Dispelling Breastfeeding Myths

Ardo Calyspo Breast Pump Review

2013-02-25T17:28:00.000Z

Some time ago we gave away an Ardo Calypso Breast Pump courtesy of Ardo UK. Here's a review I received from the winner:

'Hiya ,

I'd just like to take the chance to say thank you again for the wonderful prize - it may sound silly but it has really changed my life! I've written a little review just to say how much I love it!

I have been breastfeeding my daughter Rosie-Faith for 5 months now and absolutely love it , although I have always found expressing milk to be a chore which I did not look forward to ......... that was until I tried the Ardo Calypso Electric breastpump.

It is blissful!

The instructions were so simple , it was extremely easy to assemble and to take apart again to clean (an important consideration for a busy Mum of two like myself.)

I was so impressed with the efficiency of the pump.

I was able to express as much milk as I needed whilst experiencing complete comfort and ease.

The pump has many different combinations of vacuum and cycle , meaning you can mimic your baby's natural feeding pattern.

The feature which I valued the most was the 'VacuuSeal' technology which is a small membrane in the top of the pump which prevents bacteria and impurities from contaminating the breastmilk. This provided me with complete peace of mind that I was feeding my baby the very best.

I would honestly recommend this breastpump to each and every breastfeeding Mummy or Mum-to-be as I feel it is the perfect combination between comfort and efficiency.

I have been using it every day , and now expressing milk is something I look forward to.'

~ Please note: The above should not be interpreted as an endorsement from the DBM group or myself. No-one was paid for this review.

Tummy Balls!

2013-02-25T16:14:00.000Z

How often do you hear someone say that they simply didn't make enough milk to breastfeed their baby?

When I hear this I must admit I often wonder if the person really didn't make enough milk* or if they were actually suffering from a case of ISIS (aka insufficent support and information syndrome).

That's why when I saw these appear on my facebook newsfeed,

I was completely delighted.

I've seen similar products elsewhere on the net in the past, but I've always thought there were ridiculously over-priced and they seemed only to be available to professionals. These, on the other hand, are totally affordable (£5.99) and just seem so much more accessible for ordinary mums.

What are they?

They're 'tummy balls'. They show the approximate size of a new baby's tummy at 1, 3 and 10 days old. Amanda at 'Reclaiming Normal, Birth and Postnatal Doula Services' has kept it very simple - to her enormous credit!

These little balls make such a powerful myth-busting visual statement that I really wanted to put them on the blog.

There is a shooter marble showing how a brand new baby's tummy only holds between 5 and 7 mls of colostrum; a ping pong ball to represent the 22 - 27 mls it can manage by day 3; and a plastic egg showing the 60 - 80ml that a 10 day old baby's tummy can hold at one time.

In 'old money' that means a teaspoon at a time on day 1, less than a fluid ounce per feed by day 3, and 2-3 ounces at a time by day 10 (there's a great link here giving more on these 'norms').

This simple visual could save new mums such a lot of worry! So many post-partum mothers get freaked out to find they're only producing a (perfectly normal) few mls of colostrum whilst the lady across the room is providing her new baby with 40mls of Cow & Gate. Being able to hold a marble/ ping pong ball in your hand really brings it home just how unnecessary large amounts of milk are in the early days...

If you over-feed a new baby they are more inclined to bring the milk back up (reflux). You are simply asking their little tummy to hold more than it's able to. Put your marble next to 40mls of formula milk and it's pretty easy to see where the problem arises.

If only Bounty would do something useful and put THESE in their bags, eh?

If you have a friend who is expecting a baby, you could really do a whole lot worse than buy her a set of these tummy balls (complete with organza bag!). How FABULOUSLY EMPOWERING to be able to answer the 'just give that baby a bottle' brigade by wordlessly lobbing a ping pong ball in their direction... ;)

You can find out more about Amanda's tummy balls here**.

----------------------------------------------------

*Obviously some mums do suffer from genuine (as opposed to perceived) supply issues - there are lots of possible causes for a real milk supply production.
** Nb - I have not been paid to write this! I just think stuff like this is too good not to share.

(Also - since I wrote the original post, Ardo have been in touch with me to point out that they also sell 'BellyBalls' - a similar product to the above. As Ardo are currently a WHO code compliant company - something of a rarity these days - I'm happy to include them here too.)

The Witches of Breastfeeding.

2013-02-19T17:37:00.001Z

In today's Telegraph, Anna White (tired mum of twins) coined the phrase 'the witches of breastfeeding' seemingly to describe anyone who advocates for breastfeeding.

I love it!

Rather embarrassingly she has hit the nail on the head. The uncomfortable truth is that in our (still) male-dominated culture, men cannot breastfeed. Formula milk means you don't need a woman in order to feed a baby, and scientists are already on the way to producing artificial wombs which will see to it that women are not needed in order to grow or birth them either. Breastfeeding challenges the status quo - and as a result there's a lot of breast envy about!

Many so-called 'witches' were (in fact) lay-healers - wise women. They helped people when they were ill, attended women in childbirth and they helped them to breastfeed their babies. When the male-only Church became dominant, witches were persecuted and burned at the stake... The male-only Universities churned out male physicians and childbirth became a male-dominated affair. Along the way a huge amount of precious knowledge got lost.

One could argue that the 'breastfeeding witches' are working hard to give some of that lost knowledge about that most womanly of arts back to mothers. Anna White may not have wanted to know about it, but I meet a lot of mums who desperately do.

So I'm a witch?

Bring it on.

http://tmh.floonet.net/articles/witches.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gerit-quealy/forgotten-women-witches-h_b_859230.html
http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/elizabethan-witchcraft-and-witches.htm

The Politics of Tongue Tie

2013-02-03T14:24:00.003Z

I have often been critical of doctors and midwives on this blog - for not listening to mothers and for their lack of breastfeeding knowledge. I guess they might be forgiven for the latter though, since as yet most doctors and some midwives have received little to no breastfeeding education during their training. Because of this I've always urged mothers to make contact with International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLC's) when they need support with a more involved breastfeeding problem since they really are the 'Gold Standard' in breastfeeding support.

It's far from easy to become a lactation consultant - it takes years of hard work and literally hundreds of hours spent in lactation support. You have to re-certify every few years and the IBCLC qualification is well respected by mothers and professionals alike.

So I have to ask (as the mother of two children with posterior tongue ties and lip ties - finally diagnosed): why was I personally told by three different lactation consultants that posterior tongue ties 'don't exist'? Or that they are 'just the current *in-thing* like thrush was a few years back'? That they 'don't affect breastfeeding' and could not be the cause of my children's problems? Why when I followed up one discussion with supporting information via email did I not even receive the courtesy of a reply? Am I so arrogant to imagine that I, (*just* a mum) might be on the right track about something concerning my child's health?

Why was I accused by one IBCLC of coming on too strong with a friend who very much wanted to breastfeed when I drove her an hour in one direction to see the IBCLC, then an hour in the other direction to get her a double breast pump (which saved her supply because her baby couldn't latch)? Was it because that LC had little more to offer that day than directions to the nearest Tesco so my friend could get her baby some formula? Following this encounter my friend contacted Charlie at Milk Matters and took her baby across to England where he had his posterior tongue tie revised. He went on to breastfeed for a year. Another mum (friend of a friend) who had rung me in tears* had had her baby's tongue tie spotted by the midwives in the hospital but had been told that it wasn't affecting breastfeeding. This mum had mastitis and cracked nipples by day 5 and her baby was unable to attach effectively to the breast, but clearly that MUSTN'T be anything to do with the tongue tie... These are just two examples, but I could go on!

After all [paraphrasing now]: 'Why would we SUDDENLY be seeing all these issues connected with tongue tie?' Since estimates of tongue tie frequency range from just 4% to 10% 'Isn't it a bit odd that SUDDENLY all these mums are asking if their babies have tongue tie'?'

Did none of these nay-sayers stop to wonder if it's perhaps as simple as more breastfeeding mums becoming alerted to the symptoms and asking for help (thanks largely to the internet)? How many more mothers are turning to formula feeding when their child's tie goes undiagnosed? How many tongue ties are being completely missed and instead the child ends up on medication (eg. for reflux as my eldest did) or perhaps develops speech problems further down the line and loses confidence as a result?

On my own journey through the 'Tongue Tie Maze' I had personal contact with three IBCLC's who found it easier to tell me I was wrong (and they probably said worse behind my back!) than to give thought to the possible effects on the developing fetus of nutrition prior to and during pregnancy; supplementation in pregnancy; epigenetics; increasing levels of environmental toxins; fortified foods; increased use of antibiotics; poor maternal gut health; increasing exposure to vaccinations; or genetic mutations like MTHFR.

Because let's face it, none of that's in the LITERATURE (yet), and on that basis it can't possibly be affecting us, right? *eye roll*

I came away from those conversations feeling stupid. Like I had over-stepped my boundaries to be asking such inane questions. Naughty girl.

In the case of those three lactation consultants who dismissed me on posterior tongue tie, I could easily accuse them of doing what I often accuse medical professionals of doing - of not listening to mothers. As some of you will probably know, it's very easy to find yourself dismissed by professionals because you 'read something on the internet'. There is a saying that 'a worried mother will do better research than the FBI', and I think there is probably a grain of truth in that. I suspect that most of the IBCLC's who now specialise in tongue-tie do so because they have had to deal with it on a personal level, and likewise most of those who dismiss tongue-tie as a non-issue have not.

There is (happily) a growing number of dedicated IBCLC's working very hard to learn more about tongue tie (and lip tie). The only trouble is, even these experts cannot agree on how best to advise mothers.

You might not realise it but when you see an IBCLC who specialises in tongue tie that person might be giving you different advice to a fellow IBCLC who ALSO specialises in tongue tie. The same goes for some of the dentists and paediatricians who revise tongue and lip ties. They are all (clearly) doing their best but unfortunately the animosity and at times downright unprofessional behaviour which surrounds the tongue tie issue is quite something to behold. Stretching versus not-stretching; CST/ Osteopathy/ Chiropractic versus no bodywork and so on. And woe betide you if you get stuck in the middle of one of those nasty (and at times for me personally upsetting) cat-fights. How on earth is a mum to know what to do for the best when the professionals cannot agree?

So what's to be done? Well, surely it's not unreasonable to ensure that every IBCLC has at least HEARD of the different types of tongue tie? That they can identify one and refer on if necessary, and have the ability to support effectively a mother whose baby is tied in some way? Is it ok that some IBCLC's have not got this knowledge? I don't think so. I would also love it if some of those who undertake lactation support would remember why they went into it in the first place - which was presumably to support mothers to breastfeed... If mums like me and my friends are being dismissed by some Certified Lactation Consultants and (importantly) are not being 'heard', then where is there left for us to turn? Is this something the ILCA needs to address? Well, in my opinion yes. I'm just throwing it out there...

More (some!) proper research is needed into how to lay the groundwork for revision, and into the best way to provide aftercare in a manner which is both effective and appropriate. Anecdotal evidence suggests that these issues are not as clear cut (pardon the pun) as some would have you believe, and until more is known it is my opinion that mothers should be told this. Those who support mothers with tied babies should be keeping good records, following-up on their procedures and sharing their information with each other in a spirit of co-operation instead of arguing over the internet about who is right or wrong.

It would also be good if more questions were asked with an open mind - for example: IS tongue tie more common these days? If so, shouldn't we be concerned that something is changing in our children? After all - tongue tie doesn't JUST affect breastfeeding - it affects the way the inside of the infant's mouth develops, the way their teeth are positioned, the very shape of their face, the way their nasal passages develop, the way they breathe, the way they digest their food and thus how much benefit they get from it. Because of this, I would suggest that dismissing mothers who are concerned about tongue tie is a very bad idea indeed.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

On a personal note:

I want to thank Charlotte from Milk Matters, John Roberts at Cote Royd Dental, Ann Dobson, Tracy from Huddersfield Osteopaths and Marie at CranioSacral Ireland for their professionalism, kindness, their willingness to hear me, and especially for the gentle and loving way in which they have each cared for my children.

I also must gratefully acknowledge Jennifer Tow for her advice on gut healing and her help towards finally obtaining a diagnosis for my girls.

We ended up travelling from Northern Ireland to England to have my youngest revised. There is absolutely no-one in the North of Ireland who revises posterior ties (even anterior is a struggle in some areas!). I am not aware of anyone who revises children older than 12 months in Ireland. We used our savings to pay for my youngest to be revised - for many people this wouldn't even be an option. Do I think mothers and babies deserve better? Hell yes! Will I get criticised for writing this blog? Oh probably - but it's been a long time coming.

*Just in case it's not completely obvious, I've never been paid for helping anyone with breastfeeding - rather the reverse - being a breastfeeding peer supporter has cost me both time and petrol.

Further reading:

http://theresearchingcrunchymama.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/mthfr-and-our-journey-with-lip.html

http://www.brianpalmerdds.com/frenum.htm

http://guidance.nice.org.uk/IPG149

http://www.analyticalarmadillo.co.uk/2011/04/tongue-tie-hidden-cause-of-feeding.html

Read more about the 'Tongue Tie Maze' and other mother's stories here: http://maddiemcmahon.com/2011/05/11/the-kindest-cut-the-emotional-impact-of-the-tongue-tie-maze/

Positive Birth

2012-12-16T22:57:00.002Z

Birth and breastfeeding - they are connected. It isn't rocket science. If birth goes well and an alert, healthy newborn is put skin-to-skin within reach of it's mother's breast there is a MUCH better chance that breastfeeding will get off to the most positive start.

Of course breastfeeding can and does thrive in less-than-ideal circumstances (just take a look at some of the mother's stories on this blog!), but let's be honest - if a mum is hoping to breastfeed, she probably wants to have her baby skin-to-skin and breastfeeding after birth.

Birth matters when it comes to breastfeeding - and a positive, empowering birth experience can only ever be a good thing.

For that reason, I want to share news about The Positive Birth Project with you.

The Positive Birth Project is a grass-roots, peer-level movement which encourages a positive approach to birth. By learning from each other, becoming informed and empowered, and most of all SUPPORTED, more mothers will be able to lay the groundwork for better breastfeeding experiences.

'The Positive Birth Movement believes that communication is the key to shaking up birth. Birth coming together, in real life and online, and sharing experiences, feelings, knowledge and wisdom, women can take back childbirth.'

Please take a look at the Positive Birth Project's website, and search for or set up, a group near you (I did...!). If you are hoping to have a baby, have a story to share or support to offer - get involved! Be the change you want to see in the world.

Thanks to The Mule for making this happen.

x anne

BabyCalm - WINNER!

2012-12-06T21:58:00.000Z

And the winner of the Babycalm Giveaway is......

Er, not sure....
However, I *have* emailed the address the winner provided, so hopefully soon SOMEONE will be enjoying this great book as much as I did!

Thanks to everyone who shared and entered the competition, and especially to Sarah for making the giveaway possible!

x anne

'BabyCalm' Giveaway!

2012-11-20T14:34:00.000Z

Baby manuals, written by self-styled 'experts', self-proclaimed 'Baby Whisperers',and so-called 'Sleep Savers' - our bookshops are full of them! You might even own a couple, although perhaps you never got as far as putting them into practice. Unsuspecting new parents are frequently gifted these flights of fancy, sometimes spending considerable amounts of time wondering where they are going wrong before (hopefully) deciding they prefer cuddling their babies to listening to them cry.

In general I steer clear of discussions about such baby books. Their completely inaccurate and made-up breastfeeding 'advice' is reason enough to avoid them in my opinion. The notion that you can put your breasts on a some sort of schedule is perhaps one of the biggest breastfeeding myths going.

Up until now the baby book market seems to have been populated almost entirely by opinion-based training manuals. You know the sort of thing: 'do as Ms X says, and your baby will sleep ten hours a night every night and give you plenty of 'mummy time'. The evidence-base behind most of Guru X, Y or Z's recommendations will often be shaky (at best) and is generally something along the lines of: 'because I say so', but that doesn't stop these authors cashing-in on new parents.

Clearly I struggle to find a good word to say about the League of Baby Whisperers or their recommendations, and as a result I've never given a book away before.

So this is new :)

'Babycalm' is a different kind of baby book. It's written by Sarah Ockwell-Smith who holds a degree in psychology and is an antenatal teacher and doula (amongst other things). Babycalm takes a refreshingly kind, sensible and logical approach to normal infant behaviours and presents the reader with a plethora of parenting tools which actually work. Ockwell-Smith shows compassion towards parents and babies, and her suggestions are all very carefully researched and referenced. Rather than try to re-configure the genome (to somehow create a human infant who doesn't need comfort or food for hours on end), she deals in honest-to-goodness, humane ways to help parents navigate the new-baby maze. She encourages them to follow their instincts. It's not 'trust me because I'm the baby whisperer', but rather 'trust yourself, trust your instincts, and trust your baby'.

Beneath its soothing green and white (and, for some, reassuringly mainstream-looking) cover is a ton of accessible and practical parenting wisdom which it took me two children and plenty of trial and error to learn the hard way! How to recognise cues, how to use a sling, coping with common infant problems, co-sleeping, suggestions to help everyone get more sleep, processing the birth, 'mummy guilt', breastfeeding tips (and how to recognise when all is not well), a factual look at the world of 'sleep training' and lots more. The 'norms' in this book are the biological, physiological ones but Ockwell-Smith recognises the cultural pressures modern parents are under and so offers a range of practical. non-judgmental solutions to help them cope.

Unlike many of it's contemporaries, this book doesn't come across as ego-led; instead it's fact-led, compassion-led, and baby-led. Well done Ms Ockwell-Smith for succeeding where so many others have failed in creating a baby book worth buying!

So, how would you like to win a copy?

No question, all you have to do is share this giveaway and leave me a comment telling me how/ where you shared it! Please also remember to include an email address with your comment so I can find you! Go!

I will draw a random winner on 30th November.

x anne

*Please note the views expressed here represent my PERSONAL opinion and may not reflect the opinions of everyone in the DBM group.
**Disclosure - I was not paid to write this review but I did receive a copy of the book for myself and one to give away.

Under Pressure

2012-10-06T10:27:00.003+01:00

By Michelle (DBM Admin Team)

'"Women are under too much pressure to breastfeed", my friend complained recently, "and that’s not fair to those who choose to formula feed". I’ve been digesting this for a while. And, actually, it’s an argument I keep on hearing. I suspect I’m not the only one?

At first I wanted to dismiss this. I’ve never felt a pressure to breastfeed. Not an external one, anyway. If this perceived pressure, however, is resulting in feelings of negativity towards breastfeeding and breastfeeders, then it must be taken seriously, surely?

Initially, I want to think about what pressure is. We don’t tend to talk about feeling pressured to do things that we find easy and enjoyable; I don’t feel pressured to eat this slice of chocolate cake (I wish I had a slice of chocolate cake) although, technically, I probably was by advertising, special offers, and the fact that my mate told me she had some chocolate cake last night. You probably don’t feel pressure to take a bubble bath, cuddle your partner, or read that juicy novel you’ve been into. These are nice things to do even though they sometimes require a little effort. Perhaps those women who feel pressured to breastfeed don’t see nursing as an enjoyable activity. That’s not to say they don’t see nursing as beneficial; passing exams and earning money are beneficial, for instance, but much more likely to be loaded with feelings of pressure because they’re hard work. To what extent do women who feel pressure to breastfeed see it as being an unpleasant and difficult activity?

I suppose to answer that we need to think about who is feeling this pressure. To me, two groups are distinguishable: those who already have first-hand experiences of breastfeeding, and those who haven’t. The feelings of pressure will be rooted in different places for each of these women. Women who have previously breastfed but feel pressure to do it again are likely to have had negative experiences, which are possibly wrapped up in guilt and since that's a whole other blog post, I'm just going to look at the 'virgin' breastfeeder here..

For a woman who has never breastfed her first encounter of pressure to do so is likely to be from the midwife she sees while she is expecting her first child. Whether or not you or I would interpret the midwife as pressuring is irrelevant, really, as this pregnant mother does and it’s her response that we’re currently concerned with. We have to remember that it’s highly likely that this mother’s experiences of baby-feeding, right up until the point of conversation with the midwife, have been formula-skewed. It’s likely that she would have been formula-fed herself at some point and that her brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews would have been too. She would also have seen bottles everywhere; almost ubiquitously hailed as the icon of baby feeding and printed on cafe walls, bibs, and baby clothes. The chances are pretty high that when she played with dolls as a child she ‘fed’ them from a moulded plastic bottle (or one of those where the ‘milk’ vanishes if you turn it upside down if her parents had the cash). She would have seen acres of shelf space given over to SMA and Aptamil, and a fair few formula...sorry, follow-on milk adverts on TV. Statistically, her friends with babies will have started off breastfeeding, before moving to formula. This might result in her having heard plenty of explanations as to why breastfeeding ‘didn’t work’, ranging from the painful (“my nipples were virtually hanging off”) to the mysterious (“the baby just wouldn’t latch on”). She’ll have heard that ‘breast is best’, but she’ll also be pretty damn sure that it’s hard work.

If she was raised in Western society – as we’re assuming she has been – our pregnant mother is almost certain to have been bombarded with images of unobtainable female bodies and sexualised breasts for two or three decades and therefore have a deeply ingrained understanding of how she should view her own boobs (imperfect and rude). She’ll probably never have risked exposing her nipple in a public place.

Cue the midwife and her leaflets about the positives of breastfeeding. Leaflets that tell her she must outdo all her friends by exclusively breastfeeding for six months. Leaflets that turn over at least half of their printing space to troubleshooting ‘common problems’. And leaflets that are often accompanied by a demand for intentions right there and then. When the midwife asks our pregnant mother how she is going to feed her baby there only seems to be one correct answer... and it’s not the one she’s used to being exposed to. I’m not saying that the picture I have painted is representative of all expectant mothers, but if she was part of a society in which breastfeeding was seen as normal, pleasurable and public, would she feel 'pressure' to nurse? Or would she just do it because that’s what people do? What if she lived in a world in which the question wasn’t asked because breastfeeding was so near-universal? Would she feel more or less pressure in this situation? Would the nursing be more or less achievable?

The experience of pressure doesn’t just come down to which side of the argument is louder or who spends the most money on advertising. It’s about perceptions of normality and about the extent to which an individual feels comfortable about what she is being asked to do. People don’t have to be persuaded very hard to do things they see as easy, positive, and normal.

The pregnant woman sees the midwife’s leaflets and questions as pressure because her mind’s already made up how she’s going to ultimately feed her baby. Her mind has been made up for her.'

Michelle (Chelle) is a new member of the DBM admin team. She is a volunteer peer supporter and a mother of three sons aged 10, 8 and 14 months.

Lansinoh are NOT a WHO compliant company.

2012-10-03T21:47:00.001+01:00

I blogged last week about how I had been approached to ~~advertise~~ blog about Lansinoh cream on the DBM blog - and why I declined. In the post I stated that because Lansinoh were owned by Pigeon, that made them a non-WHO code compliant company. However, Lansinoh have put on such a good 'show' of caring about the code that they are currently 'endorsed' by the La Leche League (on their website), and in 2011 they were allowed to advertise at the International Lactation Consultant Association's conference. The reason?

'The Board relied in its decision upon Lansinoh's 2011 communications describing in detail the process it is undertaking in 2011, with advice from the National Alliance for Breastfeeding Advocacy (NABA), to convert Lansinoh with its enlarged product line into a company that is meeting its obligations under the Code. Their plan calls for the changes to be in place by 2012.'

Although it's not yet available to link to online yet (as far as I can see), I believe that this year's ILCA conference did NOT permit Lansinoh to exhibit in the end. Their reasons are unclear to me at present, but they may have something to do with Lansinoh rather 'missing their target' on code compliance. *cough*

However, the trusted Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine don't seem to mind that Lansinoh are now a code-breaking company. Rather disappointingly they feature in their list of exhibitors for their conference this year.

Hmmm.

The WHO code on the marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes states the following:

'The Code applies to the marketing, and practices related thereto, of the following products: breast-milk substitutes, including infant formula; other milk products, foods and beverages, [...] for use as a partial or total replacement of breast milk; feeding bottles and teats' [...] 5.1 There should be no advertising or other form of promotion to the general public of products within the scope of this Code.

But take a look at Lansinoh's UK website, and you'll find this. Agreed, it's not exactly full of product info (although I suspect that's on it's way..) but it's clear from this page that Lansinoh ARE gearing up to market a range of bottles and teats in the UK, and they're already doing it in America (my thanks to The Lactivista on Twitter for help with this).

If you want to learn more about what's coming, you can take a look at the US version of their website.

And there's a lot in here for Baby Milk Action to get their teeth into, sadly. Things like the claim that their bottle:

'Allows baby to mimic natural sucking rhythm'

for example.

Language like this clearly invites a comparison between bottle feeding and breast feeding in a way which contradicts other areas of the code (eg. section 9.2).

In addition, let's remember why I took an interest in Lansinoh in the first place. THEY approached ME (through a third party) to ask me to endorse their product AND asked me to link to their website several times over. The website where they're just beginning to market their *new* bottles and teats.

Co-incidence? I think not... And in approaching me and asking me to share their website with you - the DBM community - they are breaking the code.

5.5 'Marketing personnel, in their business capacity, should not seek direct or indirect contact of any kind with pregnant women or with mothers of infants and young children.'

Hmmm again..

If you're struggling to understand why I think it matters that companies stand behind the WHO Code, perhaps this will help to explain. Of course LOTS of companies break this code daily (you almost expect it from formula companies), but this is LANSINOH - trusted by breastfeeding mothers the world over... Lansinoh - the new mother's best friend*.

Needless to say by writing about these products I am IN NO WAY endorsing Lansinoh or their products, and OF COURSE I haven't been paid to write about this company. Doh.

*I prefer coconut oil. Much better in curries, too.

The Myth of the Honest Blogger..

2012-09-24T20:02:00.002+01:00

Q: When is a blogpost not a blogpost?

A: When it's really an advertisement.

Seesh - sometimes I'm really naïve... This week when a company approached me looking to 'advertise on' this blog, I just assumed it meant they wanted to put an ad in the side-bar ad or something like that.. Great stuff - I thought..

Anyway - I then got an email back with my first 'assignment' - and it was at this point the penny really dropped - DOH! What I had obviously failed to understand is that I was actually being approached to write promotional posts about breastfeeding/ baby-related products, and that's not something I do.. I mean, I know it happens elsewhere on the blog-o-sphere of course, but I have never felt it's appropriate for me personally or for DBM. The company I was being asked to promote was Lansinoh and my mission was to write a blog about their product linking back to the company's website in several places.

Hmmmm.

Now, to be fair, Lansinoh is a popular product with a lot of breastfeeding mums. A lot of people swear by it, and I used it myself in the days following the arrival of my first child.

'Moist wound healing' (which can be facilitated by the use of a lanolin cream like Lansinoh) does seem to be favoured by many lactation professionals as a preferred way to help heal cracked nipples - often alongside a saline rinse and the topical application of breast milk.

'Moist wound healing has been shown to be very effective for healing sore nipples. Keeping your nipples covered with a medica grade (100% pure) modified lanolin ointent or hydrogel dressing will encourage any cracks to heal without scabbing or crusting.'

La Leche League

La Leche League International (USA) actually endorse the use of Lansinoh on their website. Describing it as:

'the purest and safest brand of modified lanolin available'

However, assessments of the available research have concluded that moist wound healing:

'is certainly an area in need of urgent systematic review and further, independent, research'

~ Breastfeeding Network (2002)

and

'Until evidence that genuinely supports it's use is found, presenting moist wound healing to mothers as a clinically tested treatment is at best misguided, and at worst dishonest.'

~ 'The Truth about Breastfeeding'

There are a variety of options when it comes to choosing a product to assist in moist wound healing, and Lansinoh cream is just one - albeit probably the best known. Hydrogel dressings have also been found to be effective, and some lactation consultants (IBCLC's) recommend using coconut oil (which is also naturally antibiotic and anti-fungal), or simply white soft paraffin/ petroleum jelly in order to keep the area moist. Lansinoh is also pretty pricey (unless you get it on prescription) and some of the alternatives are quite a bit cheaper..

Perhaps I could have posted something to the effect that Lansinoh may help with nipple cracks, and described it as the 'brand leader' etc., but the trouble is that cracked nipples are most often down to incorrect positioning and attachment, and sometimes other factors such as missed tongue ties or occasionally thrush. If you don't get proper help with these problems then your cracked nipples WILL NOT HEAL, no matter how much cream you buy...

New mums are often advised to use Lansinoh by midwives or doctors seeking to provide a 'quick fix' for sore or cracked nipples because they do not have the knowledge to properly support these mothers. So instead they name a brand.

I have personally seen mothers who have struggled on for weeks (and sometimes months) being 'treated' for 'thrush' by their GP's - sometimes ending up with mastitis. Many of these mums have doggedly used Lansinoh cream throughout - you will often see it on a coffee table or the arm of a chair when you visit their home. However the root cause of their problems has never been addressed.

Often just a small change in positioning and a little help with attachment reduces a mother's pain immediately and is enough to help the cracks to heal in just a few days. No money spent. No 'medication'. Just correct positioning and attachment, and help from someone with a basic understanding of breastfeeding!

Many mums are using creams like Lansinoh in the belief that it will heal their cracked nipples, and when it doesn't and their feeding problems persist, they lose heart and give up breastfeeding. I'm not *blaming* Lansinoh for this, but I do blame a culture that values creams and unctions over proper breastfeeding support. I don't want this blog to ever do that - and that's why I wrote back to the company declining their offer.

I am also incredibly uncomfortable with the idea that a company such as this would ask me to write a post promoting their product under the guise of 'DBM'. The truth is that there are many bloggers out there who do this on a regular basis. They write paid blogs (yes, even some breastfeeding blogs do this), and promote products on twitter and through the pictures they post. I wonder how often people are aware that the blogger they subscribe to is getting paid to advertise the products they're raving about?

FTR - if I ever recommend a product or service on this blog (and I think I've only ever really done it once or twice sofar) then my views and opinions are based solely on personal experience - end of.

I promise never to dress up advertising as support.

There is another reason why I declined to promote Lansinoh on this blog too - and it's a biggie.

Lansinoh are owned by WHO code violating company Pigeon - learn more about why this is important here and here.*

(see footnotes for further information)*

I was also more than a little disappointed to discover that Lansinoh are now sponsoring Dr Hilary Jones' new pregnancy and baby 'apps', and even advertise them on their website. Dr Hilary Jones is employed by Cow and Gate to promote formula milk. He also seems to hold some very negative personal opinions about mothers who breastfeed beyond infancy. I wonder what breastfeeding gems lurk inside his most recent money-spinner? ...*shudder*...

Why would Lansinoh choose to support someone who promotes formula?

Lansinoh also make bottles, teats, pumps, breast milk storage bags etc - I guess it's possible that they might make their biggest money out of mums who struggle to breastfeed, who use lots of lanolin cream on their sore nipples but ultimately (because of pain) decide to stop feeding their babies at the breast? That's because some of these mothers will go on to provide their babies with breast milk by expressing and bottle feeding. This will likely necessitate the use of pumps, storage bags and bottles - all of which Lansinoh make... If those mums choose to stop expressing (and some will have a 'goal date' in mind) they will probably carry on using the same bottles and teats when they finally give up expressing and turn to formula. If a mum gets their positioning and attachment sorted out and goes on to enjoy feeding their baby directly at the breast, it stands to reason that Lansinoh make less money.

Or perhaps I'm too cynical...?

You can't have failed to notice that social media is a massively expanding area of marketing and advertising. Most large (and many small) companies will have a dedicated social media manager whose job it is to 'engage' with the public and target certain demographics. Large breastfeeding support pages make ideal 'targeted marketing' for anyone trying to sell 'essential' breastfeeding products - however many of these so-called essential items are not essential at all.

I'm not slamming anyone for writing posts for money though - why shouldn't bloggers earn money? I guess my issue is transparency. My recent encounter with the Lansinoh marketing machine (via third party emails) has been a reminder to me that things are not always as they seem on the internet. I think it's good to be mindful that some blog posts are really just ads, although you might not be aware of it. After all, there is no obligation for a writer to tell you why they are promoting a particular product.

Before you all comment underneath about how wonderful Lansinoh is and how it saved your breastfeeding relationship etc, please know I am not saying it's not in essence a useful product! I know it helps people and I'm genuinely delighted if it helped you, however I do have some 'issues'.. As a peer supporter, as a 'blogger', and as someone who supports the WHO Code.

It has become trendy to give new mothers-to-be 'breastfeeding baskets' (like this one) at baby showers and the like. Lansinoh is apparently a 'must have'... I'd like to suggest something else instead. If you have a friend who is expecting a new baby, rather than spend your money on a 'breastfeeding basket', do something REALLY helpful. Write her a card telling her how you are going to help her. Promise to fill her freezer with home made food and offer to entertain her other kids (if she has any) when her baby comes so she can rest. If you want to buy her something then why not pay for a session with a trusted IBCLC when her baby comes- ask for a gift voucher!

Be there for her. You can't put a price on that.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you're looking for more information about how to care for sore and cracked nipples, here are a few suggestions:

From the Breastfeeding Network (2002) 'Cracked Nipples and Moist Wound Healing'.
From La Leche League: http://www.lalecheleague.org/llleaderweb/lv/lvfebmar00p10.html and https://www.llli.org/faq/heal.html
From Kellymom: http://kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mother/nipplehealing/
From the NCT: http://www.nct.org.uk/sites/default/files/related_documents/Breastfeeding%20and%20your%20nipples_4.pdf

* This statement explains that the International Lactation Consultants Association did allow Lansinoh to exhibit at their conference in 2011 despite being owned by Pigeon, but they decided to review this decision in a year. I do not have any more up to date information about this at present. I would argue that a company who seek to use social media to direct breastfeeding mothers towards a site where they are marketing bottles and teats is not code-compliant. Others may disagree.

Managing silent reflux without medication - our story.

2012-09-02T15:56:00.001+01:00

As regular readers of this blog may know, my eldest daughter has struggled with silent reflux since she was about 8 weeks old. A rough start in the world, a belly full of antibiotics and infant formula, and an undiagnosed tongue and lip tie didn't exactly set her up for a healthy digestive system... In my desperation and ignorance I syringe-fed her Gaviscon, and gave her suppositories when it resulted in constipation. Our continued search for relief led us to give her Ranitidine (Zantac) and eventually Omeprazole (Losec). I also gave up all dairy and took her for cranial osteopathy regularly. There were times when things seemed to be getting easier, and because her weight gain wasn't an issue anymore the doctors were happy with her progress. We weaned her off Losec at 1 year old.

However, despite the improvements, she continued to be 'bad' with solid foods. Sometimes she gagged to the point of throwing up. She also suffered from painful and poorly formed stools. When (aged 3) she was finally able to tell me that she was swallowing back 'hot' sick into her throat I reluctantly took the decision to put her back onto Losec. I sought further medical support (privately) and was told I should stop breastfeeding her and to give her MORE medication. It was at this point that I pretty much lost faith in the conventional medical system.

Her symptoms as a baby were as follows: regular feeding strikes then reluctant and REALLY fast feeding (glug glug glug); feeding best when sleepy/ asleep (dream feeds were our saviour); arching backwards and high-pitched SCREAMING, clawing and fighting the breast; lots of hiccups; total dummy addiction; never sleeping longer than 2 hours at a time - right up until 14 months of age*. Had I known then what I know now I would have had her posterior tongue tie and lip tie corrected straight away and I am sure it would have helped a lot.

It's important for me to state at this point that silent reflux doesn't always present in the way I've described above. Sometimes instead of refusing the breast (like my daughter did) babies feed A LOT because the suckling action helps to keep the acid down. Those babies generally have good weight gain and it can be hard for their mothers to get heard by medical professionals. That's why if you're having any feeding concerns at all it's vitally important that you get PROPER breastfeeding support.

In an ideal world when a baby is born it goes onto it's mother's chest straight away (cord still attached!) and when it's ready it will root about and have it's first feed of colostrum. No separation, no supplementation, no drugs. Such was not the case for us.

I now know that the damage done to my daughter's virgin gut during the few short hours after birth was severe. She didn't get skin to skin with me at birth, so her body was not colonised by my (better) bacteria but instead by the bacteria present in the hospital's neonatal ward (bleugh...). A really great article explaining more about why this is important is here. She did not have her precious gut coated and sealed with my colostrum. Nope, she got sugar water, antibiotics and cow's milk formula (I hadn't given my consent btw, not that it changes anything..). Those things went straight across her vulnerable gut wall and entered her bloodstream. They changed the profile of her gut flora forever and left her gut as leaky as a sieve. I also exposed her to more allergens because of my own leaky gut/poor diet and nutrition/use of antibiotics during pregnancy and shortly after birth.

The truth is that no matter WHAT I do now, my daughter's gut will never be the way it should have been. Her first line of defence against illness will always be weaker, and she will be more prone to food intolerances. My daughter was fortunate in that when I went on to tandem feed her she got a second 'shot' at colostrum - her new sister's gift to her - but even that cannot completely undo the harm done to her body during those first few hours of life.

With a 'leaky gut':

'The swollen intestinal lining becomes more permeable than normal and abnormally large spaces or holes develop between the cells. Among other things, leaky gut syndrome causes an inability to properly digest and assimilate food. It allows the entry of viruses, bacteria, fungi and other toxic substances into the bloodstream. Leaky gut is the cause of most food allergies and many nutrient deficiencies. It is also linked to autoimmune diseases and can be the underlying cause of many other medical conditions' http://immunetreesa.co.za/files/Colostrum%20Heals%20Leaky%20Gut%20Syndrome.pdf

A 2008 study entitled: 'A Prospective Study of Cow's Milk Allergy in Exclusively Breast-Fed Infants' looked at 1749 infants. 39 of those infants developed signs of a cow's milk protein allergy. 9 of the 39 infants developed signs of their allergy whilst still being exclusively breast fed. Those 9 babies seem to have been reacting to cow's milk protein present in breast milk. What's really interesting is that all 9 had been exposed to cow's milk formula within the first three days of life - just as my daughter was. The study concludes that:

'early inadvertent and occasional exposure to cow's milk proteins may initiate sensitization in predisposed neonates. Subsequent exposure to minute amounts of bovine milk proteins in human milk may act as booster doses eliciting allergic reactions.'

Given that the gut of a newborn is SO vulnerable, I am at a loss to understand why doctors regularly insist on formula supplementation for newborns. The 'risks of formula feeding' are real, but the risks of EARLY formula feeding are potentially even more damaging as far as I can see. Even in a situation where a mother can't or doesn't want to breast feed her baby, surely the first port of call for supplementation should ALWAYS be donor milk? Surely, given the possibility of life-long (and expensive) health problems stemming from an unhealthy gut, it makes financial sense to prioritise breast feeding support during those early days? Of course if we did then many more mothers would be enabled to breast feed for longer. It's a complete no-brainer in my opinion....

We can do many things to improve a leaky gut but we cannot turn back time.

We know that the guts of exclusively breast fed infants (and adults) have different bacterial profiles compared with the guts of formula fed infants. Scientists now think that these bacteria actually have an effect on the development of the child's immune system:

'babies that had been fed only breast milk had a more diverse bacterial colonization than formula-fed babies. The scientists also found a link between the expression of genes in the bacteria and genes of the immune system in the baby [...] "The findings show that human milk feeding promotes the beneficial microbe population in the gut and crosstalk between these bacteria and the immune system of the infant and are helping us to define exactly why breast is best,"' http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-05/uoic-bbg052112.php

Mother's of refluxy babies are often advised to avoid cow's milk products - and this can certainly help to a degree. So why then, when we had removed all the cow's milk protein from our diets, did my daughter continue to suffer from reflux? Why were her stools still hard and painful? (Think 'rabbit poos' - see the bottom of this blog for more info***).

An ever-patient ear to my woes, Charlie from Milk Matters, suggested that one possible way to help improve my daughter's gut health and bowel movements would be to get more omega oils into her (sunflower seeds were a great suggestion). She also recommended that we boost her good bacteria by giving her probiotics. We also gave her aloe vera juice. It worked well. Soon my daughter was going to the toilet normally and without a fuss - a big improvement on before. I also contacted another lactation consultant who specialises in gut health and tongue tie - Jennifer Tow IBCLC. She recommended that we (collectively) make some major dietary changes and have my daughter's likely posterior tongue and lip ties revised**. We were already dairy-free so one of the first things we had to do was stop eating wheat - which for most people is a HUGE ask. In the West we seem to be totally addicted to milk and wheat. And guess what? That's because we really are!

Avoiding dairy had only removed one potential irritant from my daughter's system but she still had a massively leaky gut and her body was therefore still reacting to other irritants. If I wanted to get her off medication I had to do more to heal her gut and remove as many potential sources of inflammation from her environment as possible. Some people might wonder why I was so bothered about her being on the medication. I mean - the world and his wife are on reflux meds and they're 'fine' - aren't they? To learn more about the damage these popular drugs to do our bodies, read this and this.

On Jennifer's recommendation we began to use coconut oil for cooking and eating (anti-biotic, anti-fungal, fat burning and all-round wonder food), and I was kindly gifted some kefir grains by DBM admin Carol so we could add in more good bacteria to our diets. We also reduced the amount of potatoes on our family's menu and replaced them with other (more nutritious) foods such as sweet potatoes/ kale/ squashes/ pulses/ broccoli/ lentils etc. Instead of just eating bananas and apples we began to eat more (nutrient-dense) berries such as cherries, cranberries, strawberries, raspberries and so on. I began making gut-healing 'bone broth' to add to soups and casseroles. We had been stuck in a 'food rut' (as I imagine many of us are), but once I got my head around it, it was really no problem just to buy and cook different things. I don't think we have ever eaten so well and to be honest I've enjoyed the whole process much more than I expected to. As time went on, my daughter's relationship with food started to improve. Of course she was still a bit picky (she's 3!), but in general she was more open to trying things, and made less of a fuss a meal-times. Kinesiology confirmed that she was reacting to cow's milk protein, cheese, wheat, tomatoes, potatoes and pears. We continued with regular CST and it's worth mentioning that we began giving her the homeopathic remedy Nat Phos daily.

Now, if you're thinking to yourself 'how on earth did you manage without bread and cake?' please know that I shared your concern ;) but we didn't go without... We learned to make wheat-free bread in a bread maker (or you can buy it) and we can have this as toast or sliced thin as sandwiches. We use wheat-free pasta (have done for years anyway), and if you haven't tried wheat-free baking, then honestly you don't know what you're missing. My wheat and dairy free sponge cake is genuinely awesome (even if I do say so myself..!) and I'm looking forward to learning how to make grain-free puds too (this looks delicious!). I recently cooked a wheat and dairy free meal for my extended family and they honestly loved it - there was nothing left. There were also several comments about how no-one felt uncomfortably full and bloated afterwards too...

gluten and dairy free sponge cake.

After a month or so of our new eating style and cranio-sacral therapy (crucially with a DIFFERENT practitioner) we started to tentatively reduce my daughter's medication. We began giving it to her every other day for about three weeks, then every three days for a week or so. On the days when she didn't get her meds I gave my daughter her a 'fake' medication - I didn't want her to know (and potentially be scared by) the fact we were cutting back. There was no reaction. Eventually when we had forgotten to give her it enough times, we realised we had stopped. Still no reaction. Off the meds.

My mother-in-law(!) has been on various medications and in and out of hospital with gut problems for the best part of a year. The medics seemed at a loss as to what was going on - she had all sorts of scans and investigations. She was worried it might be cancer - but thankfully it wasn't. She is pretty much back to normal now since she finally cut out wheat. She is also off medication.

Then my mother(!!) who has suffered with reflux for years and was taking the same medication as my daughter, also decided to try giving up wheat. And guess what? Just three days later she was able to come off her meds too. You have never seen a person do a bigger turn-around.

I have to ask then, if healing our guts and removing the things which irritate them from our diets can be such an effective way to treat reflux and other problems, why isn't everybody doing it?

In part I'm sure it's because not enough people realise it can make a real difference. We are so convinced that medicating is the only way that we don't look beyond the pharmacy for the answers. However, I wonder if there is more to it than that. Confident in the fact that someone is bound to call me a 'conspiracy theorist' for writing this, I'll write it anyway: Too many people are making money out of our ill-health.

Those multinational companies who bring you those 'healthy' wholegrains are the very ones who make money when you get ill. Don't believe me? Look into the links between Monsanto/ Pharmacia and the drug manufacturer Pfizer. Nestle (who started out as a pharmaceutical company, remember?) are strengthening their links to this industry too. In 2010 they announced a venture which will (they say):

'"pioneer a new industry between food and pharma" that will develop products to combat diabetes, heart problems, and Alzheimer's' http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/dfa59814-ca04-11df-87b8-00144feab49a.html

They also bought Pfizer nutrition earlier this year.

But you don't have to take my word for all of this (and I don't want you to!). Have a look into the relationship between gut health and illness for yourself. The links in this blog are plenty to be getting on with. If you have only time to read one of them, then please make it this one.

There's just one more thing I want to say. It's not only my daughter who has a damaged gut. It's me too. I wasn't put skin to skin with my mother after birth - I spent days in an incubator. I was given formula supplements and antibiotics. It wasn't until I was in my twenties that I had even heard of pre/ probiotics, yet I had been on countless courses of antibiotics over the years. Thirty years of sub-optimal nutrition and exposure to toxins in the environment compounded the problem. My leaky gut has undoubtedly affected my own health and happiness - and maybe you can relate? Multiply that damage over the generations and factor in epigenetics (remember that scientists have found a link between gut bacteria and the expression of genes from intestinal cells) and it all gets a bit scary.

Please don't think I'm saying you can eliminate wheat/dairy and immediately all your problems will just disappear in a puff of smoke... What I am suggesting is that it may help reduce some symptoms (as it did for my clearly reactive family!), and for that reason I'm suggesting it as a non-medicinal starting point. Taking steps towards gut healing will likely help even more because it 'plugs the gaps' in the gut wall and thus minimises the body's exposure to any irritant foods. A number of experts are now coming to the conclusion that releasing tongue and lip restrictions is key to resolving digestive (and even behavioural) problems** - so it is well worth finding out if a hidden tongue tie playing a part in your situation.

I am sharing my family's experiences here in the hope that it will help some of you. I am very much aware that we are only starting out on the path towards better health - there is much more we can be doing - but it has certainly been a positive start! I am deeply indebted to Charlie and Jennifer for their help and advice along this 'journey' - but there were others who are not mentioned in this blog. I hope they know who they are. If this post has helped you, or if you have any questions (I will *try* to answer!) please comment.

x anne

*Some of these symptoms are also a sign of an 'over-supply' - that may well have played a part in things but it wasn't the whole story in our case.

**For anyone wondering about how tongue/ lip tie impacts on all of this, then the short answer is that a tongue restriction will affect how a person swallows, chews, processes and digests foods all the way through the digestive tract from start to finish. This impacts on the body's acid levels, food absorption, and gut health. Often people with undiagnosed tongue ties (like my daughter) end up on reflux medications and painkillers which ultimately just make matters worse. Healing from that is a process. After consulting with a number of different professionals it was decided not to revise my daughter's tongue and lip ties at this point. She is getting continued CST and will likely have a revision in the future.

***To check if your child's stooling (or your own!) is normal please see the chart below - ideally they should be 3 or best of all, a 4. Click here for more.

Night-time thoughts.

2012-08-16T16:43:00.003+01:00

I slide into bed beside you.

Sleeping, you start to search

with that eager little mouth -

your hand unconsciously stroking my arm

so lovingly.

Then, fill had, you pull away.

Breathing deepens,

safe and sound.

Taken for granted,

I am rewarded.

Template complaint letters (poor medical support for breastfeeding) - free to copy

2012-08-11T11:33:00.002+01:00

These letters have been provided for public share by Claire Allcutt IBCLC - they are adaptations of letters already in the public domain. I have included alternative information for UK mums.

You may wish to make a complaint if you received poor breastfeeding support or information from a Health Care Professional (Doctor, Midwife, Health Visitor etc).

For mums living in the Republic of Ireland who wish to make a general complaint (may be altered to suit other locations):

'Complainant's name

Complainant's address + telephone number/email

Date

Dear Sir or Madam [or insert name],

I, [name], am writing to express my concern regarding an employee of the HSE/NHS (name if known), who is a [title] at [name of health premises] and has given me inaccurate, unhelpful, and potentially damaging information regarding breastfeeding my child [name and age of child].

I found [offender's name] conduct and information to be unprofessional, and am deeply concerned at the impact that such misinformation could have on someone who is not well-informed on the subject. [Here, if you have time and desire to do so, you should detail what misinformation the offender badgered you with]

For the record, the World Health Organization guidelines on breastfeeding state that:

"Exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life is the recommended way of feeding infants, followed by continued breastfeeding with appropriate complementary foods for up to two years or beyond."

To enable mothers to establish and sustain exclusive breastfeeding for six months, WHO and UNICEF recommend:

[add whichever factors you feel to be most important from this link -http://www.who.int/child_adolescent_health/topics/prevention_care/child/nutrition/breastfeeding/en/index.html]

ROI only [The HSE not only concurs with the WHO, but even provides a useful set of resources for health care professionals, to make sure that they have up-to-date information about breastfeeding and infant nutrition. These resources can be accessed at www.breastfeeding.ie]

UK only [The NHS National Institute for Clinical Excellence also support the WHO recommendations: http://www.nice.org.uk/niceMedia/pdf/EAB_Breastfeeding_final_version.pdf The NICE Guidance (2008) on Maternal and Child Nutrition is summarised here: http://www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/pdfs/NICE_Maternal_and_Child_Nutrition_Recommendations.PDF The NHS also provides an on-line resource to support parents with breastfeeding. This can be accessed here: http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/why-breastfeed.aspx]

I am concerned that [offender'a name] does not have up-to-date information, and is giving mothers misinformation. This seems to suggest that [she/he] has not received proper training in current best practice*, and is therefore not currently qualified for [her/his] role in health care.

I look forward to hearing from you about how you are going to address this problem. ( if you wish to provide further details add " and I would be happy to share more details of my interaction with [offender's name], should you require such information for your review".)

Yours sincerely,

[complainant's name and signature]'

For mothers who were given poor advice regarding medication around the time of an operation:

'Address

Other contact details, eg phone, e-mail

Date

Name of contact person, if available

Address of Health Care Facility/Hospital

Re: Inaccurate Advice re Medication

Dear [Patient Services Manager],

On [date], I was admitted to [name of hospital/location) for the procedure of. [name service]

I am concerned that I was given the wrong information in relation to sedation to be taken before the procedure. At that time I was breastfeeding my child and, on informing the medical staff of this, I was first advised that it would be necessary to discontinue feeding. However, on questioning this further, I found this recommendation to be inaccurate since the drugs were compatible with breastfeeding. This is disappointing as it demonstrates a lack of knowledge in the medical team and a lack of understanding of to the importance of breastmilk to my child. The situation caused me unnecessary stress at what was already a difficult time.

To resolve the problem I would like you to [state the action you require e.g. a review of staff training in relation to the medications during lactation]. Further, I feel it would be helpful for the hospital to have a policy on care of patients who are breastfeeding.

Enclosed is a copy of [any relevant documents].

I look forward to hearing from you and to a resolution of this problem. Please contact me at the above address or by telephone on *********

Yours sincerely

[Sign]

[Print Your Name]

Cc: [Include Name of person or agency you want to send a copy of this letter to]'

* Remember, if you live in the UK , you can suggest that your GP take additional training via the following routes:

UNICEF/ Baby Friendly e-learning module for GP's: http://www.unicef.org.uk/BabyFriendly/Resources/Training-resources/E-learning-for-GPs

Breastfeeding support training for Health Care Professionals from the NCT: http://www.nct.org.uk/professional/training-health-professionals-and-childrens-centre-staff

Lactation consultants may offer individual or group training in your area. To locate an IBCLC local to you, click here: http://www.lcgb.org/consultants_local.html

IF YOU HAVE A TEMPLATE LETTER YOU THINK WOULD BENEFIT OTHER BREASTFEEDING

MOTHERS, OR SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO THE ABOVE, PLEASE EMAIL: DISPELLINGBREASTFEEDINGMYTHS@HOTMAIL.CO.UK SO I CAN AMEND THIS POST. X

Ecobebes WINNER!

2012-08-03T11:23:00.000+01:00

I'm delighted to announce that the winner (selected at random!) of the Ecobebes Mei Tai baby carrier contest is:

Agata Brojanowska-Aleksandrowicz

Please contact me at dispellingbreastfeedingmyths@hotmail.co.uk to claim your prize Agata.

Huge thanks must go to the LOVELY Ellie at Ecobebes for hosting this competition and for selecting such a gorgeous sling to giveaway. Agata - I hope you really enjoy wearing your baby!

Many thanks to everyone who entered and sorry if you didn't win *this time*.

x anne

Win a Mei Tai Baby Carrier from Ecobebes.eu

2012-06-29T11:03:00.005+01:00

Ellie says:

'First of all I am delighted to be hosting this competition in conjunction with Dispelling Breastfeeding Myths. This page and blog has been a real inspiration and saviour to me over the past couple of years as I’m sure it has been to many of you.

I am Ellie, a breastfeeding mum of 16 month old twins, mum to a 3 year old and the owner of Ecobebes.eu. We are a family run business located in Norfolk, UK. We started our company in 2009 on the Costa del Sol, Spain originally as a supplier of washable nappies. When I was pregnant with our first child we decided to use cloth nappies, but we found the market very limited on the continent so imported ours via relatives in America. After our daughter was born we were frequently asked about our choice of nappies and where we bought them. We realised there was a market for them on the continent so EcoBebes.eu was born.

In February 2011 we were delighted to welcome the arrival of our twin boys, Felix and Sebastian. Our business was put on hold while we muddled through their first year. I think I spent the majority of it curled up on a sofa feeding! We relocated to the UK when they were 3 months old. We have settled in to the English way of life and are busy trying to expand the business and introduce new product lines especially different types of baby slings and carriers.

I have a real passion for babywearing that started with the purchase of my first stretchy wrap when my daughter was born. Bella and I spent many months cuddled together in a wrap. In fact I'm not even sure I used the stroller more than a handful of times in the first 6 months! As she got bigger and heavier I looked for other options to carry her and discovered the beauty of Mei Tais. I have a bit of an obsession with slings and carriers and own many types but the Mei Tai is my “go to” carrier. I love the simplicity of it, the way you can achieve many different holds, the support it offers and the funky fabrics.

It is for this reason I am offering a Mei Tai Baby carrier as our competition prize! I want others to have the chance to explore the beauty of the Mei Tai. I have selected Black and White Vines with black straps for our winner. This design is classic but striking and looks even more gorgeous “in the flesh”.'

Mei Tai : 'Black and White Vines'

To be in with a chance of winning you need to do the following:

1/ Email your answer to the following question to dispellingbreastfeedingmyths@hotmail.co.uk

'How many different Mei Tai Baby designs do Ecobebes offer in their store?'

2/ 'Like' the Ecobebe Facebook page *HERE*

NB - Ecobebes.eu will post WORLDWIDE so this competition is open to EVERYONE.

Please share!

Mei Tai: 'Black and White Vines'

Breastfeeding - Beyond the first month...

2012-06-27T14:34:00.000+01:00

Guest Blog by Andmybaby as part of the 'Keep Britain Breastfeeding' Scavenger Hunt

'When I started out breastfeeding, it felt like I'd never make it past the first hour, not to mind the first whole MONTH! But after a few initial struggles, I found breastfeeding like riding a bike...a few worries, a few falls, many doubts...however after setting myself a ten day goal, which passed unnoticed, I was indeed on my way to the month mark! In fact, hitting the 4 week mark, or even more especially, the 6 week mark, I was really getting into my stride.

So beyond the first month...I had no worries, no struggles, well yes...there was a little sleep deprivation (I hadn't come across co-sleeping yet!)...Little M had established his own rhythm and I had grown to know his little signs, his needs. My confidence feeding out n' about was growing, in fact I was darn proud of my mama-skills and fed him at playgroups, in cafés, everywhere. I was a little nervous around some people but learned to work around it. My breastfeeding goal had been 6 months, maybe 4...(at the time I thought the WHO recommended up to 6 months).

By 4 months, he was still my little baby...I was still in my stride, enjoying the mama and baby scene, by 6 months...give up? Give up breastfeeding? After all the work it took to get going? No way was I stopping now! I also knew by now that the WHO recommends far longer than just 6 months, that's just til solids are introduced...silly me! But to keep going til 2, well that seemed a long time. So I continued nurturing my little babe, in the way I knew how, I knew his every breath, his every joy...and I loved it. I didn't know how long I'd nurse him for but it didn't seem to matter, it was one day at a time, one week at a time and it was all good.

Before I knew it, I was in a cake accessories shop buying birthday props for my wee man's very first birthday. We had a huge, ginormous, gigantic celebration! We went over the top, nothing expensive, just way too many people and lots of food and happiness. We were damn proud of making it to this stage! I remember thinking about his age and weaning but everything inside me said no, keeping feeding your baby, it's working so well. I didn't want him to have weaning added as a birthday 'blessing' either!

And so we continued on until he turned 2...now I might add, there have been plenty of times when I've felt that I should stop and that he should be weaned by now. Usually followed by visits to places/people where breastfeeding even a small baby isn't the norm. But each time I feel like this, I reflect on me...well and him of course, my little nursling. In my bubble, ignoring any societal pressure where it's not seen as the norm, for us, it works wonderfully! Since learning to co-sleep (safely), night parenting became a pleasure...my husband and I grew to love the little snuggle-monster hogging our bed-space. It's just how we roll. It's how I parent my boy...toddler tantrums are nowhere to be seen...and I mean that - his navigation and coming to terms with this big bad world is buffered by his attachment to me. And my baby comes to me for cuddles. I go on instinct and it is working super well for us 2 and a 1/2 years on.

Of course it's hard to live in reality and keep thinking you're sane to be feeding an enormous 2 and a 1/2 year old...there have been times where I've felt quite an oddball. Take hen parties for example...no I can't stay out til 4am in a hotel 200 miles away from my 2 and 1/2 year old. I've made compromises though and taken my hubby with me to stay in the neighbouring hotel. There's always an alternative if you want it badly enough. Weddings are another minefield, where it's often assumed parents would (and should) relish 'a night away' from their kids. This is where support systems come in...I was lucky in that I didn't need (too) much support apart from latching help back in the newborn days...but once this boy turned one, boy did I need it! I went along to my local La Leche League meeting & never looked back. Twice a month, I went to coffee mornings and had my 'cup refilled'. Here, my way of parenting was not only seen as normal, they had a whole load of evidence to back up all these 'instinctual feelings' I'd had had since Little M's birth. It was like coming home. I might add here too that I'm insanely lucky to have a very pro-breastfeeding husband. (Well how else are we going to create the ultimate sports machine?!!)

I learned all sorts of things about babies' biological norms...one La Leche leader, who has since become a close friend...applauded my son not sleeping through the night! Hurray she said, he is doing exactly what he should be doing, what a clever baby! He's protecting himself against SIDS and making sure he gets the best quality milk, which comes at night-time.

I realize how things could have been different and with a rocky start and a difficult birth, I might not have succeeded in breastfeeding even as far as the first week, not to mind the first month. I am utterly grateful to a nurse in hospital who gave me her undivided attention, apparently this is rare. I think she saw somebody who really, really wanted to breastfeed? I often wonder what I would have done without her... My parenting is wholly based on breastfeeding, it covers all bases and eases a lot of worry for me, I'm not sure how I'd have fared without it. When I think of all the upsets it has fixed, the sicknesses it has soothed, the travel disturbances eased, the uneaten vegetables it has more than made up for...it has been my rock.

So breastfeeding beyond the first month...what would I say about it? What's left to say? I guess for me, breastfeeding started out as 'feeding from my breast', learning a skill...over the months it developed into something more...it became us, it became parenting, it became comfort, sustenance, mothering, it sort of gets to the point (I think around the 6 month mark) where you forget about breastfeeding, it's just what you do.'

Áine is a stay at home mother of one (and one on the way) and a former primary teacher. She lives in Dublin with her husband. Áine started her blog andmybaby.ie in 2011 to reach out to any Irish mothers who felt isolated in their choice to breastfeed as the rates are very low. Her interests include politics, women's health, especially maternal health and birth services, child development and media. She adores being outdoors with her son and friends and set up an outdoor playgroup in Dublin, Free-Range Kids.

'Like' Andmybaby's facebook page here.

Remember - there is one more Ardo Amaryll breast pump for grabs during this final week! Enter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Now visit some of the other great blogs taking part in the 'Keep Britain Breastfeeding' Scavenger Hunt!

Diary of a First Child

My Mummy's Pennies

Edspire

Breast 4 Babies

My Thoughts on Things

Love to be Natural Baby Carrier - WINNER!

2012-06-23T11:58:00.000+01:00

I'm delighted to announce that the winner (chosen at random) of the GORGEOUS Tula 'Folk Birds' Baby Carrier from Love to be Natural is:

STEPH BARLETT

I'll email you Steph and I hope you enjoy your prize - I will email you!

Hugest thanks to Beth and Colin at Love to be Natural for facilitating this competition.

Thanks also to everyone who entered :)

x anne

PS - 'like' their facebook page HERE

Are we medicating instead of supporting?

2012-06-16T19:02:00.000+01:00

This week's theme on the Keep Britain Breastfeeding Scavenger Hunt is 'Breastfeeding Support' and this week we've got TWO amazing prizes to give away! Ardo have donated another Amaryll Manual Breast Pump, and the fabulous Juno Magazine are giving away A YEAR'S SUBSCRIPTION! Information about how to enter is at the bottom of this post.

DBM is all about breastfeeding support, and our Facebook group is almost two years old now. In that time it has turned into a vibrant online community with links to lots of other communities. If the peer support we provide isn't the answer, then it's easy for us to signpost people to where they need to be. Sometimes that means providing them with information about other online resources, and sometimes it means facilitating contact with real-life support groups or counselling. In the early days I encountered disapproval from some quarters about the idea of having an 'online support group'. Even just two years ago a few people seemed uneasy about someone using the internet as a means to support breastfeeding mothers. Now though, it seems like everyone is doing it! Lactation Consultants are taking part in (online) seminars about how to make the social media 'work' for them and many offer consultations over Skype. Established breastfeeding support organisations are setting up Facebook groups. Researchers are studying the impact of online breastfeeding support. Mothers are even sharing their milk through online milk-sharing resources. I'll predict that the next big thing in online support will be a 'Google+ Hangout' where breastfeeding mums can chat face-to-face. join DBM on Google+ - more info on our 'hangouts' will be coming soon - you heard it here first! ;)

Q: 'Why is there so much demand for online support?'

The background to breastfeeding's 'fall from grace' dates back (roughly) to the industrial revolution. Small, mostly rural populations began relocating to the big cities in search of work and long-established communities were broken up (more on this here). The upshot was that the support and knowledge previously found within those tight-knit communities got lost. That included knowledge about breastfeeding. As families struggled to cope with economic strain they increasingly turned to artificial feeding methods.

Formula milk can be life-saving. In the UK it is sold as a food, but some people think it should be re-classified as a medicine and indeed it is developed and produced by Pharmaceutical companies. If we ask the question 'who benefits when breastfeeding fails?' then the answer most definitely is 'Big Pharma'.

How many of you live in the same street as your parents or extended families? How many of you live close to another lactating mother you trust? How many of you grew up watching your mother/ sisters/ cousins breastfeeding?

If you answered 'yes' to any of these questions then I probably don't need to tell you you're in a tiny minority. In two hundred years not a whole lot has changed. Now, as then, in our fragmented society individuals are very often not part of a close-knit and supportive community where breastfeeding is the norm. As a result breastfeeding is more likely to fail. In step the pharmaceutical companies with their breast milk substitutes and away we go.. In 2005 'Big Pharma' were feeding almost 100% of British babies at age 6 months. Although 25% of infants were still getting some breast milk, the number being exclusively breastfed was 'negligible' (IFS 2005).

When you had your baby did a close friend or relative come to stay with you? Did someone else prepare meals for you to eat? Was there usually someone around to hold your baby for you while you went to the toilet or took a quick shower? Did you get the emotional and practical support you needed in the weeks and months after birth?

Obviously I hope your answer to all of these questions is 'yes', but speaking personally, not a bit of it! In the past 9 months I've had a baby and looked after my older child at home whilst also breastfeeding a lot. It has been tough going at times! Some tips on how to manage breastfeeding a new baby and looking after a pre-schooler are here. I've not suffered from post-natal depression, but there have been moments when I've asked myself: 'is this hormonal and sheer exhaustion or something more?'. If I had been suffering from post-natal depression and I'd talked to my health visitor or doctor about it, what do you think they would have done? Would they have sent me round a post-natal doula to help lighten the load? Would they have put in place a 'care plan' for the new mum with PND/ PPD? Doubtful. I think it's likely that I'd have been given a prescription for an antidepressant following a ten minute consultation. Now not for a single minute am I saying that anti-depressants are a bad thing, absolutely not. For some people they are a life-line (and I've had my share), but isn't it possible that in some cases what new mums really need is good old-fashioned support? Someone to help out with the practical stuff, provide a listening ear and some tea and sympathy? When a tearful new mother goes to her GP in search of help is a pharmaceutical product always the best option? And if it's not, what other realistic options are there?

A 2004 study published in the British Journal of Psychiatry looked at unhappiness following childbirth in various countries around the world and found that:

'the strongly uniting emergent theme was that of acceptance, understanding, and social support from within family and social networks and of talking therapies if professional help was sought.' (I highlighted the words 'social networks' in the above because I think it's interesting...)

In a fragmented society where new mothers often struggle for lack of support are we filling the gap with pills instead of people?

When you were growing up, did you listen whilst women in nearby houses gave birth? Did you know the name of the local midwife who was likely to attend you in labour? Did your family or another family nearby own a birthing stool? Did you have a good idea of where you would give birth when the time came?

In this C21st I suspect most people would answer 'no' to these questions, however until relatively recently in the UK (within living memory in some cases), the answer would likely have been 'yes'. These days the homebirth rate averages around 2% in England (and a mere 0.5% where I live), so the vast majority of people are now giving birth in hospital. Funnily enough, most of us don't feel at our most confident or empowered when we're in a hospital, after all, it's someone else's domain. Small things like having to ask where the toilet is or whether you're 'allowed' to eat or have a drink, can make even the most confident person feel uneasy - especially at such a vulnerable time. The hormones of birth work best when we feel comfortable, calm, and safe. Small wonder then, that so many healthy women who start out labouring well at home find things slow down on arrival at a hospital full of bright lights, strange noises and new faces. It's not a problem though, because (you've guessed it!) there's a pharmaceutical solution! Artificial oxytocin (aka syntocinon/ pitocin) can be given to force the uterus to contract and get things moving again - but it's not without risk. And of course there are the many medical and non-medical solutions mothers can turn to if they feel they need pain relief.

BUT, incredibly perhaps, it seems that simple support can actually reduce the amount of pain relief mothers need, and it makes medical intervention less likely. Research also shows that mums are more likely to breastfeed when they have a doula(1). When women have the constant support of a trusted birth companion they birth more easily and need fewer drugs - it's as simple as that.

A recent experience parenting my three year old really brought home to me how tempting it can be to medicate our way our of human problems. My eldest daughter has various food intolerances (we're a work-in-progress) and of late she had been reluctant to use the toilet. She had begun holding on for a day or two, getting grumpier and grumpier in the process. She wanted to put on a nappy to poo. We took her to see a doctor regarding something (apparently) unrelated, and whilst there we mentioned her reluctance to poo. The consultant we saw told us to give her a daily laxative to 'give her no choice' but to go, and we were to keep giving her this for 6 to 9 months. Once we'd picked our jaws up off the floor, we returned home wondering what to do for the best. After all - this was a doctor's advice!

But then I remembered, I'm her mother.

We didn't fill the prescription. One of the things I did do to help her* was spend the best part of an evening sitting on the bathroom floor with her sitting on the toilet in something of a suburban 'Mexican stand-off'. Without going into too much detail she didn't need a laxative at all, she just needed my time, some dietary changes, emotional support, and a bit of an incentive... That was more than a month ago now, and since then she has 'gone' on the toilet at least once a day and usually more. She is very proud of herself and I'm proud of her too. I'm also very relieved that I didn't give her a drug which put her at risk of soiling herself just to get her over the hump**.

Are we sometimes turning to the pharmaceutical industry for solutions instead of investing time and energy in one another? Are doctors writing prescriptions because they simply don't have the time to do anything else? Are we all so disconnected from our 'tribes' that we've forgotten that we need them? In an ever more stressful and disconnected world are some of us turning to alcohol, drugs, or food to fill the voids in our lives? Are we self-medicating? Where does it all end?

I believe that social media has enabled people to begin to revive and reconnect with some of the knowledge and support lost over two hundred years ago. The help I got via the internet helped me to breastfeed my first daughter, it helped me to birth her sister peacefully and it's helping me to make better choices in many other areas of my life. Through social media, we are finding new sources of support - and it's not all virtual. Friendships made online very often become real-life friendships - I know they have for me. With friendship and acceptance comes confidence, and with confidence comes change.

I don't know if there are any statistics on it, but I would like to bet that human milk-sharing takes place more often than five years ago, meaning that fewer babies receive formula milk than might have done so otherwise. I will also bet that more women are continuing to breastfeed their babies beyond infancy and if I'm right, then I believe the internet will have played no small part in that. We certainly have a long way to go before everyone has the support they need on a practical level, but the internet can provide sources of emotional support and information 24/7, and where breastfeeding is concerned that's invaluable.

Can the internet help provide support in other areas of life too? Of course it can! Post-natal support groups? Check. Information about alternatives to medication and non-mainstream therapies? Check. Information about pregnancy and birth options? Check. I could go on.

So, why is there so much demand for online support?

A: 'There is a demand for online support because there is a lack of real-life support.'

Some anthropologists argue that we are essentially tribal beings, and I think I agree with that. The internet goes some way towards fulfilling a need we all have for a sense of community and support - that's why social media is so successful.
But can the 'virtual' ever be tangible? For me that's the real challenge for communities like ours at DBM. If we can build on our online foundations, then perhaps we can establish real-life connections too. There is a shift happening - and you're each part of it. Using the internet as tool we can reseed the lost common knowledge about breastfeeding in our real-life communities, and that will become real-life support.

Additional info:

*I should point out that I set the groundwork to our 'Mexican Standoff' over several weeks by a) trying to ensure sure her diet had nothing in it that she couldn't tolerate, b) giving her additional omega oils, probiotics and aloe vera daily to help calm her gut (which was functioning poorly because of her intolerances) c) ensuring that her poos were no longer hurting her (the reason for her reluctance), and d) I chose my moment very carefully!

**In some people may feel this sort of intervention was right for them, of course. All I'm pointing out with this anecdote is that medication wasn't necessary in our case.

1. If you think you can't afford a doula, you might be mistaken. Help does exist to enable mums find the support they deserve - find out more here and here.

For your chance to win a year's subscription to Juno Magazine, or an Ardo Amaryll Manual Breast Pump, please enter using the rafflecopter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Now why not visit one of these other the blogs participating in 'Keep Britain Breastfeeding' Scavenger Hunt?

Where Roots Flourish

Really Rachel

Petra

Diary of the Milkshake Mummy

Smilernpb

'Mum to Mum Sharing' ~ Keep Britain (and Ireland!) Breastfeeding Scavenger Hunt

2012-06-10T11:19:00.001+01:00

This week's topic in the 'Keep Britain Breastfeeding' Scavenger Hunt is 'Mum to Mum sharing'.

Mothers help other mothers in all kinds of ways - it's what DBM does every day - peer breastfeeding support. Who knows better than another mother the trials and tribulations of being a mum, never mind a breastfeeding one? Mothers are each other's advocates and greatest resource. However, rather than looking at the issue of support (more on that next week!), I'm going to turn to the topic of mother to mother milk sharing. I've been ill most of this week and so I hope you will forgive that this post in the 'Keep Britain Breastfeeding' series is a re-cycled one. I wrote it in February last year, when milk-sharing networks were being hotly 'debated' on the internet. Some people thought they were a wonderful idea, others had serious concerns. To an extent the debate has quietened down now, but I think the discussion is still a valid one....

Note - please see the bottom of this page for the current DBM/ Ardo breast pump giveaway, to enter the 'Keep Britain Breastfeeding' rafflecopter (for a chance to win up to £500 of breastfeeding goodies), and for links to other blogs in the 'Keep Britain Breastfeeding' Series.

My first batch of milk ready to send to our local Milk Bank.
I was proud to be milk donor for 6 months,
and I have also shared milk informally.

Since the arrival of online mother-to-mother breastmilk sharing resources such as HM4HB (Human Milk for Human Babies), Eats on Feets , andMilk Share , a debate has been taking place amongst some breastfeeding advocates about it's safety. When the debate raises it's head on DBM I get very nervous.... Emotions run high and people are very passionate about this topic - this makes it something of a minefield.

However, it's an important issue and one we need to address. Whilst I personally believe mother to mother milk sharing to be a wonderful thing, I also think it's important that we're realistic about the possibility of risk it carries with it.

Risk is part of life. We can't escape it - we can only manage it. We all make 'safety-related' decisions every day. Those decisions affect the health of our children. We choose their car-seat and the car they will travel in, as well as who will drive them. We decide how, when, and if we should medicate them when they're sick. We make decisions about vaccinations, vitamins, what kind of foods we give them to eat and what kind of drinks we give them to drink. Some of us make decisions about who will look after our children for us. We can only really ever guess (to some degree) how safe our decisions are. We make our decisions based on our knowledge, our experience, and often simply on our 'gut' feelings.

Formula feeding is high on the 'risk scale' - no doubt about it. Human breastmilk from another mother is listed as preferable to formula milk (by a considerable margin) by the World Health Organisation . However, many people still have concerns about sharing breast milk outside of a milk bank.

Some people worry that healthy donors should be donating to milk banks in order to support the weakest and sickest babies. They are concerned that the milk banks will suffer. I think this is a reasonable thing to be concerned about, although I think It's also important to recognise that not everyone can donate to a milk bank. Many healthy women are unable to donate to milk banks. Perhaps because (as was my personal experience) they take medication, and whilst it's perfectly safe for them to feed their own baby they are necessarily not eligible to donate to the milk bank. Perhaps their breastmilk is considered too 'old' to be given to very young/ ill babies. Most milk banks only accept donations from women beginning when their baby is under 6 months old as this milk is more suitable for premature babies. Should healthy babies be denied the benefits of these mother's spare milk just because they're not suitable donors for the milk banks?

Everyone, it seems, has an opinion. For some people, the assurance that a woman is breastfeeding her own baby is proof enough that her milk is 'safe' to be shared. Others are only satisfied if they know the donor and their lifestyle personally, and they're uncomfortable with the idea of contacting a 'stranger' online for the purposes of sharing milk. Some women will happily nurse each other's babies, and some other mothers who are strong believers in breastfeeding find the same notion unsettling. Some people would simply rather give their child formula milk than milk from another woman, whatever the medical assurrances.

I think I would fall into a different category again. I've already given my daughter another woman's milk - and I didn't think twice about it. I will be eternally grateful to the stranger who made it possible for my daughter to avoid having any more formula in hospital. However - that woman had donated through the milk bank. She'd been tested and vetted by them, and I had confidence that the milk was safe. If it had been a stranger from a website I'm not sure I'd have been as confident.

If I were in the position of needing to feed my child milk other than my own again I'm sure I would want them to have human milk. Without a doubt. Milk banks don't usually have a surfit of milk available to healthy babies though, and I'd still prefer my child to have human milk. So that milk would necessarily have to come from a mother 'outside the system'. Would I be happy to give milk from an unscreened mother, though? I'm not so sure about that. You see, I'm fairly sure I'd want to have the donor screened (unless the donor was a close friend or my sister - so that's where my 'lines' are!).

When I've asked about how one goes about getting screening most people seem to say it's not really necessary. If the potential donor has given birth in the UK then they will have already been screened for most things as part of their maternity care.

That's a great baseline - but what if your donor has been breastfeeding her own infant for (example) a year? It will therefore have been well over a year since her blood was screened. I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't be wondering at the back of my mind if things MIGHT have changed for her during that time. How do you - or she for that matter - know that (for example) her husband/ partner has been faithful to her during that time? What about the other infections which weren't tested for in pregnancy?

Despite all of our good intentions, things happen in life. We encounter risk. We encounter it every day of our lives. All we can do is do our best to manage that risk.

As a mum, I would want to reduce all possible risk factors. If I needed additional milk, and was lucky enough to have someone offer to express their breast milk for my child on a regular basis, I would - after biting their hand off - ask them to go through some screening. And if the screening wasn't free, I would pay for it myself. I am sure any potential donor wouldn't mind at all. I should imagine I'm not the only mother who would feel this way.

But the problem is, I don't think it's as easy as just popping into the doctors and asking nicely - perhaps it depends on your doctor, but for me I know it wouldn't be that easy ;)

Doctors should of course - by rights - be helping us all to make sure as many human babies as possible get human milk because it's best for their long term health and development. But they're not. Why they're not, is a whole other debate.

Recognising that the NHS is unlikely to prioritise screening for mother-to-mother milk sharing, I tried to find out a little bit about how one would go about getting the tests done privately.

First of all I called UKAMB for their advice about what blood screening their donors go through , and they were very helpful indeed. They told me that they screen for HIV 1 and 2, Hepatitis B and C, HTLV l and ll and syphilis. They also recommended I share with you all the most recent NICE guidelines for mothers who want to donate milk to a milk bank . This leaflet covers some of the questions which should be asked of any mother wishing to donate her milk - whether to a milk bank or to another mum.

This link will take you to the page where the most recent NICE guidelines for the milk banks themselves are located. UKAMB recommended to me today that any mother who engages in informal breastmilk sharing take steps to flash pasteurise their milk. The milk banks use a system of heat-treating their stores which is not available to us mums - however flash pasteurising is a helpful safety measure to put in place.

The lady I spoke to at UKAMB said she recognised that their 'bar' concerning the safety of donor milk from the milk bank is set very high. Hopefully most people will understand that sick babies need to have potential risks managed even more than healthy ones. Even traces of medications in a mother's milk which are harmless to a healthy baby can be a potential threat to a sick one. Because it's a charity, and funds are sadly limited, making their donor milk as acceptable as possible for the sickest babies is what UKAMB needs to focus it's resources on.

I feel it's vital that we encourage any mother who is considering donating her milk to approach her local milk bank first. You can locate your nearest one here. If more mums donated to our milk banks, we could be sure that fewer of our sickest babies were being fed formula - and fewer of them would become ill and die of NEC . As a mum whose child was given formula in SCBU and went on to (only) develop a dairy allergy this is something I feel strongly about.

There is also important information on the NICE document about thebest ways to collect and store breastmilk. I know most people who would even be considering breastmilk sharing are already experts at all of this (by the way), but it's good to know where the information is in case you ever need it!

So - if a mother wants to ensure her donor has gone through a similar 'vetting process' to the one used by the milk banks she would need to do the following:

ensure that the donating mum is tested for - and clear of - HIV 1 and 2, Hepatitis B and C, HTLV l and ll and syphilis.
ensure that the donating mother does not currently smoke or use nicotine replacement therapy (NRT)
ensure that the donating mother does not regularly exceed recommended alcohol levels for breastfeeding mothers (1 to 2 units, once or twice a week).
ensure that the donating mother has not used, and is not currently using recreational drugs (the answers to these questions are, ultimately, a question of trust for us AND the milk banks).
ensure that the donating mother is not at an increased risk of Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (CJD) (see www.hpa.org.uk for information on the risk of CJD).

You can check the safety (during breastfeeding) of any medications by calling the Breastfeeding Network's 'Drugs in Breastmilk' helpline on 0844 412 4665.

It's important to recognise that just because someone can't donate to the milk bank, it doesn't mean they can't share milk. Many medications are completely safe to use whilst breastfeeding a healthy baby, just not an ill or pre-term one. Mothers who donate to the milk banks are sometimes asked to discontinue their donations for a time whilst taking some medications. They are usually still able to feed their own babies .

Despite donor screening being discussed as a consideration, I found it hard to locate information online about how to go about getting screening done and how much it costs. Assuming the donor's NHS doctor won't do the blood tests (and we all know how hard it can be these days to get a GP to do any non-essential investigations) where else can you go?

Since DBM is based in the UK, I contacted the UK's largest provider of private healthcare - BUPA to ask about screening. They were about as much use as a chocolate teapot... Although they have many and varied 'screening packages' available, ranging from sexual health screening to 'well wo/man' screening they have no package which covers screening of a potential breast milk donor. That's as much information as I was able to get out of them - and I was directed to call three different departments before I was given the number which ended in a recorded message...

After looking at a few more websites I came acresswww.medichecks.com . I rang them up and they were a totally different story - very knowledgable and helpful. They charge 'full price' for the most expensive test and then a reduced rate for further tests. By my reckoning the necessary tests would cost £489.35 in total with this private company.

However, I spoke to a member of their team, and they are now going to offer the complete package of tests for a discounted £199 . It's something there's (potentially) a real need for - and it would allay fears for a lot of people.

It's still a lot of money though, and I recognise that some people might think that I'm flying in the face of the whole breastmilk-sharing concept to mention £££ at all .. After all, not everyone will be able to afford that sort of money in one go, if at all. I'm aware that some people may receive milk from more than one donor too, and this would put up the costs again. With such a depressing economic climate it's certainly a potential problem. However, when you take into consideration the many problems associated with formula feeding and that it also costs something in the region of £480 to formula feed a baby for a year, £199 is a financial sacrifice some families may feel they want to make.

Formula fed babies develop differently to breastfed infants. They are more likely to encounter health problems. Formula feeding should be the last-resort option when breastfeeding isn't possible, and yet somehow it has become the default.

A formula feeding mother can diligently and lovingly make up each and every bottle of formula with water at 70 degrees and a newly sterilised bottle. Her child is at an increased risk of many things despite her precautions. A mother who wishes to give her child breastmilk can take all the precautions possible and it she still won't eliminate risk entirely. Heck, I don't even know if I have hepatitis C (it's not one of the ones they test you for in pregnancy here), but I've breastfed for over two years now and I'm pregnant again. Since a quarter of people here in NI don't know they've got the disease, some people might consider me irresponsible. I'd have to disagree. The risk is negligible. I believe I expose my family to much bigger risks every day.

The decision about how much risk you expose your baby to if you're unable to breastfeed them yourself - formula made up in advance, formula made up as needed, pre-made formula, donated milk, screened donated milk, screened and flash pasteurised donated milk - is a question of where your personal comfort-zones lie, and how you perceive the risks involved.

We don't all have the same tolerance for risk.

To be in with a chance of winning an Ardo Amaryll breast pump, please leave your name and email address in comments, along with your answer to the following question:

What is the name of the hospital grade breast pump available for hire from Ardo though their website?

Now enter the rafflecopter below for the chance to win up to £500 of breastfeeding goodies!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

To read more posts in the 'Keep Britain Breastfeeding' Scavenger hunt and discover new blogs, click on the links below!

Ponderings of a Doula

Pobbing Along

Lactivist

My Mummy's Pennies

Mummy is a Gadget Geek

The Benefits of Breastfeeding (aka the 'so-called' benefits of breastfeeding)

2012-06-03T17:09:00.000+01:00

This post was originally written as part of a series of blogs for the 'Keep Britain Breastfeeding Scavenger Hunt' 2012.

Gah.

The 'Benefits of Breastfeeding' - a favourite phrase trotted out left, right and centre by doctors, and formula companies alike.

If you don't do an *eye roll* when you hear (or read) about the 'benefits' of breastfeeding/ breast milk, then fair enough - it's an innocuous enough turn of phrase on the face of it. However rather than trying to explain why I, and so many others, might prefer to say 'the so-called benefits of breastfeeding' I'm just going to invite you to watch this:

Dr Karleen Gribble speaking at the 'Hot Milk' Debate, 2008

You see, there really aren't any benefits to feeding your child at the breast. Children who do not receive breast milk are not receiving what they are biologically programmed to receive, and what their small bodies are expecting. They don't receive the protection their immature immune systems require and they don't receive the growth factors, and even stem cells, which have an impact on their physical development. Infants who aren't fed at the breast may not receive the same regular, physical skin to skin contact that they are emotionally programmed to receive (although suggestions to help get around this are listed here).

But forget all about how gushingly *amazing* breast milk is (because there are people out there who really don't believe it's that big of a deal..) and think about what the baby experiences.

When a close friend of mine had her first child she had an experience that I think many new mothers can relate to. She struggled in vain to get her new daughter to breastfeed (small wonder when a midwife shoved the back of her baby's head right into her breast so hard that the child developed a strong breastfeeding aversion), so my friend expressed her milk for several weeks until it all became too much for her. Her partner wanted to feed their child, so did various grannies and aunties etc and so, within days of birth my friend's first child was being held and fed by a variety of different people. Now, please don't get me wrong, this mum has an absolutely fantastic relationship with her daughter - she has taught me a huge amount about patience and understanding (and is a lesson to anyone about how being a mother isn't all about the breastfeeding *sigh*) - BUT - the biologically expected order of things (the continuum) was effectively eroded for them both when breastfeeding failed. How breastfeeding begins is important (and before you say it, NO, it's not everything and bad starts CAN be mended, but nonetheless it's important), for mother and for baby.

When a baby is fed from a bottle, the general consensus amongst many people in our culture seems to be that it's ok to 'have a turn' at feeding them. This is the same regardless of what's actually in the bottle. When a baby is breastfed, it generally means that (in the early days and weeks anyway) the baby is only fed by it's mum, and she's often not far away. That's simply the normal order of things. We can argue until the cows come home (if you'll pardon the pun..) about how much any deviation from this biological norm matters or doesn't matter, but the reality is that breastfeeding is just what our 'inner monkeys' expect.

The baby at it's mother's breast, smelling her smell, feeling her warmth, hearing her heartbeat, drinking her milk, feeling safe and secure. Situation normal.

But what of mothers? I don't think we talk enough about mothers...

What's 'best' for mums?

Well - unsurprisingly - breastfeeding is. Again, let's forget all the so-called 'benefits' (cancer reductions, diabetes reduction, weight loss, no periods etc etc), and let's talk about the emotional stuff. How do mums feel if they don't breastfeed? The truth is that some mums are 100% fine with it - they stop and they quite simply never look back. They say they're not bothered and I for one, absolutely believe them (not that it matters what *I* think anyway). However, not breastfeeding isn't fine for everyone - because after a pregnancy our bodies do expect to breastfeed.

When my first daughter was on one of her (frequent) feeding strikes my husband gave her a bottle of expressed milk and she wolfed it down. I cried the whole time. After that, every time he gave her a bottle I'd leave the room and cry somewhere else. Some people will think that that was plain stupid of me but I think others will understand. I didn't know it at the time, but the sadness and loss I felt during those bottle feeds was perfectly natural. Our 'continuum' had been broken, my daughter was getting fed but it wasn't by me (even though it was my breast milk in the bottle). I felt a failure, but more than that I felt a sadness I couldn't rationalise.

You see for me, having my baby at my breast, smelling her smell, feeling her warmth, feeling the suckling, knowing she was safe and secure meant a lot to me. It meant 'situation normal'.

Numerous studies now show how skin to skin contact benefits babies, but the bottom line is that it benefits mothers too. One study showed that mothers who had skin to skin contact for several hours daily during the first month post-partum scored lower for post-partum depression. Other studies have similarly shown that mothers who breastfeed their babies at night are at a lower risk of PPD. A 2011 review in The British Journal of Midwifery stated in 2011 that:

'there is clear evidence that breastfeeding helps to protect against PND.'

Most interesting to me personally is a theory which suggests that:

'Opting not to breastfeed precludes and/or brings all of the processes involved in lactation to a halt. For most of human evolution the absence or early cessation of breastfeeding would have been occasioned by miscarriage, loss, or death of a child. We contend, therefore, that at the level of her basic biology a mother’s decision to bottle feed unknowingly simulates child loss.'

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=bottlefeeding-mimics-mourning

Now I know that it's not always as simple as a mother 'choosing' not to breastfeed her baby - I really do know. I know it's often hard for mums to get the support and information they need to breastfeed, that's a big part of why DBM exists. However, it's also true to say that rates of post natal depression (PPD) are higher than ever these days. Women (and doctors) often cite an unhappy breastfeeding experience as a factor in developing PPD - and rightly so. All too often new mums really do have a dreadful time of it. Who could blame a woman who has endured repeated bouts of mastitis, cracked nipples and poor weight gain in her baby for stopping? Not me! However I can't help but wonder how that same mother might feel a few weeks/ months/ even years down the line... I wonder if sometimes an initial feeling of relief is replaced by a sadness and if, for some people, that sadness contributes to depression. To me it seems completely logical that supporting mothers to breastfeed properly would help towards a percentage reduction in PPD. Sure I don't know how big a percentage, sure there are lots of factors which contribute to PPD and breastfeeding is just one, but all the same, isn't it worth considering?

I get mad when I hear that medical professionals are telling mothers to wean because of an oft-mistaken belief that you can't take anti-depressants and continue to breastfeed. I get mad when doctors tell mums to switch to formula instead of directing them towards trained breastfeeding support to help them resolve their breastfeeding problem. I've seen joy and relief on the face of a mother who has gone from weeks of pain to just a 'tickling' sensation in a matter of seconds with only a small adjustment. Me, a (lowly) volunteer peer supporter called in desperation, helping when a procession of midwives, health visitors and doctors had failed to provide relief. One GP in my locality even mistook that same mother's large breast abscess for a blocked duct! How can any of this be right? It's not right.

Breastfeeding is not 'best' - there are no 'benefits'. However NOT breastfeeding is a much bigger deal than just denying your child a few antibodies. Mothers and babies don't stop needing each other once pregnancy ends. Even after the cord has been cut they continue to need each other on an emotional and very physical level - of course they do. The inevitable separation of mother and child can be sudden or it can be gradual, and gradual is better for both. So instead of talking about breastfeeding, we should be shouting about supporting mothers and babies properly. If we did that, then the 'breastfeeding' bit would start to take care of itself and it would just become normal again. And that would benefit everyone.

Keep Britain (and Ireland) Breastfeeding!

2012-06-01T20:12:00.000+01:00

Beginning this Jubilee Weekend and continuing through to the end of June, the blogs and companies participating in the Scavenger Hunt are going to be giving you the chance to win heaps of breastfeeding goodies - all in the name of 'Keeping Britain Breastfeeding'.

To take part, you'll need to read the instructions here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DBM will have a couple of posts from guest bloggers Áine and Niamh (we can breastfeed in Ireland too!) starting this Sunday, so keep an eye out. All participants will be covering the same topics, but in their own individual ways (as chosen by Karen from Boobiemilk). These are as follows:

Week 1 - The Benefits of Breastfeeding

Week 2 - Mum to Mum Sharing

Week 3 - Breastfeeding Support and

Week 4 - Breastfeeding Beyond the First Month

We're also going to be giving away 5 Amaryll Manual Breastpumps through the month, courtesy of Ardo.

Here are links to a few of the other blogs taking part in the scavenger hunt - why not head over and see if you can increase your chances of winning?

The Secret Life of Kate

Diary of a First Child

Radical Ramblings

Circus Queen

Life Happens So Smile

An open letter to Jamie Grumet and ALL the other mums who have spoken publicly about sustained breastfeeding.

2012-05-18T22:41:00.000+01:00

" From one mother to another, I am writing to express my thanks. You see, I nurse my older child too, but I'm not as brave as you are and not that many people in my ‘real life’ know about it. I don't talk about it openly because I'm too scared of what the fallout might be. I know a lot of people would say what I'm doing is icky, or unnecessary, and others would believe I'm doing the wrong thing by continuing to nurse my child. They wouldn't be slow to tell me either! Some people might even accuse me of abusing my child by not weaning them. I know those people are just ignorant of the facts and have no clue what they're talking about, but it's very hurtful nonetheless.

I've watched the TV interviews and listened to the phone-ins. I've read the articles, and I've even made the mistake of reading some of the comments underneath. I know you must be taking a lot of flack for talking openly about allowing your child to self-wean. I can't imagine how it must feel to be in your shoes, but I want to express my thanks to you for putting yourself 'out there' and talking openly about sustained breastfeeding. I want to thank you for being braver than I am.

Please know that I support you and what you have tried to do by speaking out. I know you're just doing your best as a mum. I am too. I realise that some of your words may have been taken out of context - I know how the press can twist things. Maybe you aren't entirely happy with how you were portrayed, and that must be infuriating. I know you're not trying to tell other people how to live. I know you're not trying to make anyone else feel bad by talking about your own experiences of parenting and I know you're not 'doing it for yourself'. I know how tough nursing an older child can be, because I do it too. I also know you're not the 'attention seeker' that some people are trying to make you out to be, you're just standing up for something you believe in. I know that you're not continuing to nurse because you're a mother who 'can't let go'. I know you're not doing it because you want your child to be dependant on you but actually because you believe it will make them MORE independent in the long run. I know because I am in the same boat.

I must admit to feeling a little guilty though. Part of me thinks that if I were braver and more willing to talk about how things are in my own family then *I* could help debunk a few of the horrible myths about sustained nursing too. After all, everyone's different. The media often tries to stereotype or 'pigeon-hole' mums, but the truth is that my family is not like yours and I am not the same as you. We do have this in common though, this shared experience.

Despite all the rude, derogatory, insulting and uneducated comments you have probably been subjected to, I want you to know that you really HAVE made a positive difference in the world. Because of you more people know that sustained nursing is possible. Others have had their preconceptions challenged, and some folk will even have learnt something. Because of you more people now know that it isn't necessary to wean their child and that allowing them to wean themselves is an option. Some mothers who felt lonely before don't feel so alone now.

Things are changing. Okay so they're changing slowly, but a generation further down the line I don't believe sustained nursing will be as counter-cultural it is right now. Some of the thanks for that will have to go to you.

So THANK YOU for being willing to stick your head above the parapet, for talking honestly about your experiences, and for your bravery. Thank you for being willing to tough it out at the front.

x anne"

If you feel you want to add your 'signature' to this letter and show your support for the women who have put themselves forward to talk publicly about sustained nursing, then please leave a comment below. Even if you don't feel able to 'come out of the closet' it would be great to see a show of hands... Anonymous comments are fine.

Pfizer works to undermine breastfeeding mums on diet and nutrition

2012-05-13T19:01:00.001+01:00

Today I did a quick google search for 'breastfeeding vitamins' (I was looking for this link from The Funny Shaped Woman), and a sponsored Ad appeared which I had never seen before. I usually recognise these ads, so I thought I'd take a closer look.

I am glad I did, but it makes for some uncomfortable reading (click to enlarge).

For a while we've known that the formula companies are trying to target mothers who breastfeed - mostly with their 'follow on' formulas. However, it seems that now pharmaceutical companies are also trying to trick breastfeeding mums by implying that without specific diet and nutrition their milk will be less good. This site claims to have 'Everything you need to know about Breastfeeding'. Yeah, right..

Look at this (from this page):

See how they accidentally leave off the part which recommends continued breastfeeding beyond 6 months alongside solids for as long as you want? In fact they actually state their half-truth two times on this one page.

This is very deliberate and absolutely typical of the way formula companies try to undermine breastfeeding - only now the vitamin companies are doing the same thing. They even have the cheek to use the international breastfeeding symbol at the top of their page!

For the record, the NHS website says the following:

'If you're breastfeeding, feeding only breast milk up to around 6 months will give your baby extra protection against infection. Breastfeeding beyond 6 months, alongside solid foods, will continue to protect them for as long as you carry on.'

and the World Health Organisation says:

'Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended up to 6 months of age, with continued breastfeeding along with appropriate complementary foods up to two years of age or beyond.'

Their website also lists in great detail all the things you *may want* to eat in order to breastfeed.

The La Leche League (who, let's face it, have supported more mums to breastfeed than any formula company ever has) say this:

'Over the years of experience with breastfeeding mothers all over the world, LLL Leaders have seen that the best diet for a breastfeeding mother is neither complicated nor expensive [...] There is very little difference in the milk of healthy mothers and mothers who are severely malnourished'

Most women in the UK (where this website is targeted) are not severely malnourished. Some may not have the best diets, but there's a big difference between not eating a great diet and being severely malnourished...

However, the Pfizer website says:

'It is important to continue focusing on your diet and nutritional needs while breastfeeding to help provide your baby with the best possible start.'

Later on it says this:

'not consuming enough calories while breastfeeding may affect the vitamins and nutrients in your milk supply.'

Although there is evidence to show that maternal diet can affect the levels of nutrients in a mother's milk under certain circumstances, Breastfeeding.org says this:

'Only in rare cases of long term, severe nutritional deficiency will breastmilk be affected. Research shows that during lactation, most nutrients in breast - milk remain consistent by means of complex homeostatic mechanisms independent of maternal intake.'

And even if the maternal diet isn't great the advice from the Linkages Project (2004) states that:

'In all but the most extreme cases, malnourished mothers can follow the same recommendations for breastfeeding as mothers who are not malnourished. These recommendations include exclusive breastfeeding for six months followed by on-demand breastfeeding and the introduction of complementary foods'

That doyenne of all things breastfeeding, Kelly Bonyata IBCLC (from Kellymom.com) says this:

'you do not need to maintain a perfect diet in order to provide quality milk for your baby. In fact, research tells us that the quality of a mother’s diet has little influence on her milk. Nature is very forgiving – mother’s milk is designed to provide for and protect baby even in times of hardship and famine. [...] Although it is certainly not recommended, a breastfeeding mother could live on a diet of junk food – mom would not thrive on that diet, but her milk would still meet her baby’s needs.'

You can read the rest of her article (and references) here.

The pharmaceutical company behind 'nutritioninpregnancy.co.uk' simply want to make breastfeeding look a whole lot harder than it is. Of course they do - that's how they make their money :(

The role of their website is two-fold:

1/ to trick people into thinking there's no point in breastfeeding past 6 months, and

2/ to convince mothers that they need to buy a vitamin product in order to produce 'good' milk.

Many people will see this website and believe what it says without question - Pfizer have paid Google to put it at the top of it's searches...

Healthy lactating women will be led to believe that they need unnecessary supplements in order to feed their babies. Mums will (once again) be duped into thinking there is no point in breastfeeding beyond 6 months. Readers of websites like this one may start to question the nutritional quality of breast milk and may mistakenly believe that a formula (which lists it's ingredient on the back) is healthier.

And I haven't even mentioned the contents of the 'breastfeeding' section of this website - take a look for yourself here. There isn't a single link to sources of FREE and QUALIFIED breastfeeding support available to mothers the UK (some numbers are given on the RHS of this blog). If Pfizer truly cared about supporting mums to breastfeed they'd have included information about trusted sources of breastfeeding support. Why haven't they? Well it's not brain surgery now, is it...? Of course the info isn't all bad, but it's very similar to the sort of thing you find on the formula company websites - scant and not a whole lot to go on. Most of the problems they list could be resolved quickly with support from a breastfeeding counsellor or even a peer supporter. However there is no mention of either of these on the website.

No wonder mums don't know where to go to get real help.

Big Pharma is getting wise to the fact that most women want to breastfeed their babies, and so they are trying to make it look like they want to help. But who would you rather turn to for help - someone with training in breastfeeding support or a someone employed by a pharmaceutical company?

From UNICEF:

'The major problems are the societal and commercial pressure to stop breastfeeding, including aggressive marketing and promotion by formula producers. These pressures are too often worsened by inaccurate medical advice from health workers who lack proper skill and training in breastfeeding support.'

Some people are bound to comment under this article that a) supplements are harmless and what's the big deal if it means 'covering yourself' and b) I'm getting wound up over nothing. So, let me save you the bother.

I don't personally care one jot if a person doesn't want to breastfeed - the last thing I ever want to do is tell anyone what to do with their own body. However - I DO care a great deal about the thousands of mums who really want to breastfeed but are 'booby-trapped' by Big Pharma. Is it a co-incidence that this website has started to show up in searches since Nestle recently bought Pfizer Nutrition? Probably - Nestle have not acquired the wing of the company that produces these vitamins (Consumer Healthcare)* - but then this website isn't just about breastfeeding - it's about pregnancy too. The thought that C21st women are constantly being told that they need help from the pharmaceutical industry in order to grow, birth and feed their babies scares me. Many of their products and services are based on exploiting our fears. We all want the best for our babies, but how justified are these fears?

Please tell your friends, eat to hunger, drink to thirst, and just feed your baby.

* my thanks to Tiffany on Facebook for clarifying this

What breastfeeding older children REALLY looks like.

2012-05-12T17:07:00.001+01:00

Most people will have seen the cover of the latest issue of TIME Magazine by now.

The image below is challenging on many levels and - of course - TIME chose it because it was likely to provoke extreme reactions.

But let's face it, this image has really very little to do with breastfeeding older children, and a lot to do with selling magazines. It is not a realistic representation of how nursing older children really looks. The picture on TIME magazine is all about sensationalism and shows nothing of the nurturing nature of sustained breastfeeding.

Children continue to breastfeed into childhood for many reasons - it's biologically normal for them after all. Their mothers aren't somehow 'making' them do it. There are many myths surrounding sustained breastfeeding, I have tried to address some of them with this post.

If you find yourself freaked out/ challenged/ appalled by the notion of older children feeding, then please take some time to read more about it. We can all acknowledge that it's unusual to see older children breastfeeding in our culture, but that doesn't make it wrong.

So I thought it might be helpful to provide a bit of a reality-check. I am grateful to the members of DBM who have sent in their photos to help us do this.

PLEASE NOTE: THESE PICTURES MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED ELSEWHERE WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF THE PEOPLE IN THEM.

Jen and her 2.5 year old

Aged 3.5

Aged 3

On the Beach - aged 2.5

Aged 22 months

Aged 4

Almost 3.

Aged 3

This breastfeeding Triceratops is 2yrs 9m old.

Tandem toddler ~~wrestling~~ nursing from Indigo Whispers.

If you have breastfed an older child and would like to include your picture in this blogpost, please email it to me at:
dispellingbreastfeedingmyths@hotmail.co.uk

x anne

Are mums who breastfeed older children attention-seekers?

2012-05-06T22:58:00.002+01:00

Is breastfeeding older children weird?

It seems some people think so. Despite the fact the breastfeeding into childhood is actually biologically normal for human infants, it's something we rarely see in the modern world.

TIME magazine caused a furore when they published a particularly challenging image showing an attractive young mother feeding her three year old son. But was this picture in any way representative of what natural-term nursing really looks like?

The percentage of people who breastfeed exclusively for 6 months is very small (something in the region of 1% where I live), so it doesn't take a genius to work out that if you've made it beyond a year, you and your child are in a tiny minority. Get as far as two years (the minimum recommended by the World Health Organisation) and the situation is even more extreme. After this point - as was demonstrated by discussion on the DBM group wall this week - mothers who continue to breastfeed their children often find themselves viewed with suspicion.

One commentator on Facebook gave voice to this recently when he asked:

'are some mothers breastfeeding beyond 2 to further develop their children, or is it rather the case that they breastfeed to showing [sic] off or possibly as a way of attention seeking?'

One mother this week told us how a court judgement was forcing her to wean her two year old, and despite a complete lack of evidence to support any such recommendations, many mothers in our group report being advised to wean their older children by a variety of health professionals.

I have to ask - why are we so against nursing older children?

Comments like 'are you still going to be feeding him when he's at college?' are fairly standard, but anyone who takes five minutes to research the subject will soon discover that that's not even physically possible. As children grow their jaw and teeth change and develop in such a way that weaning occurs naturally - they simply lose the ability to latch and nurse effectively. The immune system of a child continues to develop up until around the same point. Co-incidence? I think not. They're called 'milk teeth' for a reason, people.

'In a group of 21 species of non-human primates (monkeys and apes) studied by Holly Smith, she found that the offspring were weaned at the same time they were getting their first permanent molars. In humans that would be 5.5 - 6 years' ~ Kathy Dettwyler

Of course breastfeeding an older child is very different to breastfeeding a younger one. One study into longer-term nursing showed that the timings and frequency of breastfeeds:

'were not different between the 1-year-old and 2-year-old age groups but were significantly lower in the 3-year-old age group.'.

Children generally breastfeed a good deal less as they get older. Shocking, I know.

The milk they get is different too - the antibodies become more concentrated the less your child feeds. There's a much perpetuated myth that mother's milk is somehow 'no good' after point x - but that's total rubbish. One mother of a 2.5 year old had her milk analysed, and a sample of just 6 ml was found to contain at least 7,850,000 living cells - that equates to roughly 38,692,035 an ounce! In mature milk the white cell count is estimated to be somewhere between 0.1 million and 1 million cells per ml. White blood cells (aka leukocytes) are:

'cells of the immune system involved in defending the body against both infectious disease and foreign materials.' ~ Wikipedia

Breast milk is full of the antibodies produced by these white blood cells. The highest levels of antibodies in human milk are found in colostrum, however evidence now shows that levels of some immunological components in human milk actually begin to increase towards the end of the second year. No studies that I'm aware of have looked at human milk beyond the 24 month point, but this steady rise between 12 months and 24 months is interesting. Are we to believe that this upward trend just stops in it's tracks, right at the point when our kids are starting to mix with other children, encounter more viruses and illnesses and feed less frequently? I don't buy it.

We know for sure that stopping breastfeeding increases the statistical risk of a range of conditions including some cancers and obesity. So what's the problem? The mother's happy, the child is happy, they're both healthy and are happy to continue nursing, so WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL?

Well, unlike most people (who will insinuate it rather than say it), I 'll just say it - it's to do with sex. Isn't everything? In our culture breasts = sex - and the thought of an older child sucking on their mothers breast is, for many people, a bridge too far. They're just about ok with it when the child is a babe in arms, but a few short months later, when they're walking about, with TEETH, then it's DISGUSTING!

So, to summarise the problem. 1/ the older child is being nourished at their mother's breasts 2/ the mother is getting pleasure out of it.

Pardon me?

Yes, you read that right, the mother may even be ENJOYING it. :-O

Now before you all start punching your computer screens, hear me out. People seem to have a problem with the concept of breastfeeding as enjoyable. Probably because they equate enjoying having your breasts suck(l)ed with sex (because it's GOT to be all about sex, obviously.....).

Breastfeeding does have something in common with sex of course - the oxytocin release. That lovely hormone which 'lets down' the milk, is also the hormone released when you have an orgasm. But there's just one problem with this theory, and it's this: our bodies produce oxytocin in all kinds of different situations - when we hug a friend, when we think happy thoughts, when someone smiles at us, when we laugh etc etc. It's our body's natural antidote to stress. So enjoying breastfeeding is OK - you're actually meant to, in exactly the same way you'd enjoy a hug or a bar of chocolate!

The problem remains though - there is a small person sucking on your breast (and since in our culture sucking on breasts is largely a sexual preserve) and that's just weird, right?

But is the implication that some mums 'get off' on breastfeeding in any way fair?

Ann Sinnott conducted a survey of 2040 mothers for her book 'Breastfeeding Older Children' and, in a sub-survey of 181 women, looked at the range of sexual sensations women reported experiencing during breastfeeding. 7.18% of the respondents reported 'high' level sensations - however many of the participants questioned Ms Sinnott's use of the word 'sexual' in the context of the study and insisted that the sensations they had experienced were more 'sensual' than sexual. Sinnott also suggests in her book that some of the responses might be accounted for by an 'involuntary hormonal/ physiological reaction' in a percentage of women - involuntary means something you have no control over btw...

So what does this tell us? Well, some people are bound to suggest that a (small) percentage of mums who breastfeed older children are indeed doing it 'for themselves' - because here's the proof! However, this assumption fails to take into consideration a range of other factors - not least the fact that a child who doesn't want to breastfeed can't be 'made' to by a domineering mother. Should the fact that a small minority of women in Sinnott's survey reported high level sensations during breastfeeding worry us? Well, in my opinion no. There's a world of a difference between experiencing a sensation (which in a different context might be interpreted as sexual) and the abuse of a child. Whilst some of the women were not bothered by any sensations (they were able to rationalise them), a number of the women reported feeling ashamed and disturbed by what they had felt. In the context of a discussion about nursing an older children none of this is relevant, however, unless you can prove that the sensations intensified over time. All this survey shows is that for some women, breastfeeding caused high level sensations - period. Not breastfeeding an older child.

There is no evidence whatsoever to support the notion that women who breastfeed older children are in some way abusing them. In fact, available evidence actually suggests that breastfed children are less likely to suffer from abuse and neglect. Sinnott quotes an American study done in 2003 which:

'followed 7,695 mothers over 14 years and found that breastfeeding reduced the incidence of child abuse and neglect to a probability of 0.001, concluding that 'breastfeeding may be protective against child maltreatment by enhancing the quality of mother-infant interactions and stimulating the central oxytocin system, thus reducting levels of maternal anxiety'.'*

One of the biggest problems I have with people suggesting that there is something wrong in nursing beyond age x is this: a child being mothered at the breast until they self-wean is NOT a problem for society. We're not a culture in danger from 'over-mothering' - quite the reverse. 1 in 10 children in the UK have a mental health problem. We have more kids in care than ever before, on 31st March last year 50,552 children were known to be 'at risk' of abuse on child protection registers - and the true figure is likely to be much higher. Do people really have nothing better to do than get their knickers in a twist over sustained breastfeeding? What's it to you if my three year old breastfeeds? It's not doing you any harm and it's benefiting both of us, so (as we say in Norn Iron) why don't you just 'wind your neck in?'. Your ignorance is showing.

I can't speak for everyone, but by the time I had breastfed for a while, my own breasts had become very much 'dual function' anyway. Whereas at one time they had had solely a sexual function, they came to function perfectly well as food/ comfort too. Who'd have thunk it? ;) These two identities can - really and truly - exist perfectly happily alongside one another. My brain is perfectly capable of working out the difference between feeding my child and sex. So is my husband's, I'm delighted to say. I can kiss my kids on the mouth without it being sexual, and yet a kiss from my other half can have a distinctly different effect. The human brain is clever like that... I understand that what I'm saying might be a tad difficult thing for anyone living in such an overtly sexualised society to get their head around, but if you haven't done it then you won't know - so you'll just have to take my word for it.

I'd like to give the last words to the gorgeous Jenny Allen who was brave enough to discuss breastfeeding her older child on (Nestle-sponsored) GMTV. Here she elegantly and eloquently confronts incredible ignorance from both the presenter and a well-known UK doctor (although he does get paid to endorse follow on milk so it's hardly surprising). Jenny holds her own beautifully in this interview - another mother who went on tv to talk about sustained breastfeeding was not so lucky (although through no fault of her own).

Anyone who thinks a mother breastfeeds her older child for her own benefit or because she is somehow 'showing off' is living in cloud cuckoo land. This isn't the 'Breastfeeding Olympics' - there are no medals. The idea that someone would willingly subject themselves to the ignorance and innuendo which accompanies sustained breastfeeding simply for their own sake is crazy. Be under no illusions - mums do it because it's good for their children.

* L. Strathern MBBS, FRACP , 'Breastfeeding and mother-infant separation; independent predictors of child abuse and neglect',at the November 2003 AAP Section on Breastfeeding Educational Program
http://kellymom.com/nutrition/milk/immunefactors/

http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=1577&page=134

http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/breastfeeding/why-breast-best/how-human-milk-protects-babies-illness http://lactationnarration.com/index.php/tag/antibodies/

http://www.whale.to/a/dettwyler.html

http://www.healthychild.com/for-healthy-immunity/breastfeeding-for-a-strong-immune-system/

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1548-1433.2011.01401.x/full

http://www.uic.edu/classes/osci/osci590/9_4%20The%20Anthropology%20of%20Breast%20Feeding.htm

http://www.llli.org/nb/nbnovdec96p164.html

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=MAbQjY0ppgQC&pg=PA303&lpg=PA303&dq=human+milk+little+and+often+primates&source=bl&ots=sD-Iq4WySd&sig=yrBn-uocaCbrI7P1HxS7SB1ToO8&hl=en&sa=X&ei=-t6mT-eWO4m-8gPpnuTgBA&sqi=2&ved=0CFkQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=human%20milk%20little%20and%20often%20primates&f=false