Management

Alisa Stevenson                

My interest in the benefits of breastfeeding stems from breastfeeding both of my children.  I am mum to Harry who is 4 years old and second time mum to Rowan who is 9 months old.  My interest in this area was triggered from having two different experiences of breastfeeding.  Harry was born at 30 weeks plus five days and weighed in at only 3lb and 2 oz.  At that time it was very difficult for me to sustain a good breastfeeding experience, mainly due to Harry’s medical problems as he remained in an incubator for five weeks in total and fed via a nasal gastric tube for all of the five weeks.

Following his birth it was not until the fifth day that I held my new baby for the first time as he was ventilated and supported by a machine for his breathing.  I was not put under any significant pressure with regards my decision to breastfeed.  However I felt strongly that expressing milk would provide me with the extra time to make that decision for myself.  The neonatal unit encouraged the expression of breast milk as this type of milk is ideally compatible with the lining of the baby’s bowel and particularly important for Harry due to his prematurity.

Unfortunately Harry went on to develop necrotising entercolitis, which is a condition that tends to develop in neonates. Necrotising Enterocolitis (NEC) is a serious condition which can damage the bowels of under-weight and premature babies. Scientists are not certain what causes the condition, although too little oxygen getting to the bowel (because of problems with blood flow to other parts of the body) is strongly suspected.

Although NEC can be treated the condition is fatal for a small percentage of babies. Symptoms commonly include general signs of illness, problems feeding, and a swollen and tender abdomen. NEC is the most common surgical emergency in newborn babies and tends to affect more babies born prematurely than those born full-term.

The condition can be treated by medication and resting the intestine (by feeding the baby using a drip) or by surgery, if necessary, to remove any of the bowel which has perforated or where the bowel tissue has died.

After eight weeks Harry recovered from his two episodes of necrotising enterocolitis and was strong enough to be offered breastfeeding. I was asked to go into a quiet room and feed him.  As this was my first child I did not know what to do. However I was very fortunate that a midwife working on the neonatal unit saw that I was keen to breastfeed and gave me a lot of intensive support.

With my second child Rowan I felt well prepared after the obstacles that I had to over come with my first child.  However I still felt the normal anxieties that most mums feel after having a baby, such as is he getting enough milk and is he gaining sufficient weight.

I can be contacted at volunteers@breastbuddies.org

Kathryn Holme                       

I breastfed my son Reuben until he was ten months old. It wasn't the easy experience I was expecting and I used nipple shields for the first six weeks in a desperate attempt to get Reuben to latch on.

I would have really valued access to a Breast Buddy- someone local who could pop round or answer my calls for help. I never wanted to contact the Health Visitor as she always seemed busy and I felt such a failure. I don't want other mums to feel as isolated and as miserable as I did...hence Breast Buddies!

My role in Breast Buddies is to oversee the finance side of things as well as make sure everything is running smoothly. I also deal with any queries about sponsorship, press and publicity as well as helping out with the training.

I can be contacted on 0113 260 4187 or at director@breastbuddies.org any day of the week between 8 am and 9pm.