Breastfeeding & Support (or lack of)

When I last visited my friend in Surrey I met her mum who is a midwife. It took her about 5 minutes to ask me why I didnt BF! (it was the first time i'd met her in person and she lived in Aus for ages, in fact going back forever once she sells the house)

The thing is I have already been thinking about it more and more the last few months of how crap I did with it and how crap the support was. Even watching discovery home and health I see that if half the things said on there were said to me I would have done so much better! I already know that I would do better next time (if there is a next time) just from watching tv!

My friends mum is starting an antenatal bf class to promote bf more.

I actually feel quite sad about it now. Because the support I got was crap... well i didn't get any support. I think the only thing my mw said to me was my nipples were prefect on day 2 i think it was. that's it. Not even when I swapped to formula did she ask why or offer help or advice on how to bf properly/efficiently and I look back now and realise what a shame it is. I know it's not their fault. There's not enough midwifes, they're stressed and over worked.

I was already completely put off bf after bfing jake, it wasn't easy and the fact I was 17 and scared didn't help. His dad was a completely useless and made me feel quite crap about the whole thing. God knows how I managed to do it for a month with all what happened happening iykwim.

With these bad memories in mind I wasn't overly keen on the idea of bf Erin but said I would try and see how I got on... which again was crap.

So the biggest problem from what I've read so far is the aftercare oh and the lack of talk post-baby too. I was watching the programme earlier on H&H and the lady was saying all sorts that if I'd have known back then I think I could have struggled through. Also if my mw or hv even asked me how bf was going or offer advice... should we have to ask them for it? I don't think so, it's a nerve wracking time not to mention tiring I think they should talk things through with you more as part and parcel iykwim.

I'm looking forward to learning more about breast feeding in my training, hopefully it will arm me to succeed for longer with baby number 3 ;o) and not to mention the support I can offer other mums who have struggled as I did.