Interview 31

First month of breastfeeding was the hardest thing she has done in her life. Very sore and cracked nipples. Fussy babies at 4-5 months, early weaning with first baby.

A pharmacist by profession, this woman said that being a pharmacist ‘went out of the window, it didn’t mean anything’ when she had her first baby, meaning that all her training had not prepared her for parenting and breastfeeding. She remembers being told that breastfeeding is the best way to feed a baby but had more instruction in bottle feeding in the form of a whole training package on formula milks. She says that the suggestion to introduce a bottle of expressed milk to the baby so that the father can experience feeding came from a special antenatal breastfeeding class, run by the local hospital but sponsored by a breast pump manufacturer. She found pumping and cleaning the equipment ‘a real faff’ and said that she had probably only gone out and left the baby about twice as there aren’t many places that she and her husband go where they can’t take the baby with them. She lives in an extended family situation with her parents-law and enjoys the support of family members. After the birth of each of her babies her mother and mother-law got together to prepare a special ‘nut mixture’ (supposed to be good to balance the body after childbirth and promote the milk supply) which formed her whole diet for the first five days and the basis for at least the next couple of months. She does not breastfeed in front of the male members of the family. She or they go to another room. Her main responsibility is to care for the children which she finds quite demanding given their closeness in age. In spite of finding the first month of breastfeeding ‘probably the hardest thing’ that she has ever done, she says that it is also the most enjoyable thing that she has done with her babies.

Both of her babies became fussy at about three months of age which she thinks is because she didn…

Age at interview 30

Gender Female

As a health professional, she was aware of the advice about co-sleeping but decided to sleep with…

Age at interview 30

Gender Female

With only a fourteen month gap, her older child was very distressed by the arrival of his baby…

Age at interview 30

Gender Female

She thinks that consistent advice and continuity of care would mean one less stressful burden for…

Age at interview 30

Gender Female

As a pharmacist her training focused on infant formula but all knowledge went out of the window…

Age at interview 30

Gender Female

Her cracked and bleeding nipples were so painful that she dreaded feeding her baby. She got a lot…

Age at interview 30

Gender Female

Her mother-law was supportive even though she had not breastfed herself. She talked about the…

Age at interview 30

Gender Female

She listened to all of the advice and then did what suited her and her baby. Sometimes she woke…

Age at interview 30

Gender Female