Birth Issues Journal > Reviews

BREASTFEEDING: A GUIDE TO SUCCESSFUL POSITIONING
Mark-It TV, UK 1997

Review by Virginia Thorley OAM IBCLC

This 12mt video uses the same mothers and babies as Infant Cues, but is made for a different market. The emphasis is that 'breastfeeding is a learned skill', with the need for early learning to prevent difficulties and confusion from conflicting advice. Indeed, there is a pleasing focus on prevention of problems in the narration. One of the strengths of this video is the emphasis on mothers doing the attachment themselves from the early days of baby's life. The video demonstrates what the. Bristol team considers 'the most efficient way' of holding and attaching the baby, that is, supporting the baby's body and neck with the hand of the opposite side to the breast, and shows some variations, for example, the underarm (twin hold) position and lying down to breastfeed. The video focuses on the mothers and babies getting breastfeeding right on their own, with no professionals in evidence, and the narration is clear and factual, but unobtrusive.

As there is narration, fewer printed headings are needed than in Infant Cues. The clearly printed headings are Preparation and Support~, Latching the Baby On, Recognising a Well Latched-On Baby, where one useful shot shows how correct latch-on looks from the mother's perspective, and Feeding Lying Down, where only one of the variations on a lying-down position is shown and a lot of pillows are used. All the mothers use pillows to support the baby while feeding sitting up.

Again, all the babies are latched-on quickly, with none licking and nuzzling his way on at leisure. A brief mention of the important Scandinavian work on the baby's ability to find his own way to the breast at the first feed would have rounded out this useful video, but perhaps time constraints, and the stated purpose of demonstrating their 'most efficient way' prevented this.

This excellent and visually pleasing video can be used for class discussions in a similar way to the other video, Infant Cues; that is, with the sound turned off and stopping for discussion. Afterwards, the segment can be replayed with sound. It would be particularly suitable for antenatal classes and for new mothers, but this reviewer can also see a use as an orientation for new midwifery students and intending candidates for the IBLCE examination. Anyone running a class for grandmothers? This video could go a long way in explaining clearly to them how doing things differently will enable daughters or daughters-in-law to breastfeeding off to a better start than have been the case for them.

Virginia Thorley OAM IBCLC
Author and lactation consultant
from Birth Issues Vol 6 No 4 Dec 1997 - Jan 1998