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Breastfeeding where you live?
MouseInLux
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What's it like for breastfeeding mothers where you live? Are there a lot of people who BF or is FF more normal? Do you/ did you/ will you fit in with the norm?
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Re: Breastfeeding where you live?
DD was EBF until 6 months when we introduced solids. I still BF multiple times a day (she's 10 months now). I have found Scotland to be generally accepting of nursing mothers. I NIP a lot when we go out of town either visiting historic places or hiking. When we fly back and forth to the States I nurse on the plane to avoid the hassle of bottles (she hates bottles anyway). I have a nursing cover for the airplane, but now that she is older its a constant struggle to keep her covered, lol.
A couple weekends ago we went hiking in the central highlands and I was NIP off to the side of the trail. A group of people walked by and I tried to be discreet as I do not bring my cover when we hike. An older woman saw what I was doing and gave me a sweet, knowing smile.
In addition, there are a lot of pro BFing commercials in Scotland that I have noticed as well. When we were meeting with our NHS nurse, she seemed very pleased that we were BFing and I received lots of info on it in my welcome bag.
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sibling love
DS born via unplanned C-section at 40w6d
My MW and hospital strongly encourage BFing, and my MW gave me lots of support at the beginning. They don't prescribe whatever that drug is in the US that is used off-label to increase milk production, though, and my supply was so horrible with DD for various reasons that that might have been the only thing that would have helped. After 9 weeks of pumping and supplementing with formula, my supply really tanked and I was only getting 3-4oz (90-120ml) total from 5 pumping sessions / day. That's when I threw in the towel.
In our close group of friends, all at least tried to BF, and two of the 6 other couples eventually switched to FF with at least one of their children (one had twins and one twin started refusing the breast then her supply dropped off so she switched both to FF, and another one had serious latch issues after a very difficult labor and emergency c/s, so she switched to FF to save her sanity). However, there is definitely pressure to BF. I do not see people NIP other than in places where lots of moms are gathered, though.
BFP1: DD1 born April 2011 at 34w1d via unplanned c/s due to HELLP, DVT 1 week PP
BFP3: DD2 born Feb 2013 at 38w4d via unplanned RCS due to uterine dehiscence
DD still BFs now at 16 months, it's mostly for comfort more than anything else. I'm the odd one out of my group of friends, I think they think of me as the "alternative" Mum, and BF is just part of it. Most of my friends went back to work at 9months PP so they all switched to FF at around 7 or 8 months.
I do see a decent number of new borns NIP but not so many older children and I've not see one DD's age yet. I've never got strange looks for NIP and I've never felt the need to cover up here (I've only ever seen my friend use a cover).
If it helps at all (though I know it probably doesn't), the US won't prescribe this any more (domperidone) for lactation. It's only used for gastro problems and apparently it's pretty hard to get if they even think you might be trying to use it for lactation. The only thing you might be prescribed (but it is really over the counter) is fenugreek or blessed thistle.
My GP prescribed domperidone for me with M, but I had to jump thru hoops. (M wasn't gaining and was drastically dropping centiles, but she had loads of UTIs, so was a complicated situation.)
The UK is, as everyone has said, very pro-BF, although sometimes more in theory than in practice. Everyone's experiences vary widely, and I know women who haven't had help (they've not known they could or had to ask for it). But I felt well supported, both professionally and publically. I BF for 18 months with W and 20 with M, and I BF in public throughout without any disparaging looks or comments - in fact, i used to get some nice supportive comments from women while I was feeding. However, I would say that the aim of 6 months EBF in the UK is what most women aim for entirely with BF, and theh idea of pumping while at work is a foreign concept. Very few women BF after they return to work (9-12 months post partum).
Nice to see you here! Come visit us again on Dec10. We're still there.
Pretty terrible for breastfeeding in our new home country.
I rarely see women nursing, lots of bottles right from the start.
One morning I was out with my son and noticed a few women nursing young kids in the play area. I was so excited and was chatting to one of them, telling her how nice it was to see mum's nursing, and she told me it was the LLL meet-up.
That said, supposedly they really push women in the hospital to BF and are very pro-BFing. They just have abysmal rates.
I feel like it's a cultural thing. Women just aren't that interested in it here from what I have heard STMs say at aquanatal classes and such.
So... I'm a bit nervous to be out and about with my new baby and NIP. Especially if I am trying to nurse and have my 3 year old with me taking off every which way. We'll see how it goes.
Nursed DS until 19 months and our former hometown (Vancouver, Canada) was very pro-BF and most of my mom friends BF for the first year.
I will add the BF help I got in the hospital was terrible. The Midwives basically pinched my nipple and shoved it in ds's mouth. If I had continued to do that, I know my nipples would have been torn up and we wouldn't have made it too long.
I was lucky that the military has two Lactation Consultants. They met with me prenatally, in the hospital, and twice when I got home. They were very helpful. I think that really made the difference.
Out of about 10 women in my Mom's group (all Americans), I think 7 of us breastfed. I know two still BF at 15 months. I plan to start the weaning process by the end of the year. I enjoy it, but I want my normal sex drive back. It feels a bit selfish to say that, but I do.
DS born via unplanned C-section at 40w6d
No idea what it's actually like, but I took the NCT classes and the free NHS classes and they were very, very, very pro-breastfeeding. To the point that I think it would be really hard if it didn't work out, they really made it sound like BFing is the only option and you're a terrible mother if you don't for any reason. I was a bit taken aback honestly.
I can only speak for my area, but there are TONS of BF moms out and about. If you go into any cafe in my neighbourhood during the work week, it's wall to wall babies and moms breastfeeding. I know there's a lot of them at the mom-and-baby cinema as well. No idea if this is the norm in other parts of the UK or even other areas of Edinburgh.
Everyone in my classes plan to BF but like all plans, who really knows what might happen? I think it's a lot easier here - I live in the 'fancy' neighbourhood in the city and most women have off at least 9 months from work, if they work at all so it's definitely easier to do than for my American friends.
BFP Apr 2012, EDD Dec 19 2012 * twin h/b at 6wk, 9wk scan * Baby A lost at 12wks
Baby B was my rainbow born at 36wks on Nov 27 2012
BFing is very popular here and definitely encouraged by the midwives and health visitors. There are all kinds of drop in clinics you can go to for help from lactation consultants and if you can't travel after giving birth they will come to your house to help you. NIP is very common as well.
I nursed, pumped and supplemented with DD (long story but she refused to eat and lost a ton of weight) and had determined to BF again with DS. He had other ideas and we started to experience the same problems that we had with DD and I couldn't handle it. It was a hard decision to make but he is now strictly FF. It doesn't fit in with the norm here - you are much more likely to see a mom NIP then you are to see a mom pull out a bottle - but it was what was best for our family.
I get the side-eye sometimes from other moms in public but I couldn't care less.
m/c at 13 weeks - March 23, 2011
BFing is pretty common where I live, but I live in a hippieish college town so I guess it would be. From an IB perspective, most of my friends and family in the UK BF as well.
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BF is quite widely encouraged and accepted here. You tend to find the younger sterotyical teenagers who had kids too young and too poor that FF, but everyone else seems to BF. I BF DS until 15 months old when he self weaned. I was not the odd one out at all. Some of the moms stopped at around 9 months, some carried until around 2 years old or when their next kid came along.
I was very involved with the breastfeeding groups and trained to be a peer-to-peer supporter in groups and at the hospital. There was also a protest when DS was little that I took part in that as they were trying to pass a law that it was illegal to stop anyone NIP if their baby was under 6 months. We never wanted an age restriction on it at all.
BFing here is expected of you at least while you are in the hospital. The hospital I gave birth to DS at doesn't offer formula unless medically necessary. The hospital I had DD at supplemented her from day 3 once she lost 10% of birth weight.
The LLL is very active here. There are weekly meetings in the main cities as well as the suburbs. Milk donation is almost non-existent although there is a HM4HB group on FB for Italy. Each neighborhood has a local health clinic and there are IBCLC pediatric nurses at the 2 I have been to. They offer a free BFing clinic every morning.
No one side eyes NIP. I have seen even toddlers NIP. I stop NIP around 18m just bc I start to set limits on where and when we nurse by that time.
Nonetheless I think that the majority of moms stop BFing around 6m as the pediatricians still recommend replacing a nursing session with a solid foods session. So most kids wean pretty early (at 12m or thereabouts).