World Breast Feeding Week 2008 - August 1-7

[Sherlock]

How did I miss this? I was doing some reading on stats for BF'ing in the UK and elsewhere and other things on it all and lo lookie. Its this week!

World Breastfeeding Week site

I don't know enough women round here to organise a mass BF'ing event Mass PF one? How would that work

Breastfeeding was tough going in the early weeks. I had no problems with Galen latching or feeding nor did I suffer sore nipples or any other problem. Just he had a HUGE appetite and would feed for hours all the time. Even now he is on my boob every 90 minutes to 2 hours for up to 30 minutes. No sooner has one feed ended another seems to begin.

But saying that I love breastfeeding. Seeing the excitement in his face when he lands on my lap and faces my boobs. The way his head still weaves to root and he always closes one eye and has the other wide open till he latches on. The feeling of awe seeing his little button nose and his happy contented face when sucking away. The eye contact we share and his little smile up at me while sucking away. Hearing the little squeaks as he fills up. The slow tail off of sucking as his tummy fills until he goes into the comfort sucking and gentle slow pulls till he eventually sighs and smacks his lips as he pulls off my nipple. Then brings his hands over his face and curls up in my arms and snoozes for a few before waking up with renewed vigour and wanting some more

Love every single moment of it. Its all been so worth it and I hope to continue for as long as he wants it

I'm off to do some more reading on the whole BF v formula debate. When I'm done with that its off for a dreamfeed before bed

 

[Xena]

awww that's great that you and Galen both love the breastfeeding experience. You described it so beautifully

I had no idea it was world breast feeding week either!

Just 1 week and 3 days to go before I'll have been breastfeeding a year

 

[*Star*]

aw wow - i wish i was nursing!!!

can't wait till i am!

 

[Xena]

aw wow - i wish i was nursing!!!

can't wait till i am!

totally off topic but that little poem in your sig just made me bawl lol

 

[zebrastripes]

Yay for boobies!
Wasn't it National Breastfeeding Week in May?
I might go picket the formula shelf in the village chemist's

(not that I have a problem with formula, I just hate the way it is marketed)

 

[*Star*]

im so jelous of you boobie feeding mummies!!!!

i love that poem too

 

[Sherlock]

Yay for boobies!
Wasn't it National Breastfeeding Week in May?
I might go picket the formula shelf in the village chemist's

(not that I have a problem with formula, I just hate the way it is marketed)

No idea when the national week was I'm afraid. I only found the World one.

And I'm with you on the marketing of formula. It is misleading and no one advertises breastfeeding on TV to give women a more informed choice. Its left to HV and MW's etc to push (for want of a word) BF'ing which a lot of people seem to resent. Also many HV seem keen to push formula as top up feeding or some such over sticking with BF and seeing if it does get easier.

I recall so many times I could have easily given up on BF'ing as it was so demanding but the thought never crossed my mind. When my HV suggested expressing and top up I was horrified and it took me a while to come round to the idea of expressing even then. I felt then and feel now that BF'ing was the best thing I could do for my baby in the first 6 months and if possible beyond.

I was also shocked to read that the UK has some of the lowest recorded rates of BF'ing in Europe. We are sadly lagging behind places like Norway and Sweden who are well into the 90% area for BF'ing and have all kinds of incentives and so on in place. We currently fall below 50% and in some age groups far less again. And those numbers drop off once past 2 weeks and 2 months.

I know breastfeeding isn't for everyone and I've never been critical to anyones choice of formula over breast but its a shame that so many women who want to BF find it such a struggle and don't get as much support to get through those tough early weeks. That they end up giving up with BF and moving over to formula seems to happen all too often. Even my HV would have had me using formula from 3 weeks and I had a great supply and no problems with LO latching, just his appetite was huge and I was having problems stemming from his birth and really struggling with it all. Expressing was the other option and though I tried it, it didn't work for us so I stopped really quickly. Glad I did as now even though LO still is very demanding we've made it through the worst part and have come out the other side and its wonderful

You know what else I like about BF'ing? The cost. Or lack of it. The price of a couple of bras and a box of pads (I hardly leak anymore at all and have had the same box for weeks now). No bottles, no steriliser, no formula and no washing up I'm all for less work for me

 

[abcd1234]

Sherlock you have once again summed it up perfectly!!! I choose to BF cos it's natural and if my body would allow me to i wanted to give my baby that, i love the closeness and snuggling up on the sofa to feed, and i'm saving so much money doing it!

Plus how else would i get to walk around the centre of town feeding my baby? And no-one even noticed. I love it, and everytime she has a day where she feeds for hours on end i worry im not giving her enough and i may have to stop, i pray that day doesnt come until we're both ready.

I havnt had any extra support in BFing, but thats almost been my choice, in hospital they only helped with her first feed, the rest has all been down to us and Tally is a natural and has made it easy for me. Yes there was toe curling pain in the first weeks, and yes it does still hurt when she first latches on but once were over that its the easiest thing for us.

 

[daftscotslass]

It is misleading and no one advertises breastfeeding on TV to give women a more informed choice.

They do in Scotland. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJ_cHpunck0 I wonder why England and Wales haven't caught up with this? They need to do something about the law down there too - the law supports breastfeeding mothers here and it's about time the rest of the country was given that backup, too.

I would give my right arm to be breastfeeding right now.

 

[Lola's Mummy]

I love breastfeeding!

I agree it is about time England change the law to give breastfeeding mother's more support

 

[zebrastripes]

I wrote out a huge long post there, then my computer killed it but basically it was all about how the evil formula companies have played a direct role in the deaths of 13 million infants in LEDCs worldwide, how I am sick of opening a baby magazine to find about 10 ads for formula and none for breastfeeding....you get the general idea

 

[*Star*]

isn't there some law that stops formula being advertised though?

im sure there is something that restricts some part of it, though i cant think what...

 

[daftscotslass]

isn't there some law that stops formula being advertised though?

im sure there is something that restricts some part of it, though i cant think what...

It's illegal to advertise formula in the UK for infants under 6 months. They can advertise the likes of follow-on milks which have the company logos etc plastered all over them.

 

[Squiglet]

I wrote out a huge long post there, then my computer killed it but basically it was all about how the evil formula companies have played a direct role in the deaths of 13 million infants in LEDCs worldwide, how I am sick of opening a baby magazine to find about 10 ads for formula and none for breastfeeding....you get the general idea

I'm not against formula just Nestlé... they are evil... it just so happens baby milk comes into it..They also use child slave labour to make their chocolate... something to think about next time you munch on a kitkat..

http://www.babymilkaction.org/pages/boycott.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nestl%C3%A9_boycott
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZ2b99jxKW4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HtDCC_a ... re=related

BOYCOTT NESTLE

 

[Charlie:-)]

I just told hubby it was world bf week and he replied "oh well then you can walk around with your knockers out squirting milk at everyone" :-D i think national breastfeeding week was sometime in may cause i remember seeing an article in our local rag for a supporting event at ikea leeds. The week i brought Maia home from hospital i saw an ad on the tv for breastfeeding, haven't seen it since though.

 

[DebbieM]

Yep it was 11th-17th May this year. I shall be seeing if anyone knows it is WBFW tomorrow when I go to my breastfeeding cafe

 

[ASD123456]

I love BF too and agree there should be more support towards it from people ither than MW/ HV.

I'm particularly enjoying my squirting boobies at the moment although I don't thik Rudy like it too much as I keep getting him in the eye

Alex xxx

 

[beanie]

hurrah for boobies all over the world!

 

[BabyMagic]

I found it quite shocking to hear how many babies are bottle fed in the UK. I am from one of those 90% countries sited by Sherlock.

My poor mum (who I love dearly) suggested buying formula just in case, and as LO was crying (she was tired) after feeding. She said that perhaps she didn't get enough from my boobs. I took a boob out and squirted some milk out saying that there is enough in here that LO just doesn't want it She got the point. Bless her she had real trouble feeding us because of her medical conditioning and even in Scandinavia they didn't get much support in the old days.

 

[Xena]

My poor mum (who I love dearly) suggested buying formula just in case, and as LO was crying (she was tired) after feeding. She said that perhaps she didn't get enough from my boobs. I took a boob out and squirted some milk out saying that there is enough in here that LO just doesn't want it She got the point.

My mother always says the same thing, (that Alex isn't getting enough from my boobs) but as she is pro-breastfeeding, she never suggests formula. Instead she starts instructing me to "SQUEEEEEEEEZE your breast. He's not getting enough. Go on, give it a good SQUEEEEEEZE"