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Infant feeding

Can we have a FAQ's section on breast feeding permenantly on mnet to give women info they are still not getting from health care professionals?

8 replies

muppetgirl · 12/08/2007 22:20

Hi.

I don?t want to start a debate on bf but I have noticed on most of the threads lots of women talk about the lack of information/support given when they found things difficult. I still read threads from women asking about mastitis ?what is it? /What can you do about it? / Do all women get it? This proves that the information is still not getting through despite us wanting and needing it to.

Mn has taught me many things about bf that I never knew, so much so that I am going to have another go with ds2 in Nov when he is born. I was given a 1 page leaflet on how to bf but no explanation or chance to see anyone bf or ask any questions this, I believe didn?t help when I came across difficulties and as I had just had my baby I found it very hard to think straight and I believe I didn?t ask the right questions, talk to the right people or think through solutions.

We all know that knowledge is power and knowledge before an event proves especially powerful.

Can we have a FAQ's section to be displayed permanently on mn devoted to bf where certain headings are catered for?

  1. Reasons to bf
  2. Some common problem
    -with explanations and possible solutions (including 'old wives tales'!)
  3. Legal help
    -To equip bf with knowledge over what is legal/not and maybe responses to negative comments from other.
  4. Numbers for associations
    -So new mothers don?t have to hunt around for them or ask in new threads.
  5. Mnetters who are able to offer advice
    -So new mnetters can contact quickly to ask questions as there are some very able and very passionate mnetters who offer advive already.


    Obviously this is just a quick jot down of ideas but does anyone else think this is a viable idea? (I haven?t yet found anything on mnet like this)

    If the health care system still isn't empowering women by giving them support and knowledge, why wait for them? Lets just support and empower each other -now!
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Jacanne · 12/08/2007 22:29

I think that's a really good idea - on another site I go on there is a "sticky" that stays at the top of the BF page with all the BF contact details on, links to Kellymom and lists of facts and fiction and many of the other things you mention.

Might save HM and a few others a bit of time too

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muppetgirl · 12/08/2007 22:32

I was HM that gave me the idea. I agree with a lot of what she says but feel that a dedicated section would have much more imapct.

How about another title of s asection?

Tips for b/f when returning to work?

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muppetgirl · 13/08/2007 08:51

Anyone?

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throckenholt · 13/08/2007 08:58

I think a FAQ is a brilliant idea - as you say the same topics come up again and again and again ......

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hunkermunker · 13/08/2007 09:08

I can see why it would be useful, but I think that part of the beauty of MN is that people get tailored responses, partly because there's usually something different about each situation and it's nice to feel you're getting a personal opinion - I think when this was mooted before, that was one reason it didn't happen. I would hate to see "read the faq" as the answer to each bf query, definitely.

I'm not keen on the MNers who can help bit either - I don't want special status - all MNers have something to offer to the debate (well, except... Nah, just kidding!). MN has started to feel like a job sometimes already (hence the break I had recently) and if I had to do something because it was expected of me, I'd probably not want to - I'm like that.

I agree that there needs to be better info for women (obviously!), but I think if you fix something in stone on here, people will argue the toss over the wording forever.

Sorry to be negative. I'm doing stuff in the background though - MN is somewhere I am testing ideas, shall we say?

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throckenholt · 13/08/2007 09:18

just because there is a faq doesn't mean people can't ask their own specific questions and benefit from other's personal experience.

But it would be a useful place to start for those who are too scared to post wouldn't it - especially if there was a bit in the faq that said - don't forget to post on the forums to ask for personal advise and support.

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tiktok · 13/08/2007 09:38

No, I don't think this is wholly a good idea, sorry!

The info you ask for about bf is already there on the web, MG, and posters are often directed to sites like kellymom.

Nos for different organisations might be useful but people will still ask for them, not knowing they are available elsewhere on the site, and these boards don't have a facility for 'sticky' posts.

I do answer questions here, but I take breaks occasionally, and I don't want to be on a list which makes it a sort of obligation Making it official means we'd need some sort of quality control, and the means to kick people off for some reason.

I am with hunker on this one - you could argue over the wording of the faqs forever, and in addition, getting tailor-made help is what MN does best.

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muppetgirl · 13/08/2007 13:21

Thanks for that, it was just an idea. If you don't chat about what to do about circulating information, nothing ever gets better and then all the threads then disintigrate into debates over bf/ff.

I wanted to do something positive but maybe this isn't the way...

I agree that some of mnetters may feel obligated to help others once they have signed up as an 'expert' and may find this a little arduous. There could still be where the 'personal' touch of a new thread could be still encouraged with those mnetters who are available at the time to answer specifc problems.

I still feel strongly that the numbers of organisations should be displayed here as half of them I didn't even know existed before I joined mn so I wouldn't have thought to have searched for them. Also not everyone is good at searching on the internt (I'm not!) so to have all numbers in one place I still believe would help.

I undertand that setting things in stone is a little dangerous given the nature of the subject and it's reputation already on mn but there are some facts that really are facts -points of law, bf rights when you return to work (expressing at work + storage) that are pure fact and not opinion.
Common problems is essential as a section as I think it's the one thing we all do agree on -things can go wrong, this would be a list of ideas as to how to fix them.

I bf for 6 weeks and found it horendous. I had the beginnings of pnd and went on to develop severe pnd with awful thoughts about my baby. I ff from 6 weeks and although I don't regret the decision I made as I was ill and recognise that, I do feel that my hv could have supported me better. I never knew organisations existed to help and they were never recommmended, or even mentioned!, to me by my hv.

Any other thoughts?

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