Has any FF mums out there been to NCT Classes?

[xxxemmaxxx]

Just wondered whether anyone who was choosing to formula feed had attended NCT classes and how was it?

I went to the NHS antenatal class yesterday and was expecting it to be quite open minded but it wasn't - just got given a leaflet on how "bad" formula is. I've signed up to both as I thought NHS would cover it so now they haven't even more concerned that the NCT classes are going to be even more "formula is poison".

My OH asked the NHS teacher yesterday about whether our local hospital has milk there or do we have to take it and she replied "why don't you want to breastfeed", I said it's not for me and she said "oh maybe this film we're about to watch will change your mind" to which I replied (As it really annoys me) I don't think so.

I never realised before being pregnant how much of a taboo it is.. It makes me feel like my decision is wrong but how can it be when I know in the long run it's the best decision for me and my baby.

Sorry for the rant just expected different yesterday!

 

[JMB1992]

Hi. I did NCT and they were great. I would highly reccomend them. BUT they are very pro breastfeeding, so be warned. I was totally like you and hated the thought of breastfeeding. When my lg was born my mum thrust her upon my boob and from then on I have to admit I loved it and completely changed my opintion on it. Anyway that's a totally different story and understand if you have no intention on doing so but just wanted to share my story . I combination fed from 10 weeks and it worked really well.
I do agree with you that there is little info on formula feeding which I think is wrong. If there going to sell the product then there should be more info and support. I've found these forums most useful also another site called netmums has been great. X

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

I went to a NCT postnatal group with my son and was the only one FF lol. I didn't care though, I am not one to really be bothered by other people as I knew it was right for us. No one said anything negative to me xx

Personally I have had 3 children and never encountered any negativity towards bottlefeeding. With my most recent baby, I had it in my notes I wanted to BF but at hospital I asked for milk and no one said anything bad. In fact every HV or midwife I have seen throughout the whole pregnancy and aftercare just said you have to do whats best for the entire family. Just keep a strong mind that you know what you want and its less likely to affect you if anyone says anything bad xxx

 

[xxxemmaxxx]

Thanks for your views - I find it difficult being in groups so don't want to be the odd one out..!
I guess with all the press about BF at the moment I understand why it's important to cover it. What surprised me about yesterday was there was no "what if you can't BF, don't want to, doesn't work out" etc making me think of the mums that are planning to - no wonder people feel like they are in the wrong if they are basically told yeah it's hard work but it will work and then when it doesn't work out they think it's their fault.

Even my OH turned around and whispered "talk about ram it down your throat" which I had to smile at!

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

I couldnt have handled that lol Least you know you need to have an open mind

 

[Willow82]

My NHS antenatal class was exactly the same. I intended 100% to breastfeed and everyone else in my class said the same when the class leader asked. She then proceeded to ram down our throats the benefits of breast feeding and told us that 'every woman can physically breast feed'. There was no discussion of potential issues such as baby not latching, poor supply and mastitis.

When LO was born and I experienced all of the above issues leading me to give up expressing after 3 months, I felt a total failure for not being able to do it. I think if the antenatal class had been more honest about the realities of breast feeding, I wouldn't have been put off (which i guess they're worried about) but i would have felt more emotionally prepared for any potential problems. I blame the fact that I got incredibly stressed in the hospital by LO not latching for my milk not coming in properly.

 

[xxxemmaxxx]

Sorry to hear that Willow.. that must have been really unpleasant.

My main surprise yesterday was I thought it would have covered both but I was given leaflets, DVD's made to watch a patronising film with loads of new mums saying how easy it is etc and not one story of it not working out.. I'm sure for first time mums watching these types of things if you don't know the exact difficulties or basically the negatives then when they happen it must be really horrible.
When the woman got out a dolly (kids toy complete with dress) and a fake boob to say again it's as simple as this I just thought...

 

[Indi84]

I did Nct and my class was very open. Yes it was pro breast feeding, but it also covered all the issues, like cluster feeding and latch as well. I don't think we covered ff, but really it's not that much to cover.

I'm really pro the benefits of breast milk, but I did find it hard and after a month of expressing I ff. I'm thrilled my lo got that month, and thrilled he is thriving and happy on formula too.

Most hospitals will give you formula if you try and breast feed and it goes tits up (so to speak!) But won't provide it if ff is the intention from the start. I think that's fair enough personally. You can now buy starter formula kits to take in to the hosp.

 

[NickyKB]

I did NCT but I also BF for 7 months before switching to ff so not sure i'm a huge amount of help. They are pro breastfeeding (although they have officially changed their stance to be that they are there to support all mothers in feeding their baby whatever route they choose). We had a breastfeeding session as part of the course. it was really helpful for me they didn't really cover ff at all but the woman running that session was at least realistic about problems that can occur with BF (which i actually think was the most useful bit as i didn't go into it expecting it to be plain sailing).

It depends what you're going to the course for - I was more looking to meet a group of people I could meet up with as no-one around me here (except OH!) has a baby and i felt it was really important for us to have a group who were going through similar things to us. And that has worked out well for us. Of my NCT group of 6, 1 has FF from 2 weeks and she thought it was quite likely she would FF but she went to the BF session. A friends NCT group of 8 nearly half were FF by 2 weeks... She feared she would be an 'outcast' when they first met up post baby, but IRL no-one really cares how you feed your baby as long as they're fed.

I guess what i'm trying to say is think about why you're going to the classes in the first place if it's to meet people or get certain information i think they're great. they were a bit fluffy for me in places - but actually they were for most of my group and this actually turned out to be quite a bonding thing for us as we'd joke about it afterwards (i'm just not the kind to 'draw life before and after you've had the baby' i hate drawing but at least i humoured the woman leading that session wheras one of the girls used her piece of paper to create a list of what she needed to buy before baby came...)

 

[Indi84]

I did NCT but I also BF for 7 months before switching to ff so not sure i'm a huge amount of help. They are pro breastfeeding (although they have officially changed their stance to be that they are there to support all mothers in feeding their baby whatever route they choose). We had a breastfeeding session as part of the course. it was really helpful for me they didn't really cover ff at all but the woman running that session was at least realistic about problems that can occur with BF (which i actually think was the most useful bit as i didn't go into it expecting it to be plain sailing).

It depends what you're going to the course for - I was more looking to meet a group of people I could meet up with as no-one around me here (except OH!) has a baby and i felt it was really important for us to have a group who were going through similar things to us. And that has worked out well for us. Of my NCT group of 6, 1 has FF from 2 weeks and she thought it was quite likely she would FF but she went to the BF session. A friends NCT group of 8 nearly half were FF by 2 weeks... She feared she would be an 'outcast' when they first met up post baby, but IRL no-one really cares how you feed your baby as long as they're fed.

I guess what i'm trying to say is think about why you're going to the classes in the first place if it's to meet people or get certain information i think they're great. they were a bit fluffy for me in places - but actually they were for most of my group and this actually turned out to be quite a bonding thing for us as we'd joke about it afterwards (i'm just not the kind to 'draw life before and after you've had the baby' i hate drawing but at least i humoured the woman leading that session wheras one of the girls used her piece of paper to create a list of what she needed to buy before baby came...)

I agree, I went to make friends more then anything and I see one or two ladies fairly often, and the whole group once a month. Some breastfeed, most formula and one exclusively expresses. No one cares, the babies all get food!

 

[Kage76]

I don't think we covered ff, but really it's not that much to cover.

This is what frustrates me the most- but not showing women how to properly prepare, store and heat formula, especially if they have indicated that they wish to formula feed it puts babies at risk.

It doesn't take much to cover the subject, but treating formula like a dirty little shameful secret, only reinforces the sense of failure some mothers have when things don't go right. By being honest about breastfeeding, and that there may be issues and that its sometimes not all unicorns and rainbows may actually help people stick to it, or have the emotional strength to deal with not being able to BF and being comfortable with the "choice" to FF.

I'm not suggesting to have a 3 hour forum in the prenatal classes and the hand out samples but at least cover the topic ESPECIALLY if there is someone in the class who has chosen to formula feed.

rant over

 

[xxxemmaxxx]

I don't think we covered ff, but really it's not that much to cover.

This is what frustrates me the most- but not showing women how to properly prepare, store and heat formula, especially if they have indicated that they wish to formula feed it puts babies at risk.

It doesn't take much to cover the subject, but treating formula like a dirty little shameful secret, only reinforces the sense of failure some mothers have when things don't go right. By being honest about breastfeeding, and that there may be issues and that its sometimes not all unicorns and rainbows may actually help people stick to it, or have the emotional strength to deal with not being able to BF and being comfortable with the "choice" to FF.

I'm not suggesting to have a 3 hour forum in the prenatal classes and the hand out samples but at least cover the topic ESPECIALLY if there is someone in the class who has chosen to formula feed.

rant over

This is exactly how I feel about it. The teacher knew on Saturday that I was FF and still didn't cover it. She asked whether we wanted to cover bathing and nappies so why not FF? She did mention as well there might be a lady that would pop in to discuss nappies (as in non disposable ones) which we were told she's change ANYONES mind about using them. I'm sorry but I'm not that easily brainwashed!

Everyone is different and has different personalities and things that make them comfortable or not. People should just concentrate on the fact that it's a miracle in itself to get pregnant and who cares who does what after as long as the baby is of a healthy weight and the mum is happy too.

As for the NCT - we are mainly going for support as we have just moved to this area and don't know anyone. Fingers crossed!

 

[Celesse]

I did NCT classes.

Classes themselves didn't cover either method of feeding, but we had an optional session on BFing. None was offered on FFing. People wise.... Of the 6 of us who attended, all intended to BF, 5/6 managed to get started, and of those 2 choose to move to FF around 3 months.

The NCT was meant to have had a policy change a yr or so ago to not discriminate against FF. I can't remember details just that the BFing community where critical of the decision.

I did BF my baby, I'm still BFing her now at nearly 3 years. But I had a hell of a time getting going and needed to supplement and combi feed for many months. I personally would have benefited from information on sterilising, storage and preparation. I think the issue is how to deliver FF information without undermining BFing, but instead the NHS just ignore FF altogether.

 

[Indi84]

I ff myself like I said, I just meant I didn't think it was hard to figure out, because there are instructions on the box, and the who guidelines, but yes I'm big on researching, so it didn't occur to me other people would find that information hard to get, apologies.

Breastfeeding I found no much how much you read on the abject, classes were helpful and I still didn't master it. I'm sure we talked about formula just not so in depth. I personally didn't see the issue in that?
My classes certainly didn't act like it was shameful, maybe I was lucky.

Edit, of course I do think they should cover it more, it was a personal opinion that I didn't mind. My only issue is everyone has such varied ways if interpreting the information, you would only get that particular nurses or Nct ladies view. You only have to read the threads here to know that everybody does it differently.

 

[xxxemmaxxx]

Last night was NCT night and I survived.. a lot of mention of BFing already but not in a way that has put me off, general questions from the other mums that are there. I have a feeling that I'm the only one not planning to but I'm starting to realise/think that I must be in the majority that it just isn't what I want to do.

According to the teacher 90-95% CAN bf anyway with the right support as one lady asked whether the hospital would have bottles there if you can't.
(Not sure if this is actually true as sees very high?)

 

[Celesse]

According to the teacher 90-95% CAN bf anyway with the right support as one lady asked whether the hospital would have bottles there if you can't.
(Not sure if this is actually true as sees very high?)

The figure that generally gets floated around is 98%. But this refers to the number of women who will produce milk. I think the study was also based on women in third world, where baby mortality rates are higher, which means all the babies they are attempting to feed are healthy term babies. A year or so ago I put up a poll asking people if they "felt" they could breastfeed and the figure was closer to 65% from what I remember.

Glad the classes went well.

 

[missmayhem]

my DD was FF due to reflux and allergies....

it was actually the NCT class that pointed out to me that she has allergy symptoms and to take her straight to my dr, along with the name of a milk she needed to be on. At that point I was giving her a staydown formula but she was reacting to it.......

the leader of the group was our local BF councillor, who tried for 4 hours to get my DD to latcha nd in the end handed me a bottle of formula, she'd tried everything she could and more.


they were very supportive of my choice of BF and very supportive when i failed.....

However I was shocked that they encouraged formula, I left the group feeling a sense of relief as, as someone pointed out it is so taboo

 

[eulmh82]

NCT are very very pro breats feeding to the point where my friend refused point blank to breast feed when her lo needed it as she wasn;t giving her enough. She broke down after a month and prepared the formula whilst crying but this was because the NCT classes had said that it was breast or nothing basically. My antenatal classes were good - they obs have to recommend breast feeding but they were totally accpeting of the fact that for whatever reason it doesn;t always work out. The prob I had was I wanted to be prepared for every eventuality so I asked my midwife about sterlizing and she wouldn;t tell me! We had to wait til Lo was born and he wouldnt breast feed and I had to express and use bottles and then the midwife helped us

 

[horseybird]

I went to NCT, they did a optional 3 hour session on BF, they covered mastitis and how to latch and gave numbers of support groups etc. I was disappointed that they didnt mention FF at all

I originally wanted to be calm and take a 'see how it goes approach' to BF. But LO lost a pound in 5 days and was screaming hungry, I felt like such a failure, and had to FF. We were completely unprepared and had no clue about sterilising or storing bottles. I used all the support telephone lines, and my friend who is a breast feeding councellor was very supportive, and I was told ' she will learn' but I couldnt stand seeing her so hungry.

I wish that NCT had covered formula feeding, and spoke more about combi feeding, then maybe I wouldnt have felt so guilty, I was crying my eyes out at every feed when I tried to BF and felt so bad for my daughter being hungry and the fact that I hated it.

But other than that the NCT teacher we had was very open and I liked the other people in the group, infact I am really looking forward to meeting them all this weekend to catch up for the first time since birth. I had a lot of support from one of the girls when I struggling and we were actually texting each other in the middle of the night! On balance I would recommend the NCT, but as a organisartion they are very pro BF, and do not expect any info on FF.

 

[RebeccaG]

Yes we did NCT classes and I had every intention of breast feeding, all the group did actually. There was a separate lady that came in for the breastfeeding session. Tbh she was lovely but pretty hopeless. She made it all sound very rosy and that it all comes naturally and everyone can breast feed, formula is terrible blah blah. Nothing on the problems that you can get. Well out of the 7 of us, 5 switched to formula within weeks of giving birth! I was the longest going for 6 weeks! 1 lady it came really naturally to a d the other lady found it really hard but really wanted to do it.