I was facilitating an antenatal breastfeeding session this morning. I had a group of six mums-t- be, all interested and keen to ask questions, just as I like a group to be!
One of them said that her mother couldn't breastfeed her and we went onto discussing how the previous generation lacked in support and how formula use was strongly advised. I said something about formula in the 70's them remembered just in time that all these mums were probably younger than me by at least a decade! And added 'and the 80's' !!
Later when I was going back home I was reflecting about this in the car. The longer I'll be a breastfeeding counsellor and the later these mums will have been born! There will come a time when they won't be daughters of a 'formula generation'. What sort of view on breastfeeding will these mothers of tomorrow have received from their own mothers?!
I hope that one day we will see some effect of the growing support that's available at the moment, that the support will keep growing. We might not be changing the rates of breastfeeding 'success' as much as we'd like but maybe we're changing the views of mothers who will give birth in 15, 20 years from here?!
Birthing practices are changing too.
Groups like the Hampshire Maternity Services Liaison Committee (MSLC) work to include views of parents into maternity care.
More and more hospitals are putting their efforts into being Baby Friendly Initiative accredited.
Parents are aware of the importance of skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby - or, if not possible, father and baby - straight after birth, and of the initation of breastfeeding in baby's first hours of life.
But, thinking about these mothers, there is something that worries me. It's the whole formula-feeding/breastfeeding division that we see. You just have to read forums about baby care or comments on feeding related articles in the media and you see only too well that division. Behind it, deep, often painful feelings...
Women talk about feeling pressured, inadequate, failing.
The balance of sharing our passion for breastfeeding without imposing our views to vulnerable new mothers is fragile.
We'd like every baby to be breastfed but also every mother to fall in love with her baby and know that she is the best mother her baby could have, whatever she does. It's not easy, I can tell you!
To come back to these painful feelings that exist between formula-feeding and breastfeeding mothers... It's for all of us, mums out there, to try and understand that different mothers have different choices and that all choices are valid. And to be kind. And to remember that negative attitude often hides hurt.
To remember that we are moving away from the mothers born from the 'formula' generation and that we are at this time setting down the foundations of a different way of thinking in terms of feeding babies. Let's make it a good one!
Anne
One of them said that her mother couldn't breastfeed her and we went onto discussing how the previous generation lacked in support and how formula use was strongly advised. I said something about formula in the 70's them remembered just in time that all these mums were probably younger than me by at least a decade! And added 'and the 80's' !!
Later when I was going back home I was reflecting about this in the car. The longer I'll be a breastfeeding counsellor and the later these mums will have been born! There will come a time when they won't be daughters of a 'formula generation'. What sort of view on breastfeeding will these mothers of tomorrow have received from their own mothers?!
I hope that one day we will see some effect of the growing support that's available at the moment, that the support will keep growing. We might not be changing the rates of breastfeeding 'success' as much as we'd like but maybe we're changing the views of mothers who will give birth in 15, 20 years from here?!
Birthing practices are changing too.
Groups like the Hampshire Maternity Services Liaison Committee (MSLC) work to include views of parents into maternity care.
More and more hospitals are putting their efforts into being Baby Friendly Initiative accredited.
Parents are aware of the importance of skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby - or, if not possible, father and baby - straight after birth, and of the initation of breastfeeding in baby's first hours of life.
But, thinking about these mothers, there is something that worries me. It's the whole formula-feeding/breastfeeding division that we see. You just have to read forums about baby care or comments on feeding related articles in the media and you see only too well that division. Behind it, deep, often painful feelings...
Women talk about feeling pressured, inadequate, failing.
The balance of sharing our passion for breastfeeding without imposing our views to vulnerable new mothers is fragile.
We'd like every baby to be breastfed but also every mother to fall in love with her baby and know that she is the best mother her baby could have, whatever she does. It's not easy, I can tell you!
To come back to these painful feelings that exist between formula-feeding and breastfeeding mothers... It's for all of us, mums out there, to try and understand that different mothers have different choices and that all choices are valid. And to be kind. And to remember that negative attitude often hides hurt.
To remember that we are moving away from the mothers born from the 'formula' generation and that we are at this time setting down the foundations of a different way of thinking in terms of feeding babies. Let's make it a good one!
Anne
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