Breastfeeding babies is vital
Dr Peter McCormick advocates breastfeeding
Curious indeed it seemed to me that new mothers in enlightened, educated, resource-rich, privileged, developed world countries such as our own require to be educated as to the benefits of breastfeeding.
Am I wrong, or is breastfeeding actually as natural as tying off the cord at birth, or as keeping the newborn warm and dry, or as changing the soiled nappy, or as cuddling and smiling at this new and fragile citizen?
It astonished me to read that in Kettering it has been found necessary to train and employ 15 women for the support of new mothers as regards breastfeeding. It has clearly been found necessary to establish such a service as a response to present day socio-cultural trends.
I am sad that new mothers are so removed from the necessity of breast feeding. I am sad that modern society has taken us down the path of formula feeding – for whatever reasons. I am nevertheless glad that a service has been provided.
Being a fully paid-up member of the United Kingdom Association for Milk Banking (UKAMB) I am interested in the care of the newborn, especially in Africa, and since 2005 we have established five breast milk banks in Africa; the only ones except for South Africa. Pregnant women there are often sick, anaemic, malnourished, infected and poor. Many such women are genuinely unable to breastfeed their own newborn. Healthier mothers are readily persuaded to donate some of their milk.
Breastfeeding is rife in Africa; you do not have to educate or support those mothers as to the necessity and desirability of breastfeeding. Poor, underprivileged, uneducated women in the resource-poor developing world know what is good and natural for their babies. There is enough to spare for other babies who need their milk. Small scale breast milk banks are not expensive to set up and sustain, they are well-appreciated, they provide the best start to life, and they save lives.
My point is to encourage all the expectant mothers in our county and beyond to regard breastfeeding as essential if you want to give your baby the best start in life.
Dr Peter McCormick
Volunteer Children’s Physician, Cameroon
Founder, Beryl Thyer Memorial Africa Trust
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Comments
There are 7 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
mrbrown2
Monday, March 28, 2011 at 11:51 AMI don't like you making assumptions about the circumstances my wife went through curiosiy.killed - what's that if it's not ignorance, and the attitude of your reply is further upsettingly arrogant. My wife was given plenty of advice and encouragement to breast feed and our baby spent many hours at the breast. Milk was produced. Our daughter continued to lose weight and would not settle, and eventually dropped off the bottom of the weight percentiles chart, and became weak. Breast pumped milk was used, to no avail. Formula probably saved her life and a year on she is still under weight. People like you shoving your agenda down other people's throats and making them feel guilty because of things beyond their control doesn't help. I also don't think it is right to make the baby suffer to fulfil your ideals. I should think the 'some random' midwives reading your comment would find your attitude offensive also. Unless you are an appropriate expert in this subject, please don't pontificate to us.
smacky
Thursday, March 17, 2011 at 08:18 AMBy the way - my 1st statement was aimed specifically at the article writer, not necessarily some of the comments below mine.
smacky
Thursday, March 17, 2011 at 08:13 AMAfter reading all comments made, I trink there is a level of ignorance and arrogance as to why some new mothers are not breast feeding their babies. This may come as a shock to some people, but some mothers chose to feed their babies formula milk out of choice, and their reasons, whatever they may be, are quite frankly nobody elses business. Some of us are appreciative of being informed of the facts, but any personal desicion affecting us as an individual and or our offspring is ours and ours alone.The Big Brother society that is becoming the norm may think it's OK to tell us what we should be eating, what we should (not) be drinking, and even asking us what methods of contraception we are taking when attending the Doctor's surgery for a routine blood pressure check - but some of us just wish that at times the medical profession, government and some "busy body" members of the general public would just take a hike and stop trying to make us feel guilty and "not normal", just because we do not fit into their way of thinking.
Kellyc
Wednesday, March 16, 2011 at 09:41 AMGood post Curiosity. I have had numerous problems with breastfeeding my little girl and would have given up long ago if I had listened to the advice of doctors and health visitors. They are simply not armed with the latest research or training and, if in doubt, reach for the nearest bottle. My advice to mums struggling with breastfeeding would be to contact the National Breastfeeding Helpline on 0300 100 0212, La Leche League on 0845 120 2918 for immediate help from a local, fully trained, breastfeeding counsellor. You can also access help through any of these places: http:www.babyways.orgpdfbreastfeeding-directory.pdf There are not many breastfeeding problems that cannot be solved. Yes, it can be tough, but it is worth it in the end.
curiosity.killed
Tuesday, March 15, 2011 at 03:48 PMmrbrown2 - I find your comment more ignorant and arrogant than the article. In fact both of the comments are displaying huge ignorance and the consequences of a lack of support for women who encounter relatively normal problems when initiating breastfeeding, which the article correctly, in my opinion, identifies as the main problems eroding our breastfeeding rates. There is not really any such thing as an otherwise normal baby that "won't" feed at the breast. Some babies find it harder to learn how to feed than others. This doesn't mean they "won't" feed given adequate support from a breastfeeding professional and having had adequate medical checks looking at the shape and physiology of the baby's mouth for any problems like tongue or lip tie. Definitely not a midwife (this clearly indicates this was fairly early days after birth) who likely erroneously told you that the baby "wouldn't" feed and "needed" formula but didn't examine closely the reasons why breastfeeding was not establishing well. Yes, one of the options for a baby and a mother who are struggling to establish a breastfeeding relationship is to give up and give formula, which solves the medical concern of faltering weight gain, but this is not the only option. Until the reason for the "failure" to deliver adequate milk has been found you can't confidently say what the problem was or how it should be "treated". The advice to give formula at the first sign of a problem in these circumstances (early days, no investigation of the latch, the baby or the mother) is lazy advice. There are a number of reasons why babies can struggle to learn feeding skills and most of them can be solved. Very often healthcare professionals tell people babies "won't" feed or "won't" come out on their own and intervention is needed but unless someone can explain adequately why that is the case, what is wrong with the baby, the pregnancy or the mum and why they have proposed their suggestion as the answer, rather than something else, it is unlikely to be the only or even the best option. I'm not sure why either of you feel this is an attack on you personally but you are incorrect in your assertions that many women in the UK "can't" feed. It is the lie the medical profession tell women to get them to comply with their best treatment plan. It doesn't take into account your wishes or the wider consequences (a sense of failure e.t.c.) it focuses specifically on the child and treating a perceived medical problem medically. It isn't a conspiracy, just that doctors and hospital midwives see the most complicated and difficult births, they are twitchy and frightened for babies and mums and they want to take the more certain option - formula. Formula WILL bring the baby's weight up. Establishing breastfeeding might take a while. That is the reality, not a perfectly normal and healthy baby "won't" feed. A baby and mother that are struggling will likey be fine providing they are given proper support to fix whatever is going wrong rather than merely told their baby hasn't gained enough or "won't" feed. We shouldn't rely too heavily on medical professionals for breastfeeding advice, they are medical professionals. They seek to treat patients medically not to promote or support breastfeeding and whilst the medical side is valuable and you should always listen to medical professional advice, it is appropriate to ALSO get proper breastfeeding advice and support as well in order to protect and nuture the breastfeeding relationship which isn't always straightforward to start and will not be considered by most medical professionals. This advice neglects WHO guidelines which suggest in cases where babies are struggling to feed and losing weight the first choice is exclusive pumping, the second choice is using another mother's milk and the very last is feeding formula. Telling anyone the first or only choice is a bottle of formula is bad advice in many ways. It also defies logic that a doctor with the experience he has, would know less about breastfeeding than some random midwife (who has not been trained in breastfeeding).
mrbrown2
Tuesday, March 15, 2011 at 11:43 AMThis is a patronising and demeaning letter to all mothers who want to breastfeed but for whatever reason can't. I would expect better understanding and empathy, and less ignorance and arrogance from someone who claims to be a member of the medical profession.
Paul Lashmar
Tuesday, March 15, 2011 at 07:14 AMThe science tells us breast is best, difficult to argue really. however letters like this yet again stigmatize those mothers who genuinely want to breast feed their child but the child just won't take the milk. no doubt this celebrity dominated culture has caused many mums to think breast feeding is a second class act and i think they are wrong, but I speak from personally experience that when a midwife tells you to use formula milk because your child is not getting enough milk it is not just the mother who feels a failure. The simple truth is - and this was our second child, the first had breastfed - she just would not feed from the breast. I am aware of other families who had similar problems. so yes Dr McCormick, who is a well respected physician, is right to encourage the need for teaching but he needs to remember that for some families formula milk is not a lifestyle choice, it is the only option to raise a healthy child.
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