h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Breastfeeding - A3266156
Author: emi41142 - U1103080

This entry is finished and would make a nice addition to the family section of the guide, there are no other entries on this subject. I may have used American English spelling in some places instead of England English spellings, please point these out and I will fix them.

I'm up too late and noticed an entry on this. So I did a quick sweep.

If you would like a bit of collaborative help on this, I could lend a hand. I'm sure there will be a flood of others to lend some feedback, but since I seem to be the first person to reply I'll put it out there.

At a glance, I will note that suggesting good reference books would be an idea; there are a lot of non-informative ones out there.
I would add in concerns or rumors, and then addressing the concerns or rumors. (Such as, you mention that the baby won't starve - describing why this is a concern, and then explaining why it needn't be, would be a good way to go.)
Supplemental information, such as what to do in the events that the baby does not obtain a reaonable latch, or cannot nurse directly; a bit about the premie or Special Care Unit baby, special concerns like that, would be a good addition.

I think you've got a good start - now turning it into a comprehensive database of info from the conversational supportive-voice aspect it has now is going to be the challenge.

There are a lot of books out there, but mostly they tend to repeat the same information, and the only "troubleshooting" they give is for the big things like mastitis and plugged ducts. Very little about other potential problems, or alternatives to things (such as compresses or other ways to manage pain besides taking OTC drugs, which are a concern to some parents). Good start; now let's make it more concise.

Hi emi
Welcome to Peer Review!

This is a great start with lots of good information
I would also like to offer help and make a few suggestions.

I feel it's dangerous to say "the narcotics really won't hurt the baby"; while I understand what you're saying, a statement like this could be open to wide interpretation depending on the reader. Something like "Your doctor may be able to prescribe medication that can help." would be sufficient.

Several times in the entry you touch on the difficulty and pain in attempting to breast feed, which can be rather discouraging. There are probably a few places this could be left out, and you should balance it with some more encouraging information. For instance, nursing helps your body lose baby weight much faster, and while it may take several weeks for nursing to become pain-free, for the most part any pain associated with nursing has to do with latch-on. Once baby is properly latched most pain will fade within the first few minutes of feeding.

It's important to mention lactation consultants, and where services can be obtained (usually through the hospital or pediatrician, as well as independent not-for-profit organisations such as the International Lactation Consultant Association http://www.ilca.org/ and La Leche League http://www.lalecheleague.org/)

A couple of typos:
dificult >> difficult
likely hood >> likelihood
breast milke >> breast milk

It would be helpful if you could split some of this up into sections to make information easier to find. A section early on concerning a list of all the things you will need for breast feeding would also come in handy. I would also mention somewhere in the entry how long a mother should expect to breast feed; most mothers give up after a month or two, many when (if) they return to work. I think it's generally recommended to nurse for at least the first six months, but babies can continue to nurse throughout the first year or two.

Your entry contains several mentions of product brand names which may be construed as advertising. As there are many varieties of products available it's best just to mention what the product is without brand associations.

I hope this isn't too much right off the bat, and that you find some of these suggestions helpful . I'm happy to help if you need it .

I found it an intestesting read

Found a couple of small typos too, both in the forth paragraph;

howerver ~ however
flavor ~ flavour

If you can learn some GuideML you can use headers/subheaders and link to other suitable Edited Entries.

I'm not really experienced enough with Peer Review/Guide Entries to say much more, I'll leave that to the 'experts'

IMO a good subject for an Entry, hope to see it on front page, when it's ready.

Emmily

While I understand your concern about the use of the word narcotics, I personally faced this issue after my cesarean, and wish someone would have told me in the begining to just take them. To say that your doctor can prescribe things is well sort of obvious. It's not that they can, in the US at least this is the standard operating procedure. I've since talked to a number of mothers that said that they wish they had been better informed that the use of these drugs wasn't harmful aside from possibly making baby sleepy, as it would have made their lives more manageable in the first few days.

As for what some people have considered the negative side of my entry, ie that breastfeeding is hard, I don't think a lot of women are prepared for just how hard it really is, I know I wasn't, I don't think that by being honest it will scare people away from doing it, I think it will only make them feel less alone, especially those that are having a really hared go of it. I am trying to add in some more balancing commentary on it's rewards which are great, but I really think that the difficulty is something that no one wants to talk about even though it really is hard and you have to want to do it very badly to keep at it.

I greatly appreciate your other comments though. Whenever I think anything is finished around 2 am it's usually not, must remember that, heh. These are the risks one takes doing most of their writing in the middle of the night in between a 6 month old waking up because he's teething, and thinking to yourself, wow I should really be asleep now.

Good article, emi.

In the UK, we also have breastfeeding support from the National Childbirth Trust. Most areas will have an NCT group which provides ante-natal support and education - plus post-natal support. I am still friends with people I met throught the NCT 20 yrs ago.

I don't agree that your article was 'negative' - just truthful. For most of us, breastfeeding a first baby is downright difficult - and there is pain involved in the early days. It might be worth mentioning that it's a lot easier with subsequent babies.

It might also be worth mentioning the protective effects of breastfeeding against developing allergies in later life. There is some evidence to support this - although personally, two of my three children are asthmatic.

It's a nice entry, but I feel it's a little unbalanced. If you want to concentrate on the difficulties of breastfeeding, then the title should reflect that. Otherwise it's just going to make it look like breastfeeding is difficult for every one. I know that for some people it is (have you read the thrush in the milk ducts entry?) but for others it's not so bad (I didn't have any significant problems).

Very interesting. As a person without breasts who is learning to meditate, I found the paragraph on relaxation and mental preparation particularly interesting.

This Entry is obviously directed towards female readers - not unreasonably - and especially those female readers with a personal stake in knowing more about the subject. But perhaps a little more basic information on the physiology of breastfeeding would be helpful. Terms such as 'let down reflex' take a certain degree of background knowledge for granted. You might want to consider adding a footnote.

As mentioned in an earlier post, I think the inclusion of headers might be a good idea; it would help the structure of your Entry. There should be a comma after 'colustrum' (shouldn't that be 'colostrum'?) in the first paragraph.

JTG

I'm sorry, emi, I have to disagree with a couple of your points.

>>While I understand your concern about the use of the word narcotics, I personally faced this issue after my cesarean, and wish someone would have told me in the begining to just take them.
--I understand the value of medication, my concerns were with the phrase "the narcotics really won't hurt the baby". From the standpoint of an illegal drug user this could be translated as "illegal narcotics are okay for my baby", which is a very dangerous idea to promote. It's okay to stress that medications that your doctor prescribes should be safe for your baby, but I would draw the line at specifically labelling 'narcotics' as being okay. Anyone who is unsure of the safety of any treatment they're being offered should first of all consider finding another doctor (if they don't feel they can trust the one they're seeing), aside from that they can seek a second or third opinion, consult other professional resources, and read up on the treatments they're considering for more complete facts.


>>As for what some people have considered the negative side of my entry ... I don't think that by being honest it will scare people away from doing it, I think it will only make them feel less alone, especially those that are having a really hared go of it.
--I tried to reread your entry to pick out just how many references to difficulty and discomfort there were. I quickly realised that aside from your opening paragraph, everything in your entry deals with difficulty and discomfort. This does make it seem a bit negative , especially considering your title is simply 'Breastfeeding' giving the impression that this is an overview of breastfeeding as a whole.

I see now that it is impossible to remove any of it without substantially changing the point of the entry, which is not 'breastfeeding', but instead is 'overcoming the difficulties of breastfeeding'. A title change would address this problem sufficiently (as Mina suggested).

On a related note, I *do* think repeatedly stressing the difficulties and pain of nursing will dissuade those who are only just considering it. With the advancements in formula, the accessibility of that pill that makes you stop producing milk, and the higher occurrence of women returning to work within the first few months after giving birth, a trouble-free, pain-free alternative will make many women wonder why they should bother trying to nurse at all.

And while it is the truth that breastfeeding can be difficult, this isn't the *whole* truth. Not all women experience the same difficulty you have. And as Teuchter mentioned, there are more benefits than the (comparitively) few you have breifly mentioned in passing in your entry. An entry on the *truth* of breastfeeding will cover all of these aspects in equal turns.

Good luck with this . It seems there are several people around willing to offer help if you need it .

Y'know, I almost wonder if doing a research project on this wouldn't be a good idea. It would allow for several linked entries, covering all the bases, and a comprehensive collection of information like that would definitely be a good way to give full information on the subject, which is something I know a lot of new or expectant mothers are lacking. I currently have a one-year-old, and what I know now compared to what I knew a year and some ago, even though I attended the breastfeeding class offered at the hospital, is like a night and day difference.

Also, it would allow for differences between what's common for Britain vs. what's common for America. Someone mentioned nursing for the first six months; in the U.S. often a year is recommended; in some countries, two or three years is common, but it is always up to the mother (and baby!) to decide.

Anyway, a lot of ground to cover. Let me know if this turns into a research project... I'd love to help. I'd also love to see an exhaustive collection of information put together so there's at least one place on the 'net with all the answers! (Or most of them, anyway.)

Fantastic to see an entry on Breastfeeding in Peer Review, well done for that.

I'll echo the above sentiments regarding to headers, and also make a plea that this could be revised so that it doesn't sound so negative!!

If I had read this before I breastfed either of the Gruesomes I'm quite sure I'd never have started. Of course, as was suggested back there, you could always change the title to reflect that it is more of a comment on the difficulties and obstacles you may face when breastfeeding.

I'd also like to add a few comments (oh, and thanks for the memory of walking round with chilled cabbage leaves down my bra... that was definitely a low-spot!). Quark is also very good, spread over the affected area to cool and help with the pain (paracetamol can also be safely taken for the headaches that often go with this). Then a massage with some oil (baby, olive, rapeseed... engine oil not recommended) and warmth (you can do this using a hairdryer, believe it or not) of the lumpy painful area can help.

Also, this shocked me (and on one memorable occasion the guy sitting next to me in a cafe) breastmilk does not come out of one part of your nipple. If the baby doesn't latch on you run the risk of squirting all over the place... (and cracked nipples - my midwife told me that about 99% of the cases of cracked nipple she saw were due to an incorrect latching on of the baby)

Regarding milk production: here in Germany you're recommended to drink 4 or 5 cups of Milchbildungstee (Milk production booster tea) per day. You can get it mixed at the Chemist, and I think there might be pre-packed versions now too, in the supermarket. (and for when you stop breastfeeding there is Abstilltee, which helps slow the milk production)

And yes, the position and being relaxed when bf is lovely - however this rarely works with a second baby, and certainly not when you're out and about. But bf is something that you can get really expert at in a very short space of time. I mention it because it might be offputting to someone who thinks that every 3-4 hours they're going to have to make all those preparations (of course, if you have a nice relaxing nursery that helps). They might think it easier to go the formula route.

oh... sorry, this is a subject about which I have very strong views, and lots of experience, and an awful lot to say.

anyway, perhaps you'd like to think about any of this...

but can I say again, the cabbage leaf thing really made me glad the Gruesomes are nice and big now!!!

I found the article a bit dogmatic. In many places statements are made - such and such will happen - which is not actually true in every case.

The title would be better to indicate that this article covers possible difficulties & how to deal with them. I think it is important to acknowledge that some mothers don't manage to breastfeed, however much they may try.

The emphasis seems to be on pain, it might be good to include more on other aspects such as leaking, and the unliklelihood of being able to timetable feeds (even after several months).
One pain not mentioned is that of uterus contractions, stimulated by feeding.

Except that this Entry describes one mother's experiences. Perhaps this might be a better title i.e. 'One Mother's Experiences of Breastfeeding'. Otherwise Emi could end up writing a lengthy Entry which she didn't envisage at the outset.

Yes, I think if that were clear it would solve the problem. I'm sure lots of Mums would add conversations to give their experiences, hints & tips.

The author appears to be another of our one-day wonders -- I think this would be best suited to being moved back to the entry, rather than the FM. What do other people think?

Good idea, and we can continue the discussion there.

Moved back to the entry rather than the FM?

I'm missing something here... I think I'm our of the Guide loop or something, or my brain is jammed again. :P

Maybe we should get a Mother Collective doing a research project on this....


MH out

The entry as it stands is more of one person's personal (and clearly quite biased) perspective on breastfeeding than a well-balanced and researched entry on breastfeeding. As such, I don't see sending it to the Flea Market would be useful - if someone were to go about writing an entry on breastfeeding, I'd truthfully rather see them do so from scratch rather than use this as a basis.

I agree wholeheartedly.
And I'm happy to help

Would anyone volunteer to start a new project on the subject and post it to CWW? I will if no one else wants to

I'd be interested in helping a Collaborative Entry
but I've no idea how to do it
I'm based in Germany and only bf a few times in UK (to much astonishment, I have to say) but I think we have a slightly different approach here.