It's World Breastfeeding Week this week. I feel I ought to post about it.
But I'm not sure I've a lot to say. A quick search of my blog reveals I've had plenty to say in the past, so why not now? I think I've finally made peace with myself for not breastfeeding James. I wrote all about why not in a post that seems a lifetime ago. I'd always planned to do a second breastfeeding story when I stopped breastfeeding Claudia. I may still do that. But for now we're still going and I'm about to become one of those lentil-knitting extended breastfeeding types, one of the so-called breastfeeding mafia that's making woman throughout the land feel bad because they didn't want to or couldn't breastfeed (according to recent articles in the Times and the Guardian anyway). How mad is that?
These articles have it all wrong. Breast is best, that fact is undeniable. But it's not breastfeeders who are making mothers feel guilty for not doing it, it's mothers themselves. No one tried to make me feel bad about not breastfeeding James, I did that all by myself. And disappointingly, no one has criticised me for my choice to continue breastfeeding Claudia (though as she wouldn't take a bottle I'm not sure whose choice it was), despite others' tales of tutting and remarks being made.
I'll say again, the support for breastfeeding in this country is woeful. There are pockets of great support, and that's fab. But for the majority, it simply isn't there. It wasn't there for me with James and to be honest it wasn't with Claudia either, it was just that she could do it and he couldn't.
Until support improves, breastfeeding rates won't. No fancy ad campaigns from the Department of Health is going to change that.
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Swim Swim Swim
Lewisham council have published a new booklet on Swimming for under 5s. (At least I assume it is new, I picked one up at Downham Leisure Centre today and hadn't seen it before.) It has a guide to the different swimming lessons that are available, but points out that "all Lewisham pools offer swim sessions for parents and children but they have different names." Because, of course, each set is from a different provider (since Leisure Centres are run by private sector companies under contract). At Downham the classes are for 3 months-3 years, then 3-4 years. Elsewhere in Lewisham it's 18 months-4 years then 4+. The classes are called Aquanauts 1-4 at some pools, you get Duckling awards 1-5 at Downham. Formal lessons start at age 4 in all pools, but again the programmes differ: either Aquazone or Swimschool. Confusing or what?I am really keen for J & C to go swimming. So I am persistent in trying to get them on to swimming lessons. And boy have I needed to be. We swim at Downham. At first it was impossible to get any information out of them at all, as the staff on reception knew nothing about the lessons. Then when we did get information, it was different depending on who we spoke to. I was able to book C in for lessons because I could do them on a weekday (back when I was on maternity leave) while J was in nursery. I couldn't get lessons for J, because the Saturday was full up and all the other times were unsuitable (9am or 5:30pm for a parent and child session when your creche hours are 9-5 is no use to anyone with more than one child to consider). So C did her first batch. I then rebooked her on, but moved her lesson to Saturday, as I was starting back at work. I couldn't get J into the Saturday class because he wasn't already doing swimming so I had to wait for open bookings and all the Saturday slots are gone. Thanks to my employer's flexible working hours, I was able to book him for Friday mornings. I then swapped them round so that J went on Saturdays and C went on Fridays. Phew!
Of course, with Downham, things are never simple, so fast forward to the end of that batch of lessons and time to rebook. Except that all the times have changed. Friday morning is now a 60+ swim. Saturday has changed from 9:30 to 11, which is great for those who like to laze around on Saturday morning, but means that by the time we get home J will be starving hungry and grumpy. Regardless, I have rebooked J, but have to choose a different time for C. The offered options are Tuesday morning 9am (no good, see above comments re: creche) or Thursday lunch time (no good as I work on Thursdays). So I have to take my chances with switching class again! I'm hoping to get her in on Saturdays too and M will come with me. Otherwise I will be going back to Wednesday lunchtimes and again using flexi working to do this.
Anyone with less persistence and a less flexible employer would have given up long ago! So does the council want more under 5s swimming or not? If it does I suggest the following:
1. A simplified programme that is the same across leisure centres (I actually think the 3 months- 3 years parent and child then 3-4 years pre-school model operated at Downham has the potential to work very well in practice, if it's well organised and explained).
2. Select times for the parent and child and pre-school lessons that fit in with people's lives. If you have a creche, then having parent and child sessions at the same time as it's open is actually sensible for those who have two children. You could also have pre-school and p&c at the same time, as pre-schoolers don't go in with their parents. Around lunchtime isn't ideal, as many babies/todders nap around this time, but better than not being able to go at all. 9:30 or 10 is a good time for those who can get up. 14:00 ish would just about allow people to take their younger ones and still be ready for the school run afterwards.
3. Once you've set lesson times, stick to them. Don't keep changing them about, as people make arrangements to allow them to take their kids swimming and these can be awkward to alter.
4. Keep parents informed of the inevitable odd cancellation. People are much less annoyed about these things if they're told.
5. Try putting up information about swimming lessons and how they work on the noticeboards of the pool (and that goes for the pool timetable too!), so people can find out information without having to ask at reception and getting different stories (note this could just be at Downham...)
All that said, both J & C love swimming, so I don't allow my frustrations to lead me to give up on the lessons! C passed Duckling 1 this time and J Duckling 2. Here's to the next batch and whatever that may bring.
The pic of me and C swimming on holiday. I posted some of J and I swimming at Downham a while back. Unfortunately, despite us being almost ever present for C's lessons, we missed the one where they did the photos, so we tried to recreate the idea ourselves while we were in Cornwall!
Monday, June 22, 2009
Save the Kids Korner
The Kids Korner is a distinctive Art Deco and landmark building at 232 Hither Green Lane. Built as the Park Cinema it was recently serving the community as a soft play centre. Its site is still today a strategic one for the success of Hither Green Lane and as such it has unrivalled potential to become a catalyst of regeneration of the area.
The bad news is that a planning application to demolish and build a block of flats with a shop on the front has been submitted by a land developer.
Allowing this to be the end of the Kids Korner site would effectively be surrendering to someone else's laxity, an easy option that furthers the decline of the area.
Its position on a busy junction on the high street is perfect for a community type of use but very poorly suited for quality housing. Not all desirable objectives can be fulfilled in one closely packed area and robust public amenities are more important for long term community cohesion than a few more flats.
The parade of shops ending by the Kids Korner has recently suffered a serious decline and is now even sporting some boarded up unused retail space. In the current economic downturn the addition of a commercial space to the front is not likely to improve the area. The addition of another boarded up shop is not in the interest of the area or the nearby retailers.
The area has a dramatic lack of community facilities and youth provision and as such we support the use of the Kids Korner as a multi-use community centre to include a performance space (which was the original purpose of the building) as well as other spaces for different uses so to allow as wide as possible use for the whole of our community.
The provision of a community centre is also the vision of the Hither Green Urban Design and Development Framework, and a recent audit of Youth Provision made by the Council found a complete lack of indoor spaces for activities for the youths in this part of the borough.
A community centre on the Kids Korner site will support trade as well as improve safety in the area because of the increased passage and its location at the gate of the Meridian South development will also act as a bridge across the community thus furthering community cohesion in this neighbourhood.
This petition aims as showing the Council the strength of the public's opposition to the current planning application as well as the level of support for our vision for an Arts and Community Centre for Hither Green utilizing the old Park Cinema building. Please sign by clicking on the link below!
Save the Kids Korner
The bad news is that a planning application to demolish and build a block of flats with a shop on the front has been submitted by a land developer.
Allowing this to be the end of the Kids Korner site would effectively be surrendering to someone else's laxity, an easy option that furthers the decline of the area.
Its position on a busy junction on the high street is perfect for a community type of use but very poorly suited for quality housing. Not all desirable objectives can be fulfilled in one closely packed area and robust public amenities are more important for long term community cohesion than a few more flats.
The parade of shops ending by the Kids Korner has recently suffered a serious decline and is now even sporting some boarded up unused retail space. In the current economic downturn the addition of a commercial space to the front is not likely to improve the area. The addition of another boarded up shop is not in the interest of the area or the nearby retailers.
The area has a dramatic lack of community facilities and youth provision and as such we support the use of the Kids Korner as a multi-use community centre to include a performance space (which was the original purpose of the building) as well as other spaces for different uses so to allow as wide as possible use for the whole of our community.
The provision of a community centre is also the vision of the Hither Green Urban Design and Development Framework, and a recent audit of Youth Provision made by the Council found a complete lack of indoor spaces for activities for the youths in this part of the borough.
A community centre on the Kids Korner site will support trade as well as improve safety in the area because of the increased passage and its location at the gate of the Meridian South development will also act as a bridge across the community thus furthering community cohesion in this neighbourhood.
This petition aims as showing the Council the strength of the public's opposition to the current planning application as well as the level of support for our vision for an Arts and Community Centre for Hither Green utilizing the old Park Cinema building. Please sign by clicking on the link below!
Save the Kids Korner
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Save the Park Cinema, Hither Green
I'm glad to see our campaign to save the former Kids Korner (once Park Cinema) in Hither Green is getting some publicity. The Londonist picks up the story from This is Local London.
Our website can be found at hithergreenhall.org. To quote some of the background:
Our website can be found at hithergreenhall.org. To quote some of the background:
The bad news is that a planning application to demolish the former cinema and build a block of flats with a shop on the front has been submitted by a land developer.
Allowing this to be the end of the Kids Korner site would effectively be surrendering to someone else’s laxity, an easy option that furthers the decline of the area.
Its position on a busy junction on the high street is perfect for a community type of use but very poorly suited for quality housing. Not all desirable objectives can be fulfilled in one closely packed area and robust public amenities are more important for long term community cohesion than a few more flats.
The area has a dramatic lack of community facilities and youth provision and as such we support the use of the Kids Korner as a multi-use arts and community centre to include a performance space (which was the original purpose of the building) as well as other spaces for different uses so to allow as wide as possible use for the whole of our community.
The provision of a community centre is also the vision of the Hither Green Urban Design and Development Framework, and a recent audit of Youth Provision made by the Council found a complete lack of indoor spaces for activities for the youths in this part of the borough.
A community centre on the Kids Korner site will support trade as well as improve safety in the area because of the increased passage and its location at the gate of the Meridian South development will also act as a bridge across the community thus furthering community cohesion in the neighbourhood.
Friday, May 08, 2009
South East London is the best
Well we knew that anyway, but Time Out has confirmed that London's best bloggers come from the South East! Well done to the Deptford Dame, Brockley Central, the Greenwich Phantom, 853, Transpontine, and the Blackheath Bugle. I'm a regular reader of all these (except Greenwich Phantom, somehow I'd missed out there!) and can confirm they are all excellent, well worth subscribing to. And there are loads more that Time Out missed and are also fab. Some of these are listed on my blogroll.
I will just have to try and live up to your standard chaps! Although I realise that blogging about my children, breastfeeding and Lewisham hospital is never going to quite reach the same dizzy heights of interestingness.
I will just have to try and live up to your standard chaps! Although I realise that blogging about my children, breastfeeding and Lewisham hospital is never going to quite reach the same dizzy heights of interestingness.
Thursday, March 05, 2009
Why 17?
Today 17 babies will die, the tragic victims of stillbirth or neonatal death. This is a statistic that is seeing no signs of decreasing, and behind each number is a family rocked to the foundations by the death of their baby.
This shocking figure, the loss of 6,500 babies every year, is something the public is not generally aware of. Most people think stillbirths don’t happen in the 21st century. Yet stillbirth in the UK is 10 times more common than cot death.
At Sands, the stillbirth and neonatal death charity, we feel this number of deaths is totally unacceptable. We have launched the Why17? campaign to raise awareness of this devastating loss and to ask the question:
“Why are 17 babies a day dying and what can be done to halt this national tragedy?”
“I just want to raise awareness of stillbirth. I had no idea that this could happen to me"
1) Follow this link, fill in your details to email your MP to make them aware of the parliamentary launch of Why17? on March 4th 2009: www.why17.org/Get-Involved/Contact-your-MP.html
2) Add your name to the list of supporters (petition) : www.why17.org/Pledge-Your-Support.html
3) Make a contribution: donate online; buy a window sticker / wristband / balloon; or plan a sponsored event. More ideas here: www.why17.org/Get-Involved.html
The photo is from flickr user sleepy-sue. Lots of people posted really amazing photos on the theme of Why 17? yesterday, this one hit home for me because James is so into Thomas the Tank Engine.
This shocking figure, the loss of 6,500 babies every year, is something the public is not generally aware of. Most people think stillbirths don’t happen in the 21st century. Yet stillbirth in the UK is 10 times more common than cot death.
At Sands, the stillbirth and neonatal death charity, we feel this number of deaths is totally unacceptable. We have launched the Why17? campaign to raise awareness of this devastating loss and to ask the question:
“Why are 17 babies a day dying and what can be done to halt this national tragedy?”
“I just want to raise awareness of stillbirth. I had no idea that this could happen to me"
1) Follow this link, fill in your details to email your MP to make them aware of the parliamentary launch of Why17? on March 4th 2009: www.why17.org/Get-Involved/Contact-your-MP.html
2) Add your name to the list of supporters (petition) : www.why17.org/Pledge-Your-Support.html
3) Make a contribution: donate online; buy a window sticker / wristband / balloon; or plan a sponsored event. More ideas here: www.why17.org/Get-Involved.html
The photo is from flickr user sleepy-sue. Lots of people posted really amazing photos on the theme of Why 17? yesterday, this one hit home for me because James is so into Thomas the Tank Engine.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Breastfed baby risk investigated (from BBC News)
I'm not sure what to think about this research. Obviously it's good that risks to babies are investigated, but making people unnecessarily worried about something that's actually extremely rare is problematic. I do think hospitals already push formula on to nervous mums too much as it is, and the message from this article is hardly going to help. What is needed is proper breastfeeding support for mums who want to do it, so that they can go home confident in their feeding and not panicking and not enjoying the time with their babies.
The number of times I've heard people say they gave up BFing because they didn't have enough milk is huge, and sadly most of the time it just isn't the case. But health professionals don't have the necessary training to help mums who think they are in this situation, and to distinguish between mums who genuinely don't have enough milk and those who do but are worrying unnecessarily.
It's sad that only 1% of mums are still bfeeding their babies at six months, but I can understand why. The lack of support is a real problem, and not just in the early days. The four-month growth spurt can be a real nightmare, and yet it's hardly talked about. A lot of mums remain unaware of it, assuming that as baby is suddenly wanting to feed more that they must be ready for solids, or that they haven't got enough milk. Yet the reality is that in most cases it can be got through with lots of feeding and perhaps some sleepless nights. I'm the first to moan about Claudia's lack of sleep, but it's only for a short time in the great scheme of things, and I think, for me, wanting to give her the best possible start was important enough to put up with it.
I'm proud that I've managed to be one of the 1% this time around. But the support when I had James was shocking, and to be honest there was next to none when I had Claudia (don't give birth on a Friday peeps, none of the BF counsellors are in at the weekends...), and it was only my own determination to do it that stopped me giving formula to her. The paediatricians wanted me to and it's so hard to stand up to a doctor and say no... And now they'll be obsessing about this on top of their obsessions with measuring babies' milk intake.
Sorry, this has turned into a bit of a rant, and isn't the most focussed piece of writing I've ever done, but blame baby brain and sleep deprivation for that one!
(Incidentally, C slept from 11 til 7 last night, what a star!)
The number of times I've heard people say they gave up BFing because they didn't have enough milk is huge, and sadly most of the time it just isn't the case. But health professionals don't have the necessary training to help mums who think they are in this situation, and to distinguish between mums who genuinely don't have enough milk and those who do but are worrying unnecessarily.
It's sad that only 1% of mums are still bfeeding their babies at six months, but I can understand why. The lack of support is a real problem, and not just in the early days. The four-month growth spurt can be a real nightmare, and yet it's hardly talked about. A lot of mums remain unaware of it, assuming that as baby is suddenly wanting to feed more that they must be ready for solids, or that they haven't got enough milk. Yet the reality is that in most cases it can be got through with lots of feeding and perhaps some sleepless nights. I'm the first to moan about Claudia's lack of sleep, but it's only for a short time in the great scheme of things, and I think, for me, wanting to give her the best possible start was important enough to put up with it.
I'm proud that I've managed to be one of the 1% this time around. But the support when I had James was shocking, and to be honest there was next to none when I had Claudia (don't give birth on a Friday peeps, none of the BF counsellors are in at the weekends...), and it was only my own determination to do it that stopped me giving formula to her. The paediatricians wanted me to and it's so hard to stand up to a doctor and say no... And now they'll be obsessing about this on top of their obsessions with measuring babies' milk intake.
Sorry, this has turned into a bit of a rant, and isn't the most focussed piece of writing I've ever done, but blame baby brain and sleep deprivation for that one!
(Incidentally, C slept from 11 til 7 last night, what a star!)
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