>
>If I am not mistaken, this whole discussion started because the technique was
>promoted to midwives. I have felt, all along, that we on lactnet were
>over-reacting. To be quite honest, the midwives I know are unlikely
>to be asked
>to help with breastfeeding when everything is "just fine." If they are being
>asked to help it is because of a problem and, breast compression seems to me a
>really unobtrusive measure to teach them. Let's not be rediculous
>here. Midwives
>are generally smart cookies. they are not going to suggest
>compression if it is
>going to drown the baby!
>
>Susan


It's part of a midwife's job - in the UK, anyway - to look after and
nurture normal bf. They are the only healthcare professional at 80
per cent of births and puerperium, and for up to 28 days after the
birth, and they are indeed often asked for help when everything is
just fine.

They may well be smart cookies, but their training and bf support is
often inadequate. We also have a continual issue with midwives'
recommendation of techniques and tools, when they do not fully
understand the right circumstances or support. This is certainly the
case with nipple shields, which are grossly overused here. It is also
the case (and we have discussed this on Lactnet) that the
foremilk/hindmilk research has been misinterpreted to impose minimum
limits on feeds, or even to say mothers must *only* ever use one side.

So any technique that's espoused to midwives without full explanation
or context may lead to risk of it being adopted inappropriately.

I am surprised my view is controversial : )

Heather Welford Neil
NCT bfc Newcastle upon Tyne UK

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