Midwives, bad advice and excuses!

I know there are lots of women who have wanted to breast feed but haven't managed to for one reason or another, but there are so many women who say they want to, but come up with such stupid excuses, and far too many midwives just perpetuate these excuses.
I've been to visit a friend today and her 5 week old baby but I saw her a few months ago, and although she was saying all the right things, it was obvious she didn't want to breast feed. I told her I thought it was better for new mums to just admit they dont want to rather than find excuses.
Anyway she's using bottles but said she'd really tried for a whole day, but the midwife had told her she wasn't producing enough milk. She said she'd tried to express, but couldn't get anything from one side, and only a bit from the other, I said its colostrum, they only need a tiny bit and breast pumps are rubbish for colostrum anyway. Then she said that the side she couldn't get milk from had started bleeding, I mentioned postioning and latch, but they'd assured her she was latched on fine. They'd been quite happy when she said she'd brought bottles and formula.
She's been a childminder for a few years and thinks she's got all the answers already. She said she's got her DD's sleep sorted because last night she only woke up twice, and once she's sleeping through in a few weeks she'll be going into her cot in her own room, which is handy because she's almost outgrown her moses basket already and her husband wont allow the cot in thier room. Then she said she doesn't like to sleep on her back, but even though they say they shouldn't sleep on their tummy's it's worked for lots of mums and babies fine.
Later she said she's going to do baby led weaning, except she'll probably do purees first at about 4 monhts, once milk isn't enough(?) And again I've heard so many mums and health visitors agreeing that babies need solids a long time before the 6 months the NHS and WHO recomend.
It just really annoys me that people who should know better, and people trusted by new mums who dont know better spout such utter rubbish.
Anyway, rant over. Hope you're all well.
Ps, Rhiannas just seen the smileys and thinks the one having mummy milk is lovely, but the I told her the one squashing the bug isn't really squashing the bug, its the sweet in his pocket that gets squashed.

I feel the same as you, again people in a position off power giving out bad advice. But unless they get retrained or given strict guidelines to follow (or else!) then nothing will change

I've been saying this for YEARS i think ALL PREGNANT MUMS SHOULD GO THROUGH A COURSE (soz ben helping me type) to show them what to do when they have babies and make sure they have up to date info and ALL health profesionals should go on a upto date course every 6 months to a year becasue they all have misguided or old fashioned training infact i have corrected a few midwifes and health visitors before
i think it's all about EDUCATING people

I agree as well, its when people say they have been told to ff by midwives, hvs ect because they "didn't have enough milk"

I completely agree with you. It all makes me feel like

I particularly agree that why can't new mums just admit they don't want to from the start. I know just about 3 mums who've admitted to this and I really respect their decision because it's honest.

The complete lack of knowledge from HCP's plays on this though. They know they should BF, but if the people looking after them give them the 'not enough milk' cop out, then it's easy to give up. The fault definitely lies here and not with the mum. If the care givers don't know the facts about BF, how is a mum supposed to know.

I was told to FF by my midwives when I had my eldest as I didn't have enough milk. I ignored them for the most part and used formula sparingly (we didn't have internet like now 11 years ago). But I had small breasts so it seemed feasible and there was so little evidence. People seem to know so little about breastfeeding nowadays I can see how the myths are still perpetuated.

I am fine with a mother's decision to choose alternative methods of breastfeeding, but be honest. It was too hard for me, I didn't like it, I didn't want to, I wanted my partner to share the load are all VALID. But stop perpetuating myths! Because the minute someone hits a curve ball they go.."oh I've heard so many women say they didn't have enough milk, maybe I don't either" Wrong.

I have met one, just ONE person who didn't produce any milk at all. 8 days she tried to bf, she didn't even produce colostrum. She was devastated. She was that tiny minority of women who honestly can't produce milk. Other mothers have had issues, the drugs that they are taking etc...and it isn't wrong to choose to formula feed if the option to bf isn't open to you. It would be better to feed your child donated milk, but sadly milk banks for the general public are rare.

I've heard all of these myths about breastfeeding. They've been told to me. I was told them when I was just 20 and later when I was 28 and knew better and could LOL at the NICU doctors stupidity. It's why I really wish I could retrain as a midwife to start women off on the right foot. More of a here of the facts...do what you want...