A nurse who doesn't breastfeed

mamabearof3boys · Jun 2, 2014

What is NEC you ask?

That is just ONE of the main factors why mothers should make an informed decision on what they are feeding their babies.

And if NEC happens to preemies, it surely can't be good for term babies as well right?

please just make an informed decision. Thats all I'm saying.

babyNP., APRN · Jun 2, 2014

And if NEC happens to preemies, it surely can't be good for term babies as well right?
please just make an informed decision. Thats all I'm saying.

NEC is actually very rare in full term infants and it largely occurs in those infants who already have a compromised body or disease anyway, like myelomeningocele (exposure of spinal cord to air) or perinatal asphyxia (deprived of oxygen during labor/birth)

Source: Necrotising Enterocolitis | Doctor | Patient.co.uk

Again, fear mongering is not the way to do it. What we need to do is have a public campaign to make it normal to breastfeed wherever women go (diminishing societal stigma that breasts serve another purpose besides sexual desire), changing attitudes of women pumping in the workplace (yes there are requirements for large companies to provide mothers with places to pump, but these are often in adequate and/or people don't support mothers for doing it), and overall making it a good choice with education that does not guilt mothers.

hiddencatRN, BSN, RN · Jun 2, 2014

I was able to pump at work for a year. Initially I pumped 3 times a shift but was quickly able to drop down to 2 pumps a shift. My unit was slow enough that it wasn't a problem although there was some resentment about all my breaks. Apparently I was complained about in the same breath people complained about the excessive breaks smokers take.

It was more of a challenge when I was pulled to busier units but I made it work. And I went back to work pretty early too. If pumping at work doesn't work out for you there is still the option of breastfeeding until you go back to work and switching to formula when you need to. You may only need to supplement too- I work with a breastfeeding mom who stopped pumping at work but continued to breastfeed at home when she was with her baby. Her baby got formula when she was at work and she nursed enough when they were together to maintain her supply.

There are a lot of options available to you and you never know what is going to happen after you have your baby. I planned to breastfeed and to breastfeed for a couple years at least. My daughter was born with a soft palate cleft and was not only unable to latch and suck effectively, but couldn't get milk from a regular bottle either and needed special bottles to drink. I suppose the natural thing to do would have been to let her starve to death, but instead I pumped for her for a year, only needing to supplement with formula for the last couple of months. That experience put me in touch with many other mothers who had problems with breastfeeding for various reasons and made me much more sensitive and compassionate about the decisions women make regarding breastfeeding.

I'd encourage you to keep an open mind about your plans about breastfeeding. You might be one of those women for whom it is magically easy. You might find you enjoy it, and that it fits in your life better than you thought it would. Or not, and that's OK. I've really only ever encountered judgment about feeding babies online.

Heliantus · Jun 2, 2014

Personally I breastfed my baby for 2.6 years. She went to day care at 2.10, I can't state that its because I breastfed, but she rarely gets sick. If she does, it's very minor and usually requires no treatment. I am very happy that I stuck to my guns when people were telling me to stop breastfeeding, despite the cracked nipples, pain and sleepless nights. I am happy that I made the choice to breastfeed.

I cannot understand people that can breastfeed, but choose not to. Just my opinion take it or leave it at that.

Heliantus · Jun 2, 2014

See.... the thought to me of using another woman's breast milk makes my hair stand on end....LOL

Well, if you look at it like that, formula doesn't come from your breast either. It is made in some factory by machines. My brother in law was breastfed by another woman. His mom didnt produce any milk, but wanted her child to get the best nutrition that was as pure and natural as it could get. Some women feel jealous of the other woman it's natural, but we need to overcome these feeling and look at the big picture of what is best for the baby.

NutmeggeRN, BSN · Jun 2, 2014

Once again, women are their own worst enemies......Breast or Bottle, Work or Stay at Home...yeesh...we all have our OWN life experiences. I am saddened to see the sniping at those who don't agree with their standing on the subject.

It reminds me of when I was a young widowed mom....I had no choice but to work. So when the conversation got around to whether or not we worked when our kids were toddlers...those who "made the choice to sacrifice and stay home" clearly looked down on those who worked...until the conversation got around to why I was working....their attitude changed. But why should I have been judged in the first place?

We need to accept each other and our choices. How can we be truly tolerant and compassionate to our patients, if we are so judgemental to each other?

AmyRN303, BSN, RN · Jun 2, 2014

Once again, women are their own worst enemies......Breast or Bottle, Work or Stay at Home...yeesh...we all have our OWN life experiences. I am saddened to see the sniping at those who don't agree with their standing on the subject.
It reminds me of when I was a young widowed mom....I had no choice but to work. So when the conversation got around to whether or not we worked when our kids were toddlers...those who "made the choice to sacrifice and stay home" clearly looked down on those who worked...until the conversation got around to why I was working....their attitude changed. But why should I have been judged in the first place?
We need to accept each other and our choices. How can we be truly tolerant and compassionate to our patients, if we are so judgemental to each other?

Exactly.

I have four kids, three of whom breast fed for over a year. Two of those were much closer to two when they weaned. The fourth? She was tough. I'm fair skinned and worked with both LCs and La Leche league leaders to make sure my latch was optimal for all of them, but still blistered and cracked for the first six weeks. It was excruciating, but after the first time (and gutting through it like a bad orifice because I'm stubborn) I knew it would resolve over time. I took impeccable care of my skin and was very fortunate the first three times not to encounter more than a plugged duct (which freaking hurts in and of itself) I tried bottles with all three after that "nipple confusion" window passed but not one would take one. My best friend's mother will attest to the bottle trials of 2001 :) each weaned to a cup, all bottles were refused adamantly.

I got double mastitis two weeks after #4 was born. I had a fever of over 104, and was very sick. My midwife wanted to admit me, but agreed to let me go home on antibiotics as I had my mother to cart me around and take care of the kids. I was still in the cracked/bleeding phase of nursing round 4, and the sheer exhaustion of being so ill and having three other children really overtook me. My mother wondered if I was delirious digging around in the closet for that sample container of formula when I got home from my emergency appointment. I said that if this child took a bottle, I was considering it a "meant to be". And this child sucked that bottle down as if she had been doing it all along. Happy, healthy baby (now healthy bright 8 year old) and mom who healed both mentally and physically. Sure, I wish nursing with her had gone like it had with the other three, but it didn't.

I was a stay at home mom at the time. I have the utmost of respect for working breast-feeding moms. I can't imagine having to pump that much (my limited experience with pumping opened my eyes to how difficult it can be!)

I'm a huge proponent of breast-feeding, but I respect each mom's choice. To call a food "poison" is fear-mongering and places undue blame on a new mother. That kind of attitude doesn't lend itself well to education or therapeutic communication. I was fortunate enough to have midwives and LCs who made no judgments about my choices and instead focused on helping me succeed as a mother and contribute to a healthy child, four times, through four very different birth circumstances.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Jun 2, 2014

Well, if you look at it like that, formula doesn't come from your breast either. It is made in some factory by machines. My brother in law was breastfed by another woman. His mom didnt produce any milk, but wanted her child to get the best nutrition that was as pure and natural as it could get. Some women feel jealous of the other woman it's natural, but we need to overcome these feeling and look at the big picture of what is best for the baby.

Mercy me! JEALOUS! There we go with the negative words again....JEALOUS! It gives connotation negative feelings and behavior that are wrong...that the woman who disagrees is somehow petty and shallow.

Me? Jealous? Uhmmmm....NO :laugh: ....I am not jealous at all...In fact I didn't have one issue with breast feeding and I enjoyed that time with my children. While at time it was inconvenient with an ED full of crying babies....I just made sure I wore dark shirts and carried a spare.

I know YEARS ago it was common to have a wet nurse. It is just personal for me the thought drinking another woman's breast milk bothers me....it's so... intimate.... in my mind.

I have nothing against any other woman's breast milk, ovaries, eggs or uterus. If I could not breast feed and I had a premie I would opt for the best option to try to lessen the chances of NEC. If I was unable to have babies I would try IVF, surrogate, or adoption.

I think as nurses it is our responsibility to educate new Moms to the benefits of breast feeding. Give them factual honest peer reviewed NON BIASED studies and support them in their personal decision.

As women we should be obligated to be supportive of each other in our personal choices. Being a mother...a good mother is hard work and lifetime of sacrifice and dedication.

We all deserve to be special regardless of how we choose to feed our babies.

I'm glad your brother in law received breast milk as a baby....that was HIS mothers choice.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Jun 2, 2014

Once again, women are their own worst enemies......Breast or Bottle, Work or Stay at Home...yeesh...we all have our OWN life experiences. I am saddened to see the sniping at those who don't agree with their standing on the subject.
It reminds me of when I was a young widowed mom....I had no choice but to work. So when the conversation got around to whether or not we worked when our kids were toddlers...those who "made the choice to sacrifice and stay home" clearly looked down on those who worked...until the conversation got around to why I was working....their attitude changed. But why should I have been judged in the first place?
We need to accept each other and our choices. How can we be truly tolerant and compassionate to our patients, if we are so judgemental to each other?

I can't like this enough!

Breast fed bottle fed, drugs no drugs (for delivery)...Heck I rode a bike without a helmet was never in a car seat, and drank water out of the garden hose ans I turned out all right....well, reasonably alright. :yeah:

allnurses Guide · Jun 2, 2014

Interesting turn of the conversation.

I nursed my niece once - her mom had an appointment and I waited in the car with both our babies and her daughter was inconsolable and a breastfed baby. There was no way to get my sister so I popped out a boobie and fed her. I was well-aware of the concept of wet-nursing since I was a teenager and read about other cultures. It was no big deal for me.

My daughter-in-law and son have purchased breast milk for their baby - she is having some trouble with getting enough milk (due to a breast reduction surgery about 5 years ago). She also supplements some with formula after the baby nurses for about 30 minutes.

Interesting article I ran across on FB . . . .athletes are buying and drinking breastmilk. Now ESME . .that I have a problem with. :rolleyes: It seems a huge waste for men to buy this when babies need it more.

The newest, hottest workout recovery beverage: Human breast milk

babyNP., APRN · Jun 2, 2014

I know YEARS ago it was common to have a wet nurse. It is just personal for me the thought drinking another woman's breast milk bothers me....it's so... intimate.... in my mind.

See and that right there is part of society's problem. Breast milk from breasts is considered intimate and gross (I know that Esme did not say gross, but society generally thinks it is). This is a cultural phenomenon that is not shared with other cultures, such as the Amish. Some Amish communities actually pool all their milk together and share the pot, so to speak, for the infants that need it and are unable to get it from parents. I admit myself that my natural instinct is that this is really gross and almost "wrong." Think about this versus someone donating blood. No one would see anything wrong with that (aside from people like the Jehovah's Witness) and it's not "gross" to get someone else's blood.

TL;DR: We need to speak about breastfeeding and breast milk in a positive fashion, not a negative fashion, so that it becomes the norm. I foresee that it will be many years before this happens, however.

allnurses Guide · Jun 2, 2014

For every subject you can find supporting and opposing views.
Sadly I found nurses not very supportive with Mom's who breast feed. The staff at the ED I worked were resentful of "all the tie" I spent "milking" my breasts...which by the way I did only on my break. They were very intolerant of breast milk in the fridge and made snide comments. I kept it in my bag with ice.
With choices there are always pros and cons. I enjoyed breast feeding. I think I could have done it longer with my son...but work in a busy ER and critical transport I soon could not keep up with supply.
I say try it you might like it...it sure beats carrying around formula...however if it isn't for you it isn't for you.
I wouldn't exclude any options for you really don't know how you are going to feel until you are actually in that position. I never thought I would breast feed...the thought was just not my thing...however upon seeing that little baby I was changed in an instant and I wondered why I ever thought I didn't want to do it.

Yes, I'll come right out and admit one of the reasons I took to breastfeeding so easily was that I found it much more convenient (dare I say I was a lazy mom? :whistling: ). I have the utmost respect for those who use their break time to pump. In an environment where co-workers frown on it, I can't imagine.

The only benefit I can say for sure didn't manifest in my case was the supposed affect on dental development. Both of my kids needed braces. :/