It has been over three years since I have breastfed, but my daughter had breast milk daily for the last couple of days. She is three and a half and has an immune deficiency. If I had known what I know today I would not have given up trying to breastfeed when she was 11 days old. The system has failed me and the system will most probable fail a lot of other parents before we are able to change the system.
In the past couple of years I had to make peace with a number of myths that is taken as the gospel as far as breastfeeding is concerned these are the following:
- In reality there are only as many as 2-5% of mothers who are unable to breastfeed. It is unlikely thus that all of your family and friends can fall into this bracket.
- Formula is NOT equivalent to breast milk irrespective of how much you pay for it OR what has been added to make the formula “better”.
- Medication is not in all cases a contra-indication to breastfeeding and in most instances you are able to find alternatives.
- Breast surgery is also not a factor which will exclude you from feeding your baby.
- The size of the breast is seldom an indication of the ability to breastfeed.
So what do you need to do if you want to breastfeed successfully?
- Find out as much about breastfeeding before your baby arrives.
- Obtain your information from trusted and educated sources, La Leche League Leaders is well equipped to handle most of your day to day queries, also if you are going to see someone regarding lactation make sure that they are an IBCLC – This is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. These professionals are trained and tested to ensure that they are current and abreast of the latest developments in lactation. Regardless of how well any person is trained or educated they will not be able to provide you with the same amount of knowledge as these lactation consultants, this include any other person from the medical profession.
- Do not purchase a can of formula if want to breastfeed, take it a day at a time; the World Health Organisation (WHO) states that formula feeding is the 4th option in terms of baby feeding.
- There are ample reasons to continue breastfeeding after the first 6 months and even longer, regardless of what ANY person say.
There is a reason why all prem babies across South Africa in all NICU wards regardless of whether you are a private or public healthcare patient are provided with breast milk and NOT formula. This is what nature intended our babies to drink. If you are in doubt look at the product recall stories for baby formula recall on Google and then think if you are keen to try any of these.
If you have been successful with breastfeeding I salute you, if you have failed, then I dare you to find the cause, and if in any way you were also failed by our healthcare system and the people that are supposed to know, then I want you to join me and help us to change the system. Let’s support all those mothers that will come after us. Let us not tell them how easily we gave up or feed them all the crap we believed to be true for such a long time. Rather tell them why you failed, and what they can do to not fall into that trap.
Let us stand together and change the system, we can do it one mother at a time.
Today in September 2024 I read this article from August 2010, and again it makes me sad that mothers are continuously let down where breastfeeding is conscerned. We spend months to find out all there is to know about our pregnancy and our planned birth, but so little time on breastfeeding.
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding and can join a La Leche League meeting in your area please do. This mother to mother breastfeeding support organisation works tirelessly to assist. You do not need to pay for their assistance. As an NPO you can join their ranks for a small fee, but it is not required.
Click here or below to visit the Le Leche League Facebook Group
