>I wonder do women in other cultures (specifically non-U.S.) experience
>engorgment, where handouts and sections of booklets are devoted to it.? Or
>is it our nursing patterns, mother-baby separation to various degrees, etc
>more a factor.

I rarely get any calls or questions about severe
engorgement....except when the mother is well-established with bf
weeks or even months down the line, then wanting to stop bf for some
reason and is cutting down feeds too fast. In one recent case, the
mother had been bf for three weeks, had been advised to stop suddenly
(spurious reasons), and then was truly suffering.

This is the experience of most bfcs in the UK that I talk to.  Early
days engorgement is just not a common concern. Many mothers may feel
a bit uncomfortable for half a day, or a day, but that's it.
Typically, once the baby is feeding ok, it passes. The mother may
want/need to express a little to help the baby latch on more easily,
for a feed or two.

We have a lot of unhelpful stuff that goes on in hospitals but
keeping mothers and babies apart and scheduling feeds is,
fortunately, no longer an issue.

Heather Welford Neil
NCT bfc Newcastle upon Tyne UK

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