SusanGaszczak

It was with interest I read Stephen Robinson's blog on backing the ban on advertising of all formula products. I fully support the campaign but I also know that this is not the full answer. Having breast fed all of my children I know the pressures mothers face as they decide the great ‘Breast or Bottle' debate.

There is immense pressure put on women to breastfeed - we have got to the stage that even in hospital midwives dare not mention the formula word because they are in fear of putting their targets at risk. This puts undue pressures on mums to do something they may feel uncomfortable with. What they need is support, kindness and understanding.

I have met mums, talked to them and listened to their stories - I know of mums who have had their breasts man handled by nursing staff to ensure they breast feed, mothers being told they are ‘bad' by health visitors because they have given up and turned to the bottle (I was told that with my first at 11 weeks), a mum who felt a failure because her mastitis got so bad she lost most of her breast after being told by her doctor that breastfeeding can hurt. I could go on with the stories I have heard but that is not what is going to increase the breast feeding take up rates, neither is the ban on advertising, although I fully support it.

What we need is more breastfeeding counsellors, more public acceptance that breast feeding is ‘normal', that it does not hurt, that it is not sexual or perverse. If we did this and put the money and investment in the best start for our children, support mothers to try breastfeeding and give them someone to call when they are so tired and the latch is not right - that would increase it.

With support I breast fed my second to 13 months and my third to 10 months, when much to my regret my medication had to be changed to help me cope with my PND, which would have caused my child harm. If I had had the support with my first to do this, and the courage and help rather than the accusation of being of being a ‘bad' mum then maybe my son would not have been so ill. He failed to thrive, developed an immunity problem, constant ear infections due to excessive fluid in his body, extreme eczema and as a result learning delays caused by the constant battle to keep of him being ill. He started to get better once I had removed milk and dairy from his diet - but I was not a bad mum - I just needed support on the latching, and confidence that I knew what was best for my child. I also learnt that co sleeping was ok, that meant I slept and my younger children fed while I rested, how Mother Nature intended.

Before I finish this blog I will say I read a lot about co-sleeping before I did it and I knew the dangers of cot death - my last child I found not breathing in her cot one night (nice habit she did it quite a lot until she was one) - she started again when I picked her up I was lucky but after weighing up the risks I would co-sleep again.

Today I am going to a fundraiser for the TA and a local hospice, I am of course double booked with an action session in my own ward, but this is something we can also do as a family and a good cause, so the FOCUS delivery will wait until tomorrow.

The TA have done some fantastic work recently in supporting our full time troops and some of the people attending today have been to Iraq. The stories they tell are hellish and the respect I have for our volounteer army, as well as our troops always goes up at these events. I know a big part of my day will be defending our position that we need to pull out of Iraq now, many will support that, but others will tell stories of the people they have helped and want to continue helping, and I can see there view.

We stormed in to Iraq against the wishes of most of us, and have escalated the situation so we should help sort that out. BUT how much of us still being there is making the problem worse? It will be an interesting day, with raffles and bouncy castles, childrens entertainers and lots of people raising money for the TA as well as a respected hospice.

I thought a little about me may be a good way to start this off.

I am Deputy Leader of the Lib Dem Group on Bedfordshire County Council. My other role is as Education Spokesperson and I have also recently been elected by my fellow Lib Dem Councillors onto the Executive of the East of England Regional Assembly where I am on the Social Inclusion Panel and Group Whip.

I represent a rural area of Bedfordshire called Eastcotts. This includes seven villages, all extremly different in their character and needs. I am passionate about these villages and their needs. Speeding, buses, gravel extraction, new housing, parking, road conditions, schools, waste all fall into my daily routine.

Politics is my full time job alongside raising my family, who I am very passionate about, and fuel my desire to improve the area around me and around the country. Families come in all shapes and sizes and mine is not different to most.

Earlier this week Mary Reid commented on the fact that there were very few female Lib Dem bloggers. After a bit of thought I have decided to try blogging. In no way will my blog be as interesting as my fellow Bedford Lib Dem female blogger Linda Jack.

This is a strange time as a Bedfordshire County Councillor as we face Local Government reorganisation. Yesterday, I presented our Vice Chair of Council with a document calling for a meeting of Full Council to discuss the steps being taken here in Bedfordshire to Judicially Review the Labour Governments decision on Unitary Status for Bedford. The decision was made by the whole of our group, and it is a procedure I have not seen used in many councils over the years.