Arabic version: نصائح متضاربة بعد الولادة تترك الأمهات الجدد في ضيق

According to ABC News, first-time mother Maddy Barrett said conflicting guidance from nurses, lactation consultants and midwives left her frightened she was feeding her newborn daughter incorrectly. She said she received varying advice about latching in the first 24 hours after birth and left hospital without a feeding plan or ongoing breastfeeding support.

In the following weeks, Ms Barrett’s daughter lost weight because she was not receiving enough milk from breastfeeding alone. Nurses placed Ms Barrett on a “triple feeding” plan involving breastfeeding, pumping and formula feeding. She said the round-the-clock pumping schedule was emotionally exhausting and made her feel that their lives revolved around feeding.

Her experience reflected accounts from several women who told ABC they had received inconsistent postpartum advice. A 2024 independent review in the Journal of Midwifery assessed five Australian antenatal-care guidelines across six domains and found all five scored low in every section, including clarity, applicability and rigour of development.

Centre of Perinatal Excellence executive director Nicole Highet said conflicting information could undermine new parents’ confidence, increase stress and anxiety, and contribute to delays in seeking help because of fears of being judged. She said practitioners may provide personal or anecdotal advice, while guidelines reviewed every five years can leave some information outdated.

Ms Barrett’s daughter was eventually found to have a severe tongue-tie affecting her ability to latch. Ms Barrett said the mixed advice continued until her daughter started solids at about six months. She called for support that is consistent, evidence-based and compassionate, saying mothers also need to feel heard during an exhausting and vulnerable period.