What did I have to sit through this afternoon...but hear a midwife advise
pregnant women to let new baby only have one breast at a feed......

Magda, I just could not keep my mouth zipped and diplomatically as possible
explained why I believed differently.  When you posted the other day about
HCPs' common practice of misinterpreting Fisher and Woolridge's paper I just
sighed a sigh of recognition because I hear it *so* often and I receive *so*
many calls from women who are struggling under weight of baby who seems to
them not to be satisfied at the end of the feed.  There is always that stunned
silence when you ask about feeding pattern throughout the 24 hours and whether
they offer both breasts at a feed; you can see the penny dropping slowly
through the slot as they think 'yes, I have two breasts, why they hell havn't
I offered both at a feed?' or even put baby back to first breast after the
second if baby wants a banquet!

During the session they were advised again and again about 'difficulties' of
breastfeeding; a story was related about a mother who had been seen in recent
days who is 'feeling v guilty of not being able to breastfeed because she was
one of the *2%*  who cannot breastfeed'.....  Not once was any attempt given
to explain how breastfeeding works or how baby should be positioned, latched-
on, etc.  These parents were given no foundations on which to place the
tidbits of good information that were dropped here and there.  I came away
feeling profoundly saddened and convinced that until every midwife and health
visitor goes on and *passes* a standardised, research-based, common-sense
course before they are let loose teaching antenatally or on the wards, we are
just letting mothers continue to flounder and feel angry, guilty and letdown
by our National Health Service.   It seems to me cruel and unfair that the
HCPs tell mothers that they should breastfeed when the majority of them have
precious little understanding about it themselves and so are quite unable to
support women in the art of breastfeeding let alone 'teach' it in classes. I
feel profoundly saddened that so many women are shortchanged and led up the
garden path to failure and unhappiness in their short breastfeeding life.

Oh, I know there are really knowledgeable HCP's out there but Oh My they are
thin on the ground.  I am trying to comfort myself in the secure knowledge
that I can't change things everywhere on 'my patch' but that where I do teach
in NHS classes (approximately 6/8 a year), I do it well and see the results of
my work again and again.

I've lumbered you all enough but I needed a good moan to get if off my chest,
thank you lactpals.

Helen
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