Saila

i agree cab However, there's (finally) one really nice woman behind the reception now. I always feel relieved if it's her that picks up the phone, after constantly feeling like i've done something wrong with the others... ... i find once you get past reception however, the treatment is good. i.e. docs and nurses.

there were people praying?! by a van?!!! outside a church?!!!! that's it - i'm moving

EDF's been around for years?

because they somehow think it's against breastfeeding... when it isn't.

American's seem to be more keen to take a tablet for something than us brits. But i think that's changing? you'll know more than me on this. Fuschia was absolutely right though in that the reporting of this 'story' was inaccurate. I heard it as a study on radio4. I'm not sure that's the doctor's fault though and it doesn't surprise me as things are often spun to get more of a story out of it. what really really shocks and upsets me is the accusations and what to me looks like a blatant smear campaign by the RCM against these doctors. It's deeply worrying that people are being put off doing studies for fear of being intimidated like that. There is a real deep set skepticism in this country against science and doctors which i fear is only going to get worse once the Conservatives implement a profit driven NHS (but that's a whole new thread) controlled by GPs....

Article from The Times last week: A proper debate on the best way to feed a baby in the first six months is being stifled by an ?almost religious evangelism? for women exclusively breastfeeding, the lead scientist behind a new study said. Mary Fewtrell, a paediatrician from University College London?s Institute of Child Health, said that she could not understand why questioning the policy, which is current government guidance, provoked such ?outpourings of vitriol? from its supporters. Dr Fewtrell was speaking to The Times after the publication of an analysis in the British Medical Journal yesterday that suggested that the recommendation be reexamined. The researchers agree that breastfeeding is the healthiest option, but concluded that babies could suffer iron deficiency and may be more prone to allergies if they receive only breast milk. A review of 33 studies found ?no compelling evidence? for not introducing solids at four to six months. The report does recommend, however, that in developing countries waiting until six months can be beneficial, because of concerns over hygiene and nutrition. Current guidelines in Britain are for women to breastfeed for six months before introducing solids. The Department of Health said the latest paper would be included in a review of infant feeding policies, but its guidance remained unchanged. A spokesman said: ?The totality of the evidence supports a protective role of exclusively breastfeeding for the first six months of an infant?s life.? The BMJ study was attacked by the Royal College of Midwives and baby nutrition organisations. Spokespeople questioned the scientists? links to the baby-food industry, which they said was an obvious beneficiary from a change in guidance. Dr Fewtrell rejected the allegations, which she described as insulting and upsetting, and a smokescreen ?because they can?t rebut the science?. She said that the scientists had acknowledged in their study that they had provided advice for the baby-food industry, and they carried out their research as independent authors. ?If you are doing work in infant nutrition you cannot not have links to the industry,? she said. ?Part of our responsibility as paediatricians and scientists working in the field is to advise industry. We want to ensure that the evidence is appraised and the best advice gets to mothers for their babies? health.? Janet Fyle, professional policy adviser at the Royal College of Midwives, challenged the findings of the review as a ?retrograde step that plays into the hands of the baby-food industry?. Other organisations, such as Baby Milk Action, issued even stronger rebuttals describing it as ?an attack from industry-funded scientists?. Dr Fewtrell said she could have predicted the reaction, which like previous such stances undermined sensible appraisal. She and others were not trying to formulate policy, but present evidence. ?We have worked in this area for a very long time. This [reaction] is partly what stifles any scientific debate in this field. People feel intimidated. If you stick your head above the parapet you get this vitriol. I don?t undertsand where this evangelism comes from. It?s like some sort of religious belief. It?s personally upsetting but we have to press on with this because its the science.? She added that ?lots of people? shared the views held by her and her fellow researchers ?but are quite intimidated because they know if they express something like this its seen almost as if its blasphemous?. The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition is to meet next week to set out the parameters for a review of guidance on infant feeding, taking in all the latest evidence. Britain changed its advice in 2003, two years after the World Health Organisation recommended that all infants should be exclusively breastfed for six months. Health chiefs said yesterday that the BMJ analysis would be included. ?We recognise the emerging evidence in this area and the need to review current policy on infant feeding, to ensure that the recommendations are based on the best available evidence,? a Department of Health spokesperson said. ?The paper in this week?s BMJ is not a new research study nor is it a systematic review of all available evidence, but it merely calls for a review of the evidence on which the original recommendations on exclusive breastfeeding for about six months and introduction of solids at around six months were based.?

my son was in special care cos of dehydration and the nurse in there said that *half* the babies were in for the same reason anyway - we weren't together for 7 of his first 10 days due to him being in SC and I had an amazing bfding councillor who massively helped me with pumping and syringe feeding. I agree with you Fuschia - the MWs were very unsupportive of me bfding in hospital and wouldn't let me syringe feed. after i said i didn't want to formula feed my son, They reluctantly insisted on beaker feeding and i cried watching my milk just getting spilt everywhere! it was soul destroying. I took it upon myself to secretly syringe feed. I even sneaked into SC and took some syringes cos i wasn't allowed to do it downstairs in teh ward.... crazy I then got double thrush (i was on antibiotics for 15 days) which then morphed into double mastitis all with continued failure to latch on. This meant i was sterilising/pumping/syringe feeding for 6 weeks. I slept for 1 hour intervals, with often no help as my partner was doing night shifts. Doign this with a fever from the mastitis took me to breaking point and i dotn even think it was safe for me to be looking after a young baby in that state - plus i had a traumatic birth and was exhausted and shocked from that too my mother bf all three of us and was really surpised (as was i) with the problems i had. I just assumed it'd happen. But it didn'nt and i massively beat myself up about it. As do many vulnerable women at that time. Just look at the 'what would i do differently' thread and you'll see how much women tried everythign to make it work. We all want to be able to do it but the pressure, not just from some MWs, but NCT groups (not mine mind but i've heard some shocking stories) and comments from things like this forum make it emtionally very tough indeed.... but there comes a time when enough's enough and you need to move forward. But it's the mother's decision and she should be respected for that anyway - sorry if i'm repeating too. edit to say: and then what really upset me was half the 'benefits' that were explained to me turned out to be based on very flaky evidence and most of the benefit was at the very beginning of bfing. it seems to me the most proven benefit is the reduction in breast cancer risk for the mum. fingers xed it works out next time cos it's apparently proportional to how long you bf. as for the other stuff. most things i read contradict.

Thanks F - i know this wasn't discussing a specific trial. This is an opinion piece calling for a scientific trial to be carried out ... Mary Fewtrell predicted this reaction and said that it's because of these breasting fanatics that people *aren't* even debating the issue of weaning age for fear of being attacked by the "breastfeeding evangelists" attached is a very interesting 'reaction to the reaction' article - The Times

to say that the doctors were somehow colluding with the formula milk companies to get a result that they 'want' is completely outrageous when drug companies do clinical trials on their own drugs, do you think that they fudge the results? if that was the case, wouldn't all trials succeed? who funds the drug trials? people need to be VERY careful when they dismiss a scientific trial data cos of how it was funded What gets me is that more woman would probably feel able to bf for *longer* if they could add food as well (for a load of reasons already mentioned)

anyone know how he's doing?

any basic cereal (meant for babies) will have masses of iron in it - anyway - the point is yet again women are infighting over personal choices, vulnerable woman are feeling guilty that they're doing/have done the wrong thing.. again it's so repeititive if men reared children in the early months i wonder if they'd be more supportive of each other? this sort of thing just fuels division and it's really sad to watch and we're all guilty of it edit to say: cereal meant for babies or low in salt and sugar... *shoots self*

equally you can't tell by instinct that your baby is iron deficient which is the concern raised in this study. edit to say - the guardian article completely misinterprets the study - the study is not saying 'end breastfeeding' it's saying you should possibly add solids earlier than 6 months cos of risk of iron deficiency etc also to say that they are somehow colluding with the baby food companies is verging on libeless

I third Fushcia's comments on things being a phase. I also second the comments about just using a dummy earlier as we had a very sucky baby and it meant he fell asleep instantly with a dummy which was brillantly easy i would also use formula ealier and not stress so much about exclusively bfing e.g. for Dad to do the dreamfeed and i could get a long sleep, which is a blessing in the early days... I did gina-lite from the very beginning and would absolutely do that again. Fingers xed it works as well next time as it did for us last time. I only did gina-lite as i was recommended it by my sister - but in retrospect i'm *very* glad we did as we never had to do that cry-it-out thing which i would have found quite hard good luck!

That sounds perfect. Thanks very much

I think they *have* to provide you with a room and a seperate fridge by law. Something like that. I'd email H.R. (if they exist) And ask them what the procedure is, perhaps attaching a gov doc to show what the guidelines are. Are you the first mum to go back to work? Perhaps there are others in your co.? They may help with what room they used. etc. Good luck

ridiculously small sample size, but seeing it first hand really hit home for me. my sister has 4 kids and she didn't bother to move her second onto beakers i.e. she just used bottles until she was 2 yrs old. Then with the last two kids she moved them onto beakeres. There's no way of being sure, but her second child has a really bad lisp now, whereas all the other 3 are fine. we're going to gradually move my son over the next 4 months but his milk intake is priority so we'll use bottles to boost and but trying to introduce beakers during the daytime..

We took our 1yr old to the Transport museum. Your ticket is valid for a year ie you can come and go for 12 mnths! It's got an amazing light show on the floor In one room and loads of old buses/ tubes to sit in. It's fun.

Really helpful. I will try out the options and I'm sure something will work. Thanks very much

you get 1x1 midwife care with a home birth - but it's touch and go whether you get anything like that in hospital

hello i'm moving my 1 year old son over to beakers from bottles but he's struggling to get his milk from a beaker and as a result is drinking much less (as in half) of what he was drinking before i don't want to have him on bottles for much longer (cos of speech development problems) so i was wondering if anyone had any beaker style recommendations for a hungry, fast drinker? He drinks about 8 ounces in 2-3 mins normally. thanks

helena handbasket and randombloke - two amazing posts xxxx

yes - they're made to take on larger vols for older kids - hopefully that'll solve it i've used ASDA nappies since the beginning and htey've worked really well for me

also could be as simple as putting it on more tightly?

>"The issue is the water is supposed to be 70 degrees, to kill the bugs..." To kill one specific, rare bug that has been known to exist in formula milk powder. But it has to be 70oC or it wont work So to clarify: 2am in the morning: 1. boil up the water, 2. sit for approx 20-30mins 3. take the temperature of the water. 4. Check it's 70oC No? re boil. 5. Then wait. Make sure it's not above 70oC cos you destroy the very important proteins in the milk powder. 8. wish you'd never had a baby in the first place. *shoots self* There are masses of bacteria in milk powder, plus the stuff you add through normal air exposure which is why you have to use it straight away and not let the bugs have time to multiply etc etc ladywotlunches - that's similar to how i've prepared my bottles in the past. I put cooled boiled water into say 3x sealed bottles. Put them in fridge. Then add powder when i need to make a feed. I too microwave. The scare story there is that VERY hot liquid and the plastics will release a chemical which is thought to be carcinogenic. So i chuck stuff if i heat it too much (i.e. those times i've left it in the microwave and forgot). But warm gentle heating is fine IMO according to what i've been told anyway.

I just spoke with a bacteriologist friend of mine. Here's what they said: 'I think the advice is irresponsible. That bacteria is denatured at 70oC so you can't just leave it 20mins and hope the water's at the right temp. Plus if too hot all the milk protein is destroyed too. Plus as the milk powder cools oit deveelops a perfect breeding ground for the 'many' bacteria that exist in formula milk' All very confusing but it doesn't sound clean cut to me.