Mothers should be informed of their choices, not coerced into breastfeeding, writes Jess Haigh. Plus letters from Barbara Wallis, Dr Heather Parry, Dr Janet Dawson and Peggy Thomas
Sirin Kale’s experience of the first eight weeks of breastfeeding was exactly the same as my own; pain, shame and trauma (‘I felt rage. I had traded my sanity for milk’: what happened when I breastfed despite the pain, 10 January). Thrush was never mentioned, neither was caring for my own breasts, aside from signs of mastitis, and I spoke to a lot of different support providers. It was only when a friend recommended the use of hydrogel discs and I managed to pump enough to give me a break from feeding that my cracks were able to heal and I could feed without being in excruciating pain.
Until the guidance surrounding breastfeeding is more personalised and new parents are better informed, this will be an ongoing issue for many mothers. I explored the issues surrounding this in a co-authored article for the International Journal of Birth and Parental Education last summer.
Jess Haigh
Leeds
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