Refreshing talk today with HV's regarding BFing

[Aidan's Mummy]

I agree with BF being seen as the norm but healthcare and choices about are children shoudl be informed decision. If a mother is presented with an equal amount of information about both then they can make an informed choice. Women shouldn't be made to feel inadequate for FFing, and HV's should support them in what ever choices that mother makes. It's about empowering famlies not giving them biased information x

 

[Blah11]

What sort of info do you want? Would a leaflet do or would you expect some sort of workshop?

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

We were given a leaflet, I don't see what else would be needed. What do people want, HCPs to say FF is equally good and give it equal 'airtime' in antenatal classes etc? I don't think that would be right at all, as it isn't equally good and to say anything else would not empower anyone or help them make an informed choice.

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

and surely no one can be made to feel anything unless they already feel it themselves.

 

[Aidan's Mummy]

Advice on how to sterlise, some time in antental classes talking about FF and making it clear that it is the mothers choice and they will be supported with whichever feeding choice they choose. Of course I don't want leaflets saying that FF is as good as ff but parents need to know all options to make an informed choice. BF is best but an expectant mother has a choice to make and as health professionals it is our job to ensure they have up to date information on both. Otherwise if they do decide to FF they make make feeds up wrong, not know how much to give a baby, sterlising, colic, how to bottle feed (some people don't actually know) etc x

 

[MrsVenn]

^^ I agree with Aidan's Mummy.

I never got any information on FF, literally nothing which at the time was fine for me as I was going/did BF. However, looking back, I wish I'd had that leaflet if it told you how to deal with bottles (I'm guessing that's what it did?).

 

[fairy1984]

I think there should be some air time in ante natal classes for FF so you just dont feel alone and "bad" for making a choice to FF.

I remember when I was recovering from an infection after having an episiotomy, i was feeling bloody awful and just needed some rest to recover. I felt even worse when my husband and I decided to give a bottle of formula to our daughter. i felt like i was giving her poison but knew i needed the rest to get better as the bf was draining me.

i think this kind of feeling is sometimes promoted by FF not being spoken about at classes or by HV's

I ended up combi feeding and cannot wait to do the same next time. once i got over the hurdle of feeling like FF was awful (which it is quite the opposite) I was happy with my choice. i just wish i hadnt have beaten myself up about that one bottle of formula to start with

 

[special_kala]

No one is suggesting that people should be told formula is equally as good.

Ideally for me it would be information on breast feeding first then said if you choose not to breast feed or cant then this is how you correctly make a bottle. Seems simple enough.

Its just facts and instructions so ifail to see how its promoting formula.

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

I was told about both and it meant so much to me. The Birthing centre told me how to sterilise etc and it was fine. My mum showed me how to do the bottles but I do remember covering the topic in my antenatal class.

I think maybe more info does need to be widespread. It is personal choice after all and having more info on FF can not harm anyone x

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

I dont think women should be expected to breast feed at all.

Id rather they gave informatikn for formula, dont see it as promoting it tbh. Making up bottles wrog is dangerous and people need to have access to the right information.

I agree. It should not be assumed.

 

[fantastica]

Some information on the different brands of milk would've been useful too, as the only info. available would seem to be from the companies, companies who personaly,I would never trust!

 

[Kate&Lucas]

I think it's a good thing
I planned to breastfeed all along so when I switched I had no clue whatsoever about formula, I didn't even know which one to buy and relied on my mum to talk me through it. A bit of info would be useful.

 

[Feltzy]

I remember when I had Evie and I had to give her some formula due to latching issues, I asked the mw if she could recommend a formula and she said she wasn't allowed to. I just had to pick one off the top of my head with no information whatsoever. Its madness that they can't advise you which formula is best for colic etc, presumably because its seen as advertising?

I did get info on making up bottles/sterilising though.

 

[special_kala]

At our hospital the cribs newborns are in actually have little plaques on saying "donated by cow and gate 1989" now thats promotion lol

 

[oOKayOo]

Totally Agree , mothers shouldnt be forced into to Breastfeeding if thats not what they want to do, and being told its the norm , so they are "expected" to do it. This Day and age Formula to me is just as good ( yes i actually just said that ) , line Babies up, you couldnt tell who was BF or FF afterall
There isnt enough info on FF , when i gave birth , they took Carly , tried to take down my top to put her on me. I had to firmly say NO before they got the point , and they shoved the "Breastfeeding is best" leaflets in my face.
As you said , whatever happened to choice? Dont assume all are going to BF , its not for everyone.
Its lovely to hear that there is a HV out there with brains

 

[amandad192]

Totally Agree , mothers shouldnt be forced into to Breastfeeding if thats not what they want to do, and being told its the norm , so they are "expected" to do it. This Day and age Formula to me is just as good ( yes i actually just said that ) , line Babies up, you couldnt tell who was BF or FF afterall
There isnt enough info on FF , when i gave birth , they took Carly , tried to take down my top to put her on me. I had to firmly say NO before they got the point , and they shoved the "Breastfeeding is best" leaflets in my face.
As you said , whatever happened to choice? Dont assume all are going to BF , its not for everyone.
Its lovely to hear that there is a HV out there with brains

They tried to pull your top down??? I find that really shocking. I'm planning to breastfeed. but will ask everyone other than OH to leave the room before I get my boobs out. If I'm struggling I will ask for help. But until then if anybody tries to get my boobs out for me they'll be getting a slap!!

 

[charlotte-xo]

I think there should definitely be more help for mothers who iether choose to FF from the start or combi feeders ect because yes it says how to make formula up on the tin but we all know (people who ff) that its not as simple as that, not knowing how long bottles keep sterile for, how to correctly and safely store premade bottles, all the different formulas ie comfort for colic and pepti. It just winds me up that as adults and mothers were not getting the information we need.

 

[moondrops]

Looking back i don't think i got ANY information on BF or FF and that's quite shocking, as a first time mum i just chose FF as it seemed easier to me as i could copy my sister and she showed me how to sterilise, make up formula and store it otherwise i really wouldn't have had a clue. I didn't even change E's nappy for the whole of the first night and morning until a midwife came to ask when she was last changed, i really was clueless! My midwife never gave me any leaflets or even discussed with me how i was going to feed LO. I probably would have chose to formula feed anyway because of all the horror stories i was told about BF and being told by certain people how hard it was it really put me off x

 

[Logan's Mum]

I BF Logan until he was 3 months, had to stop has he was losing weight. The HV didnt mention formula, just increasing feeds to increase supply Me and OH did not want to wake Logan during the night for feeds as he was happily sleeping for about 8 hours a night, and I didnt want to give him what I saw was not nourishing milk. When I said to HV about formula she seemed almost relieved that I had suggested it and so we discussed it more but she still tried to get me to feed him BF for 2 more weeks before trying formula, which I disagreed with as I could see him losing weight. The whole switching to formula thing was incredibly stressful as I had no idea what to give him or bottle types. It would have been useful to at least be given a leaflet during a antenatal class, or to be told that BF can sometimes fail and what to do if it does.

 

[fluffpuffin]

I agree with those that said about giving the information to mums-to-be to make an informed choice. Yes, we know breast is best and it's good to make that clear, but at the same time it's so important for those that can't / decide not to bf to have the info available to feed their baby safely. I wouldn't have had a clue on how to make up a bottle and probably would have done it all wrong. Giving out basic information doesn't mean you promote something IMO. If the info was in packs then mums who were planning to bf but couldn't for whatever reason would have that info as well rather than struggling and putting their baby's health at risk because they weren't given the information.