>
>On your last point -- sadly here in the UK we *have* a system of home
>visiting by community midwives until day 10 (ish) and community baby clinics
>with universal allocation to a health visitor -- but this does not mean mums
>aget skilled help.


Sometimes the intervention and support of the HV really makes things
worse - some HVs are really very good at supporting bf with good
knowledge, but as a body I am not saying anything terribly
controversial when I say they are perfecty capable of creating
problems and making existing problems worse.

>   Indeed, it means that we are always saying 'we need to
>improve HV eduation on bf' without stopping to think whether HVs, with their
>history in public health and surveillance and hands off (they are nurses but
>don't touch anything) are really the people to go to......it sounds as if
>you could teach them hands off bf support, but I am coming to the conclusion
>that they really cannot take bf on board in their professional repertoire.


Trouble is, they are there, they are free, there is no stigma
attached to consulting an HV and you can visit the clinic as often as
you wish - it should be a fab support for bf. I would find it really
sad if we have to give up on them.

>There is an interesting study from Sweden on health visitors there -- and
>remember official stats of ebf over 90% at 2 months -- saying health
>visitors are poorly equipped to support bf........


And I recall it being discussed by our Dutch colleagues here that the
much-vaunted post-birth support for new mothers in the Netherlands
with their home visitors/maternity nurses can also sabotage happy bf,
as well.

Heather Welford Neil
NCT bfc Newcastle upon Tyne UK

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