Midwives' plea for knitted breasts

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Tuesday, September 29, 2009
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This is Lincolnshire

Midwives in Lincoln are urging anyone with a pair of knitting needles to start work on creating a pair of woolly breasts.

The fuzzy boobs will be used to help young mums-to-be learn how to breastfeed.

Dawn Thomas, community midwife manager for United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust, is calling for knitting enthusiasts to follow a basic pattern and create artificial breasts, which would be used in feeding demonstrations.

"We want to find the best way for midwife staff to explain breastfeeding to new mums," said Mrs Thomas.

"Breastfeeding co-ordinators have produced dolls and knitted breasts and we've found it to be an excellent way to show young mums what to do – and a much easier way to demonstrate the correct way to go about things.

"If a mother is being shown how to breast feed on her own body, then when she looks down she can't see if the baby is attached properly.

"If someone is sitting showing the mother with a doll and a fake boob, then they can show the action the baby is going to take and the correct way to hold the baby.

"The plastic, artificial ones have almost got a sticky sensation to them, and the realism can be very off-putting.

"The knitted ones are a lot more fun, and a great way to break the ice straight away. You can knit them in a whole range of different colours, to try to make future mums smile."

For more information on how to help, Mrs Thomas call (01522) 512512.

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8 Comments

  • Profile image for This is Lincolnshire

    by Victoria, lincoln

    Tuesday, September 29 2009, 5:29PM

    “dont understand the baby P reference...anyways As less mothers feed the "art" of breastfeeding isnt passed down this is why the need for knitted boobs if they don't use them proffesional have to touch the mum which even though good intentions can be upsetting. Animals do have problems the young die.
    I do however think it is a shame when mums decide to bottle feed when most women can do it with the right support . we have terrible breast feedibg rate in our county not as low as others so ANYthing that helps mums understand whats normal for breastfed baby is all good in my eye and thses knitted boobie have been proven to work!
    As other children see mummy antys sisters breastfeeding those children have a much higher chance of sucess”

  • Profile image for This is Lincolnshire

    by A, Lincoln

    Tuesday, September 29 2009, 4:48PM

    “I object to you Haydn I was unable to master this basic task 9 years ago due to the fact that baby refused to latch on and have had to live with the guilt and feeling a failure so I don't need your offensive comments thankyou, far from becoming a baby p my daughter is a healthy happy 9 year old, why should we feel guilty for something we cannot/ do not want to do? Are you now inferring that everyone who bottle feeds for whatever reason is going to be a cruel parent? I may have mastered it if people had been more obsessed then and the extra support there, anything that helps is a good idea so don't be so obnoxious!!!”

  • Profile image for This is Lincolnshire

    by ed, scotland

    Tuesday, September 29 2009, 10:45AM

    “instead of your comments you males get on knitting .”

  • Profile image for This is Lincolnshire

    by rick, Lincoln

    Tuesday, September 29 2009, 10:00AM

    “why arent mums who bottlefeed given the same sort of support like mums who breastfeed and nother question is what would women think about males breastfeeding.”

  • Profile image for This is Lincolnshire

    by Martin, Lincoln

    Tuesday, September 29 2009, 9:53AM

    “Oh, nice work, S. Write a lengthy rant at Haydn for generalising women and then generalise men in your last sentence. Duh.”

  • Profile image for This is Lincolnshire

    by S, Lincoln

    Tuesday, September 29 2009, 9:19AM

    “In regards to the previous comment "if a parent-to-be can't quickly master this simple task surely this would be a sign of another Baby P?" i think that thus is completley disgusting!! some new mothers/mothers to be can find it difficult to breast feed, not everyone is the same and it does not mean for one second that they can be compared to the monsters that destroyed a young life!!
    When I had my first child I had to express my breat milk and freeze it ready for when he was born. I had no idea what to do haveing not breast fed before and the the knitted breast was used to show me how to express. when my son was born and we did breast feed it was very difficult for me i will spare you the details but it was neither my fault or my sons. i find your comments disgusting and obviously come from someone who has not personally had to breast fed, someone who is not open minded nor very knowlegable on breast feeding. the comments of a man!!”

  • Profile image for This is Lincolnshire

    by Haydn, North of Lincoln

    Tuesday, September 29 2009, 8:39AM

    “Am I missing the point here, but my wife has had 2 children and breastfed being best, it's a mother's instinct to care for their child and breast feeding comes Natural! No one teaches the calf, baby monkey, etc and if a parent-to-be can't quickly master this simple task surely this would be a sign of another Baby P?
    Breast feeding is shied away from as in public, like the rubber neckers of a minor accident, they become center of attention!
    With our 1st I recall being parked in our car up a back road/quiet area on the edge of a residential area, but every 'chav' who walked past had a good gawp in the back window - days before privacy glass!”

  • Profile image for This is Lincolnshire

    by W.Wilkins, Lincoln

    Tuesday, September 29 2009, 7:17AM

    “Knitted breasts, Well just when you think you have heard it all, out pops something else.
    If it was April 1st i would think this was some kind of echo wind-up.

    I don't know are you sure this is real, or has someone made a boob. Ha, Ha, Ha.

    With jokes like that i had better not give up the day job.
    Enjoy your day folks.”

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