Unable to breastfeed?

The ‘system’, i.e. the hospital system, never ceases to astound me. Picture this – a young, healthy woman who has birthed beautifully – no medical intervention. The woman ‘mentions’ that she has some concerns re breastfeeding as her sister had very little breast tissue and was unable to produce milk, and her Mum only breastfed for a short period. These are understandable concerns. It’s a bit like birth – the experience of family members is so ingrained in a woman’s sub-conscious that she believes her birth will automatically follow suit. The midwife, who had been looking after this young woman on a post-natal ward, stated that the woman would not be able to breastfeed due to her family history and her small, tubular shaped breasts. Midwife then stated she was ‘allowing’ the baby to have skin to skin contact, just to keep the mother happy! The language surrounding this interaction was extraordinary from a midwife who, by her own admission, was close to retirement and was ‘over’ these complaining women. My suggestion – LEAVE the profession now before you do any more damage. Once a midwife has lost the passion, then it’s time to get out. Why do people stay in jobs they hate? After meeting with this new Mum I was able to reassure her that all appeared very normal. She had normal changes in her breasts, with positive signs of her milk coming in and baby seemed to know what to do. We discussed about the power of the mind, which she understood very well, and how negative comments, particularly when you have the vulnerability that all of us have on Day 3! She chose to go home and focus on the positive, connecting and talking with her baby about how breastfeeding was going to work for them. I have no doubt she will enjoy her breastfeeding. The type of information, and most importantly, how it is presented, is crucial in making sure that we reassure women that, like birth, breastfeeding will also happen normally.