Comments on: Breast is best http://www.livingfordisco.com/2010/03/03/breast-is-best/ Fri, 10 Sep 2010 06:17:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Helen Long http://www.livingfordisco.com/2010/03/03/breast-is-best/comment-page-1/#comment-42580 Helen Long Sun, 11 Apr 2010 20:14:51 +0000 http://www.livingfordisco.com/?p=623#comment-42580 I so agree that more information and support needs to be out there. I had my twin girls prematurely at 32 weeks. I had to have an emergency C-Section as I was suffering with Pre-eclampsia. My girls were in the Intensive Care unit and I was 'encouraged' by the SCBU nurses to use a Breast pump so that my girls could have breast milk when they started them on feeds. This was not the 'start' I had envisaged for my daughters. Me expressing away and feeding them via a tube. Well this is what was called for and rise to the challenge I tried. Problem with having a c-section and a nice premature birth is that it can take sometime for the milk to come in. Nobody thought about telling me this so when I was expressing meagre amounts (10mls) I was heartbroken that I could not even do that maternal thing for my babies. I continued expressing for my girls while they were in special care (28 days) and continued to breast feed when they got home for 4 weeks. This whole time I had to supplement breast feeding with formula as my milk never came in fully. Your NCT lady is talking utter shite and it's women like her that put that ex tra pressure on new mums who are already coping with dealing with a new baby and all the worries that brings. Yes, breast is best. But sometimes at what detrement? Some women are purely unable to breastfeed (a friend of mine had a baby born with tongue tie and he was unable to latch on). Switching my girls to formula was the best move for my sanity and for my girls who thrived on it. Sorry if this sounds like a rant at you. It's SO not. It's a rant at the NCT lady! ;o) I so agree that more information and support needs to be out there.

I had my twin girls prematurely at 32 weeks. I had to have an emergency C-Section as I was suffering with Pre-eclampsia. My girls were in the Intensive Care unit and I was ‘encouraged’ by the SCBU nurses to use a Breast pump so that my girls could have breast milk when they started them on feeds.

This was not the ’start’ I had envisaged for my daughters. Me expressing away and feeding them via a tube. Well this is what was called for and rise to the challenge I tried. Problem with having a c-section and a nice premature birth is that it can take sometime for the milk to come in. Nobody thought about telling me this so when I was expressing meagre amounts (10mls) I was heartbroken that I could not even do that maternal thing for my babies.

I continued expressing for my girls while they were in special care (28 days) and continued to breast feed when they got home for 4 weeks. This whole time I had to supplement breast feeding with formula as my milk never came in fully.

Your NCT lady is talking utter shite and it’s women like her that put that ex
tra pressure on new mums who are already coping with dealing with a new baby and all the worries that brings.

Yes, breast is best. But sometimes at what detrement? Some women are purely unable to breastfeed (a friend of mine had a baby born with tongue tie and he was unable to latch on). Switching my girls to formula was the best move for my sanity and for my girls who thrived on it.

Sorry if this sounds like a rant at you. It’s SO not. It’s a rant at the NCT lady! ;o)

]]> By: Iota http://www.livingfordisco.com/2010/03/03/breast-is-best/comment-page-1/#comment-42563 Iota Thu, 04 Mar 2010 02:53:24 +0000 http://www.livingfordisco.com/?p=623#comment-42563 I was in agony every feed for 6 weeks with my first. Then a helpful breastfeeding counsellor gave me some advice over the phone, and solved the problem in 24 hours. I'm not sure it would have been better to know in advance. Yes, it wouldn't have been such a shock that breastfeeding wasn't instinctive and easy. On the other hand, for some women it is both those things. For them, anxiety in advance might become a self-fulfilling prophecy and make it harder than it needs to be. With numbers 2 and 3, it was still agony for a few days, but only for a few days, and much easier to bear as I knew it wouldn't last forever. Good for you, for sticking at it, and yes, it's definitely worth it in the end in terms of rewards reaped (in my opinion, but as you say, let's drop the guilt on this issue). I was in agony every feed for 6 weeks with my first. Then a helpful breastfeeding counsellor gave me some advice over the phone, and solved the problem in 24 hours.

I’m not sure it would have been better to know in advance. Yes, it wouldn’t have been such a shock that breastfeeding wasn’t instinctive and easy. On the other hand, for some women it is both those things. For them, anxiety in advance might become a self-fulfilling prophecy and make it harder than it needs to be.

With numbers 2 and 3, it was still agony for a few days, but only for a few days, and much easier to bear as I knew it wouldn’t last forever.

Good for you, for sticking at it, and yes, it’s definitely worth it in the end in terms of rewards reaped (in my opinion, but as you say, let’s drop the guilt on this issue).

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