

I'm not anti ff at all, but I find in every mum group everytime someone mentions bf it turns into a debate!

 

[Kholl]

I breastfed my first until she was 3.5 and my son until he was 2.5. My youngest is almost 2 and still going strong. I didn't set out to nurse for so long, but it's worked for us. I hope to be able to provide this next baby with the same. And I nurse in public and am pretty good at being discreet about it.

I do realize I'm lucky that nursing has come relatively easily to me and that my babies have taken to it. My son did have allergy issues and I had to have a restricted diet for a while but he outgrew that around the age of 1.

I think formula is like c-sections... absolutely vital and life-saving but also a last resort. I do believe if you are signing up to have a baby, you should be prepared to give your all to breastfeeding too. The benefits over formula are so significant I don't think they are negotiable. Breastmilk has compounds that kill cancer cells, and it sets up the baby's gut flora for a lifetime of better health. I read an article about how the mother's nipples absorb the baby's saliva, then the mother's body analyzes the saliva for any traces of infection or illness, and then PRODUCES specific antibodies for those illnesses or inections that then get delivered to the baby via breastmilk. I mean, you can't make up stuff that crazy! Humans simply can't engineer something that smart.

That said, we also don't know just how resilient and adaptable infants and humans are in general, so there's a lot to be said for that. Sometimes formula is the only option, but I don't think it should ever be the first one.

 

[night owl]

Wow kholl I didn’t know that, that’s amazing, thanks for sharing - we are told all the time ‘breast is best’ but it’s never really fully explained why, maybe if more women knew the full benefits of it they would be more willing to at least try it, I was breastfed until I was 2 and have hardly ever been ill - never had a tummy bug, I shared a house during uni with 5 people who had norovirus at the same time and didn’t get it, hardly ever get a cold either, could be a coincidence or could be the breast milk!

 

[DeeDeeAbi]

Bf always opens a can of worms doesn't it. My thoughts are that as a nation we do need to change our attitudes towards it and 100% there needs to be more support. I also think that choices should be respected, I hate it when you see mums at each other when really all we're trying to do is do our best and get through the tough bits!
For me personally, I had no support with my first and I gave up trying after a week. Second son I managed to express for two weeks and gave up when my husband went to work. My informed choice. We also unfortunately had a situation where a close friend recently lost their child and it just makes me grateful that I have my children with me- fed however!! Breastmilk is amazing, wonderful stuff and I really admire mums who do it but it's not the be all and end all of creating decent, caring and clever human beings. Sorry for the ramble.
Wow, that's a great fact kholl!! Xx

 

[WinterWolf]

Everyone tells me that if you don't want to breastfeed, be prepared for a battle at the hospital! Like, even bring your own bottles/formula because they might refuse to give them to you until you've had a real go at breastfeeding. I think I'll be doing a combination of breastfeeding and formula feeding. I really don't want to be the only one able to feed my baby so will be starting it on bottles of breastmilk as young as I can. I'll definitely have the formula around for if I can't express enough breastmilk though. I'll keep an open mind. Might not even be able to breastfeed, who knows!

And there was me thinking, it was just the british that were pushy for BF, so are they like that over in Oz?

So I've heard! I grew up in NZ and they're even worse for being pushy there. My friend there had a pediatrition tell her she wasn't taking proper care of her daughter by formula feeding her so wrong.

Some babies just don't latch properly and some mothers just don't produce enough milk. That's why I say give it a go and stay open to formula if you need/want to use it.

 

[Shepherdess]

I breast fed my daughter until 2 weeks before her first birthday and then stopped due to me returning to work. I'd planned to continue during the night but once I cut down my supply just stopped. Hope to feed this baby to one or beyond.

I'm very pro breastfeeding and don't want to give my children formula. That being said I would never offer an opinion to my friends who ff, it's their choice, although my friends who breastfeed to get extra praise and love from me as I want to support them as much a possible

My husband is big pro breastfeeding. He hates the idea of formula and I have to remind him not to say anything at family meals as my sil's formula feed but he'd quite happily tell everyone his views. Not helpful I know (men shouldnt really be allowed to say anything) but I'm glad to have such a good supporter of my choices

I think women need much more support, I'm lucky and have found breastfeeding easy and natural and only ever had positive reactions but I know women who have struggled and quit even though they didn't want to.

 

[IVW]

I think formula is like c-sections... absolutely vital and life-saving but also a last resort. I do believe if you are signing up to have a baby, you should be prepared to give your all to breastfeeding too. The benefits over formula are so significant I don't think they are negotiable. Breastmilk has compounds that kill cancer cells, and it sets up the baby's gut flora for a lifetime of better health. I read an article about how the mother's nipples absorb the baby's saliva, then the mother's body analyzes the saliva for any traces of infection or illness, and then PRODUCES specific antibodies for those illnesses or inections that then get delivered to the baby via breastmilk. I mean, you can't make up stuff that crazy! Humans simply can't engineer something that smart.

Oh wow that is very interesting. I think nurses / midwifes just need to simply state the above and i am sure every new month will definately really try to bf a bit more than if they were left to decide on their own with no facts on why breast is best.

I was definitely going to at least try to breast feed, but now i know the above i will dam well hope that baby latches on

 

[IVW]

(men shouldnt really be allowed to say anything)

 

[IVW]

So...question....and i can imagine there will be some varying answers here...

When is the 'best' time to start weening your baby of the boob?

 

[WinterWolf]

So...question....and i can imagine there will be some varying answers here...

When is the 'best' time to start weening your baby of the boob?

Depends on when you/your baby wants to stop I think. Some people breastfeed for years with no problem. But a lot of babies will start to refuse the boob on their own. Could be at 5 months, could be 15 months. Like everything, it's different for every baby.

 

[IVW]

So...question....and i can imagine there will be some varying answers here...

When is the 'best' time to start weening your baby of the boob?

Depends on when you/your baby wants to stop I think. Some people breastfeed for years with no problem. But a lot of babies will start to refuse the boob on their own. Could be at 5 months, could be 15 months. Like everything, it's different for every baby.

So theres no, almost, 'recommendation' as to when you should be doing it?

 

[Akua]

So...question....and i can imagine there will be some varying answers here...

When is the 'best' time to start weening your baby of the boob?

Depends on when you/your baby wants to stop I think. Some people breastfeed for years with no problem. But a lot of babies will start to refuse the boob on their own. Could be at 5 months, could be 15 months. Like everything, it's different for every baby.

So theres no, almost, 'recommendation' as to when you should be doing it?

The world health organisation recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, then continuing to breastfeed for two years alongside a healthy diet, or longer if wanted

 

[IVW]

So...question....and i can imagine there will be some varying answers here...

When is the 'best' time to start weening your baby of the boob?

Depends on when you/your baby wants to stop I think. Some people breastfeed for years with no problem. But a lot of babies will start to refuse the boob on their own. Could be at 5 months, could be 15 months. Like everything, it's different for every baby.

So theres no, almost, 'recommendation' as to when you should be doing it?

The world health organisation recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, then continuing to breastfeed for two years alongside a healthy diet, or longer if wanted

Oh wow thats a lot longer than i thought.

God there is so much to learn

Need to get pregnant first though

 

[princessp]

So...question....and i can imagine there will be some varying answers here...

When is the 'best' time to start weening your baby of the boob?

Depends on when you/your baby wants to stop I think. Some people breastfeed for years with no problem. But a lot of babies will start to refuse the boob on their own. Could be at 5 months, could be 15 months. Like everything, it's different for every baby.

So theres no, almost, 'recommendation' as to when you should be doing it?

The world health organisation recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, then continuing to breastfeed for two years alongside a healthy diet, or longer if wanted

Oh wow thats a lot longer than i thought.

God there is so much to learn

Need to get pregnant first though

yes the world health organization recommend 2years as a minimum. After 6 months, the amount you feed declines as you start to introduce different foods. After a year most only do a quick morning and before bed feed