"Breastfeeding Support"

I gave birth to my son via c- section and had planned to breastfeed. This is my first child and first time breastfeeding and so I required some support in establishing feeding. The midwife’s and feeding supporters in Raigmore’s 9A were helpful in teaching me how to express my colostrum and spent lots of time with me to teach me how to latch. Unfortunately baby dropped 12% of his birth weight and so the staff got me established with a breast pump and showed me and my partner how to cup feed to top up after breastfeeding. one member of staff in particular was amazing and supportive! Expressing and cup feeding meant that I was able to continue to provide breast milk and not confuse him with a bottle. It also meant I knew what to do once home to keep gaining weight.

Once my son reached his 10% we were discharged from the hospital but he was slow to put his birth weight back on at home. We made slow gains each day but not huge gains. Once in the community I found some of the midwife’s knowledge of breastfeeding and support in establishing breastfeeding quite poor. I felt enormous pressure to get the weight back on as we had daily visits to weigh in and scaremongering comments about referrals to paeds from one  particular midwife shattered my confidence in breast feeding. She questioned my approach of cup feeding (which is recommended by WHO), asked why I wasn’t supplementing with formula and even suggested to me that I might have poor/low quality milk. I felt my attempt to continue breastfeeding were not being supported. A separate midwife also kept suggesting nipple shields, which I didn’t feel were necessary or something I was wanting to use. I felt pressure to get a quick fix so that his weight would be gained and I could be discharged to the Health Visitor.  We just needed time, patience and a little practical help from an expert to get going. The pressure of putting on the weight as quick as possible also took a mental toll which impacted my confidence in being able to feed.  

Fortunately,  I had already been in touch with the Breast Feeding support workers who were incredible! They came to visit, watched me feed, checked baby’s latch, sent videos and reliable information. Reassured me (particularly about the poor milk comment, there is no such thing as poor quality breast milk) and taught me lots of things about breastfeeding! At 2 weeks old, we thought there may be a tongue tie. Which I got fixed privately (as the NHS clinic in Raigmore was suspended). They continued to support me with visits and texts when we developed thrush, gave lots of useful suggestions for managing pain and pointed me in the direction for NHS Highlands policy on treatment of thrush in breastfeeding mothers. Turns out I would need this as I had to see THREE gps before I was given the correct combination of treatments to successfully get rid of the thrush. 

All in all, I cannot express how much gratitude I have for the Breast Feeding Support Workers. They were absolutely vital in my ability and decision to keep breastfeeding. Their professional knowledge of breastfeeding cannot be underestimated. As I have experienced, there are many medical professionals that are simply not equipped with the correct knowledge to support women breastfeeding. If we want women to continue breastfeeding then posts like the breast feeding support workers are an absolutely vital piece of post-natal care and must be protected.