Comments on: Breast-Feeding After Surgery

By: Janet

Janet — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 20:47:43 +0000

Great article, and good for you for sticking with the breastfeeding against all the hurdles you faced

By: Leanne

Leanne — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 10:38:44 +0000

Great post!

I think the biggest problem breastfeeding mothers face is a 3 decade knowledge gap. Many of the midwives informing us about breastfeeding didn’t actually breastfeed their own children and, while a lot of theoretical knowledge is good, it’s no substitute for having been there and experienced it first hand.

Years ago, women were better able to support each other and breastfeeding was better understood. A lot of the literature out these suggests that, if it hurts - you’re doing it wrong and that’s just not true. In the beginning, it can take a while for your nipples to toughen up. A lot of things that make you believe you don’t have enough milk, like cluster feeding, are just not properly understood by many well meaning midwives.

If I had a penny for every time I’ve heard “She can’t still be hungry!” I’d be a very rich woman. Well, yes she can. That’s how supply and demand works.

If more women breastfeed, the gap will begin to close and it wont seem so unnatural as it has done at times when the going has been tough.

By: Laura

Laura — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 10:05:14 +0000

What a wonderfully inspirational post Holly!
Although I hadnt had breast surgery, I did suffer very badly with BF’ing at first due to inverted nipples, and couldnt get DD to latch at all. The hospital ‘lactation advisor’ tried to help fo all of 3 minutes before stating ”oh well if you cant do it you will just have to use a bottle”…..OK thanks!! I was then pressured into letting the midwives give her formula in the hospital as they feared she would ’starve’…
So of course she became used to suckling from a bottle, making it even tougher to get a latch!
The best thing I ever did was hire a private lactation consultant (we were in the USA at the time) and she had her latched perfectly within 5 minutes!
It took a further 6 weeks of intense pain, crying every day, frustration, bleeding, clogged ducts, the works until we got it right!
She finally self-weaned after 2 1/4 years of happy breastfeeding, and this time around I will know exactly what to do thanks to the wonderful support I received from the consultant first time around (but NO thanks to the midwives!)