Yes, I meet mothers who are worried about not having enough milk, who seem
to understand the importance of feeding unrestrictedly, and of ensuring the
baby is feeding happily and effectvely...but who can't/don't want
to/haven't the confidence to make the changes to their lives and outlook in
order to put this understanding into practice.


We don't use pumps anything like as much here, and it would be one of the
last things suggested as a means of making more milk if the baby was
basically healthy and if the situation could probably be improved simply by
increasing the number of effective 'encounters' at the breast...but for a
lot of mothers even this is very difficult to do.

They want to bf - but not if it means bf at night.

They want to bf - but not if it means someone else can't give a bottle of
formula

They want to bf - but not if it means they can't feed by the clock

This is where counselling techniques are really useful. You find out what
the mother wants and help her understand that some 'wants' are unlikely to
be compatible with other 'wants' - for example, it is not realistic to
expect a milk supply to increase if the baby is still getting formula ad
lib. It may be necessary to go through this very patiently and gently
several times, using different words, but directly and honestly.  You also
have to find out what she is actually doing, and what the people around her
are saying about it.

Yeh, sometimes I want to say ' listen - you called me wanting to know what
to do to make more milk, and I'm trying to tell you...but I can't help it
if  you don't like it!'

Of course I don't....I am honest but  patient ; )

And of course it's up to her what to do.

It is frustrating to feel a mother will sigh and say for the next 20-plus
years 'Oh, I never had enough milk'  when you know she never really gave
herself a chance....

Hey, but that's life : )

Heather Welford Neil
NCT bfc Newcstle upon Tyne UK

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