Is the medical fraternity failing breastfeeders?

[missie_mack]

I recently read a discussion by a pretty famous paediatrician who now basically specialises in breastfeeding. In the discussion he said

xxxx, you didn't know that doctors learn nothing about breastfeeding in medical school or in their postgraduate training? Here's what I learned in medical school. At our single one hour lecture on infant feeding, the pediatrician started out by saying and this is true, "Breast is best because the milk always comes out at the right temperature and comes out in such cute containers. Now let me tell you about formula". It hasn't changed that much.

Pretty scary right? Especially considering when things go wrong they are usually the people we turn to. And it made me think about all the times during my 7 months with DD where had it not been for my knowledge (much of it thanks to the hub) and determination, I could have just given up and put the bottle in my DDs mouth.

I have chronic low supply and when I went to the doctors they gave me some motillium (at my request) and said that if it didn't work my only option was to give up. Nobody asked about my health, not once. And yet there was recently a study done on post partum mothers that something like 1 in 10 women have thyroid issues after having a baby. Low thyroid production causes low milk supply. And yet nobody has ever asked or suggested I get my thyroid tested. Not.once. And its not like I just see one failing doctor. When my DD was diagnosed with silent reflux I went to several doctors to try and get losec and a referral to a paed. Why several? Because all of them advised that I give up the breast and give her formula instead

It just makes me so mad and sad. Anyone else find they are being failed?

[CitrusRain]

Great topic! I had a similar experience to you too. My milk didn't come in properly because I had a premmie but I expressed every 2 hours, day and night, to produce enough milk for him in the hope that he would eventually attach and we could establish BF. The stress of the pumping, the exhaustion, the emotional rollercoaster that comes with having a baby in the NICU, and the damage I did to breasts from all that pumping left me with a very low supply. I tried everything as I am very pro BF and even went twice weekly to BF clinics once we came home (where I was told by a LC that I should give up because my breasts were too damaged). After trying all natural methods of increasing supply and attaching DS pretty much constantly for a week,without making any improvements to my supply I went to my GP (who knew nothing about motilium) and fought with her to give me a prescription. She said it was just better to formula feed!

It makes me so mad that we get the "breast is best" lecture constantly and then even when we are willing to go above and beyond to BF we get no help from doctors and are told to use formula but are also made to feel guilty for doing so!

I ended up accepting that I would never be able to produce even a third of the milk DS needed and for 6 months I BF, then bottle fed EBM, then topped him up with formula, then expressed, every 3 hours (it took and hour and a half each feed). I also expressed throughout the night even when DS was sleeping through, all for 20ml of EBM per feed even on the max dose of motillium.

I often wonder if I had been supported with BF from the get go if this would have all been different.

[CitrusRain]

Btw, thanks for the info in the thyroid! Going to have that checked out if it happens again next time.

[bumMum]

Yes absolutely! My first was premature and nobody explained breastfeeding to me at all.. Just showed Me how to attach him and said it shouldn't hurt.. And never mind he was prem and therefore wasn't good at sucking.. I had no understanding of supply and demand. I was fortunate that my mum breastfed me for 2 ish years and also was a lactation counsellor when she was younger and she helped me establish breastfeeding but it was a constant struggle. I found doctors never asked if I was breastfeeding when prescribing medication, even though I had JUST had a baby.. I was given the normal pill when he was six months.. I assumed that it was fine but I now know its not.. Clearly the doctor just assumed I had stopped feeding?! And I was prescribed some nerve pain medication which passes into the breastmilk and is not recommended.. Luckily I read the brochure when I got home!!

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[missie_mack]

Btw, thanks for the info in the thyroid! Going to have that checked out if it happens again next time.

I just found that article- incase you were wanting a read. It is actually one in six who have issues!

http://www.wric.com/story/16446302/o...3kkQI.facebook

[CitrusRain]

Oh my goodness that makes so much sense! I had half of those problems. Miscarriage, GD, PE and low birth weight (my bub caught up a bit as a result of the GD in the last few weeks though and came out at 5pound 13 at 34 weeks) I'm definitely going to discuss this with my OB at pre-c counseling as we're TTC #2 later in the year. Thank you so much!

[share a book]

Fortunately I did know this, and also the the CHN at the local clinic was very anti-breastmilk. To the point where she told her daughter's that if they were to breastfeed it would show a complete lack of respect towards her and a total disregard for the wellbeing of their infants and they were not to visit her without formula for the babies, because formula is put together after thorough assessments with exact amounts of everything needed to grow an infant whereas breastmilk is all nothing more than guesswork and a chance for tramps to pull out their boobs. Needless to say, I took dd to her for one dose of the whooping cough vaccine and to be weighed and ignored everything she said about feeding and sleeping. Apparently you put Farex in their bottle before bed if they aren't sleeping 12 hours by 6 weeks because it's unfair to the parents to have a wakeful baby.

[elleandsam]

NICU nurses told me that my breastfed baby was an inconvenience and the lactation consultant told me to go home he needed to be on all suck feeds so if I didn't switch him to formula he'd never do all suck feeds and never go home.

[CitrusRain]

Fortunately I did know this, and also the the CHN at the local clinic was very anti-breastmilk. To the point where she told her daughter's that if they were to breastfeed it would show a complete lack of respect towards her and a total disregard for the wellbeing of their infants and they were not to visit her without formula for the babies, because formula is put together after thorough assessments with exact amounts of everything needed to grow an infant whereas breastmilk is all nothing more than guesswork and a chance for tramps to pull out their boobs. Needless to say, I took dd to her for one dose of the whooping cough vaccine and to be weighed and ignored everything she said about feeding and sleeping. Apparently you put Farex in their bottle before bed if they aren't sleeping 12 hours by 6 weeks because it's unfair to the parents to have a wakeful baby.

Are you kidding?! Wow! What is this woman doing working with mums and bubs! I had a huge argument with a CHN (who didn't have kids) about how to deal with feeding issues with my premmie too. She suggested putting ice on his feet to keep him awake so he would attach. It was still 3 1/2 weeks before his due date and he was only 2.9kg and still learning to suck properly. The weather was also quite cold at the time.

[Benji]

I had a CHN tell me to only feed every 4 hours and I was feeding him way too much. One midwife and a nurse told me when I had mastitis when he was 13 months that I should give up breastfeeding because now it's "not about nutrition". I had one GP insist on prescribing me tablets that I couldn't take while breastfeeding when DS was 2 yo as he "didn't need it any more" and the tablets were for thrush - something I could've gotten rid of without giving up breastfeeding.

Drives me freaking insane.