Yeah I think even if GPs etc don't try and fix the problem themselves, but just refer to LC's it would be a start. Same with MCHN's. Might as well ask the next door neighbour for advice as go to the GP or nurse these days.
Yeah I think even if GPs etc don't try and fix the problem themselves, but just refer to LC's it would be a start. Same with MCHN's. Might as well ask the next door neighbour for advice as go to the GP or nurse these days.
for the last few days, i've had a million things running around my head that i want to add to this thread... i just never have the brain power to sit down and get it all out... i'm gonna give it a bloody good bash now tho...
i have found breast feeding to be the hardest thing i have ever encountered... but, i would never ever have given up no matter what, i still find it hard now, and Eden will be 21 weeks old tomorrow. But when its all finished and we get to a year or maybe 2 i will look back and go-"my gawd, we did it", and it will be one of the greatest acheivements of my life.
You know how people have lists of things they want to do and see in their life? Well, on my list when i die will be, successfully breast fed my babies...
And having got this far with Eden there are so many things i have yet to do with breast feeding,- feed her in the bath(we dont have a bath), feed her during my next pregnancy & labour (if she hasnt weaned herself by then), perhaps tandem feed... so many things...
In saying all of this i dont want to come across like a complete nonsense hippy i just want it to be known that i am a better person for doing this. I never knew how lovely life could be.
More women should be able to and be encouraged to breast feed, it should be so bloody 2nd nature to walk past a woman at a cafe feeding her child at the breast and for her to not be gawked at or sniggered, or even to be made to feel like a world champion caz someone goes-"oh your breast feeeding, good on you for giving it a go."
I'm really annoying myself here caz i know im jumping all over the place with my thoughts, its just i feel so passionate about this and i cant seem to word it all properly...
Breast feeding and tolerance of and education of and understanding of and believing in SHOULD just be here and availabe to everyone. It is currently been treated as a fad or choice to consider for women having babies. Just as much importance needs to be placed on it as does every aspect of birthing ur baby.
Argh, im just going around in circles, i think i'll come back and post again when i can present my thoughts in a logical way....im upsetting myself here because this is so important to me, in fact its making me cry writing it all out.
I am supportive of everyone doing whatever they feel is best for them and their babies, just why is it that there is a whole half aisle of formula at supermarkets?? And so many woman feeling so helpless and beating themsleves up as failures when not having support for breast feeding???
I loved your post Edensmumma - I know just what you mean... You said so much even though you feel you were "jumping around"... Well done on persevering if that's what is important to you... :hug:
Yes, Cailin's proud Mummy moment is something we all need to aspire to; seeing each other's point of view. I have not made a decision about future breastfeeding based on this forum, I simply highlighted how judgemental breastfeeding women can be and this does make other women feel inadequate if it doesn't work out. The feelings of inadequacy are central to this debate and should not be ignored. Yes, Flowerchild, I agree that judgement does happen sadly on both sides. Your persistance with breastfeeding is admirable given the circumstances you found yourself in. So breastfeeders need to 'impart knowledge and support breastfeeding' in a very sensitive and cautious way. This presents a difficulty because breastfeeding education also needs to be explicit and available. Very interesting article on 'formula's' (in general); it has defintely given me a lot to think about. I didn't realise how unaccountable formula companies were. It also raised the question for me about how accountable breastfeeding mothers are for their diet and milk supply to the baby.
If my comments were 'outrageous' or hurtful to others, I apologise. I could have used more tact in expressing my concerns regarding Omega 3's and that period after birth before milk supply is sufficient.
Let's not clog the forum with right and wrong posts. I do apologise for any offence, just wanted to add my story.
Luvabub - it is so very true breastfeeding mothers do need to be accountable for what they put into their bodies... An extension of pregnancy really. It's a really positive thing though. It always makes you stop and think before you put something in your body...
Really enjoyed reading your post Edensmumma :)
Regarding diet, I've been taking a multivitamin specific for BFing women as well as InLiven which, between the 2 products, I think covers just about every trace element needed for both maternal and child health. So if you don't like sardines ;) then I'm sure there are other more palatable means of providing your baby with a list of "ingredients" just as impressive as that on the side of a tin....and more, including anitibodies to the latest cold bug that is going around! Also, correct me if I'm wrong but if the milk-making body is running low of a few vitamins etc it will direct them into the milk first? (Before allowing them to be absorbed by the mother's body).
Thanks Chloe for posting that article on artificial BM. Very concerning. I'm definately getting a prescription to relactate (my left side) now... I would have thought ABM would have been more regulated, like a medicine maybe... what are vegetable fats doing in there? A newborn's digestive system wouldn't be geared up to digest that... so I guess it would go straight through their body? From my understanding of (school LOL) biology if you don't have the enzyme present in your body to link up with and help digest each substance in the food then that element of food will just be eliminated? Anyhow...I'll do the reading, don't need a biology lesson here :) It also got me thinking that I guess at the end of the day, ABM is a money making exercise, and if they can get away with substituting a cheap ingredient for a more expensive "optimal" ingredient they would :(
Once again, would just like say that i'm glad this isn't a pro/against formula debate anymore... I have been using ABM as a complimetary singular bottle ... and it doesn't appear to have done my baby any harm... so I'm not suddenly going to be critical of those who choose to stick with it... it's just not my personal choice IF I can re lactate my left side.
I am going into my 4th week of breastfeeding and still struggling. I have seen breastfeeding consultants, doctors, am taking Motilim and fenugreek to aid milk supply. I have bought a pump and express to aid milk supply and am still supplementing with formula so I am not against formula as without it my little one would be malnourished. I am trying so hard to breastfeed (have spent over $1000 on professional advice, medication, pump etc) as I feel the pressure from the public/bfc/and myself (cause its better for baby) to breastfeed but after getting so depressed a week ago and worried I was getting post natal depression (was crying all day at drop of hat) I have decided to take a different view. Breast is best and every day I manage to feed is one more day she gets the benefit but I can't get that upset, tired and depressed that I am no good to her or myself (do women who start bottle feeding maybe get to this point and can't go on??). When I look back the only thing that may have helped me would be not getting conflicting advice and differing techniques of attachments by nurses in hospital and being able to seek advice from BFC from day one (the hospital I attended does not allow you to pay an independent BFC to see you in hospital while you are a patient (you have to have whatever nurse is on).
On saying all of that I still believe breast is best and I will persevere for as long as my sense of humour allows me to.(my motto is "every breastfeed counts").sorry this is so longwinded (am very passionate on this topic at present)
Janey- every breast feed counts is a beautiful way of looking at it.
Janey, :hug: it took me nearly 5 weeks to stop making a visible wince whenever I realised DS was hungry. I had the associated vasospasm (psychological response becoming physiological and PAINFUL) until about week 9 or 10 before I realised it had gone all together. If you can make it past this, there is every reason to believe that you will come to a point where you will say to yourself 'THIS is what it's all about!'. What got me through, as Tanby says, was drilling into myself that the benefit was way beyond myself and that it was about the ultimate wellbeing of my child - coupled with a decision to have faith in what other nursing mothers (friends, who had their initial problems, too) around me were saying, and that was "it WILL come together and you won't look back". When mummies around you give you negative stories, ignore them, but when they are giving you something positive, I've learned to grab at those snippets because they get you through, and they are based on truth :) But I hear you, for me, at 4 weeks things were still horrendous (he had his tongue tie snipped at 4 weeks, but it doesn't magically fix it instantly...he needed to relearn how to suck with his new tongue!), and it was all I could do to remain positive through eyes spililng out tears and apologising profusely to DS. In hindsight, hopefully, you will see that 4 weeks, 6 weeks, even 12 weeks is a blip on the timescale and you WILL get through this :) ETA: sorry, meant to say that I also received conflicting advice, about attachment, and an LC in the MCHN system got me through. I just cannot understand why a policy would be upheld when it is adversely affecting the health of you and your child. Our 'system' has so far to go.
Janey - you are doing a wonderful wonderful job... Such dedication and steadfastness. Well done. Blessed Thistle is another wonderful herb for increasing supply. An old midwife once told me also to soak a handful of almonds overnight and then drink the water and eat the nuts in the morning. This is said to increase supply and produce creamy milk. I have tried both and do think it helped me...
Some great news to those in Melbourne:
:
I wanted to also mention that you may wish to let your Melbourne based members know that we will be having Community Statements at 2.00pm at the hearing next Thursday. This is where anyone can give a three minute statement to the Committee that will be regarded as evidence. They only have to give their first name and can say whatever they want.
Oh I wish I could be there....
If anyone in Melbourne can go then do it. I went to the one in Cairns. It was brilliant and I got to say my 2 cents worth. If you have written a submission make sure you mention that when you talk. The more mums they here the better.
Kelly... could you post the location/times here please... although I might not be able to go because of the boys (no one to care for them).
Bathsheba you can take your kids. The only down side I had was I was in and out of the room and missed some of the speakers.
Janey - hang in there! I remember four weeks (ouch ouch ouch plus no weight gain for bub) and it does get better. It hurt for three months (tho nothing like those early weeks) and now it's only painful if the teeth get in the way when my boy is distracted :) What got me through was lots of Tim Tams, rasberry leaf tea, counting to 10 (or 20 or 30 if needed) outloud, and the mantra "this too shall pass" ... and the knowledge that it was good for my baby, not to mention a helluva lot easier when we went out or travelled. Good luck!
I havent had enough time to read through all of the posts, so I am sorry if I am repeating anything discussed.
I had great support with my first baby, however only managed to successfully breastfeed for 4 1/2 to 5 mths. I found it really hard as there was nowhere really for me to breastfeed when I was out and about. I am a particularly shy person and in Tasmania there are not many places with good parent rooms where you can breastfeed in privacy. I have since had another baby who is still breastfed. However this is more to my sheer determination rather than support from the general community. I have gone and sat in the car park in my car numerous times to feed him and had my husband hold a blanket to help with my privacy at times that I havent been able to get to somewhere private.
So basically I think it needs to be put out there that breastfeeding is a normal thing, as I think a lot of people still see it as an alternative thing to do not a normal one. Just the other day I was speaking to a mum at DD's kinder who didnt know that cloth nappies were around these days and when I spoke about breastfeeding I got a plain nup I wasnt going there. Not that this lady has anything against it, I just think there needs to be more education in the general society. As far as education for mothers, I'm not sure if they offer it in the public system as I went private, but a pre birth breastfeeding class should be encouraged with part of pre-natal care. I attended a free class before I had DD and it was a great experience to hold baby dolls and learn how I should hold them, ask all the questions and know what to expect. I actually went into it thinking that I would get blisters, cracked nipples etc. Luckily I didnt get any of these, but I knew that breastfeeding was something that both me and my baby would have to learn together not just something that would happen perfectly the first time.
Love
My beautiful girl was born full term and slightly jaundiced in a private hospital. We were moved out of hospital and into a hotel suite within 26 hours of her birth. The midwives would come in and out and all offer different advice on feeding and attachment, and none of them stayed to watch an entire feed from start to finish.
When I left the hotel I was not sure about feeding and did not think that my milk had come in. I was informed that it had and not to worry about it. I was also concerned that my baby was nrealy always asleep and would not stay awake for feeding - again I was advised not to worry.
7 days after she was born my milk actually came in. This was 3 days after I had returned home. Despite my fears about my sleeping baby who didn't feed properly everyone said she was fine, including the local maternal child nurse.
10 days after she was born my baby was admitted to the Royal Children's Hospital in the neo-natal ward for what they described as "silent starving". She had not been feeding all that time and my milk had disappeared. She was treated for jaundice and then given feeding tubes. I dealt with a lactation consultant to try and get my milk back, and luckily it worked. After 4 really hard days in hospital, my baby and I returned home and this time she actually was feeding.
If one person had actually sat with me for an entire feed, they would have seen that my girl was not feeding, very drowsy and attachment per se was not the problem. I have never felt more upset in my entire life and a complete failure.
My girl is now 8 months old and thriving - more by my good judgment in a fog of sleeplessness that something was wrong.
I also felt a complete lack of support for feeding from my parents and their friends. As we were all bottle fed, they find breastfeeding too primal and public. My father still leaves the room and my mother is embarrassed.
Baby is now great and we are now feeding once at night after her dinner and bath, when I am home from work.