Pat

That's right on the mark.

I had a mother (whom I had cared for ante-natally) return to Jakarta after
birthing in another country. When she got back here she contracted me in
tears baby 2-3 weeks old) because the child was breast-refusing. She had
been told to give the child one bottle of formula a day because its weight
gain was not good.

At this stage she was pumping and using the bottle and supplementing with
formula. I spent a week seeing her everyday. Got babe re-established on the
breast. Phoned after a few days to be told that she had decided to just
express and carry on with the bottle. I was not surpirsed because although
she had set out wanting to breastfeed she was just so stressed. She had
travelled 3 Continents on her own with new baby, come home to an empty house
as husband was away during the week. Plus the general level of stress in
Jakarta was very high - just post the May evacuation. I accepted her
decision and reassured her.

When baba was 12 weeks the family went to the hills for a weekend and forgot
the pump. Well there ain't no nothing to buy there not even formula! She did
they only thing she could (had never been taught to hand-express) and
offered the breast. This little girl is still breastfeeding today.

Mandy O'Reilly
RnRm

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