I  have noticed that as more nurses and health professional become "educated" about breastfeeding, many are picking up bits and pieces of information and distorting it in a dangerous way.   In the last year in Israel,  a number of courses have been given for health professionals, by IBCLCs.  A very good thing, one would think, as many of these nurses work in hospital neonatal units and well baby clinics doing follow up in the weeks following birth.  But how true it seems to be that people retain, what is it, 10% of what they hear, or something like that?  I think the courses were actually quite good, but this goes to show how deeply misunderstood breastfeeding is.   
Here are some of the common distortions that I hear all too frequently:

The nurse or doctor said:
It's okay if the baby didn't have a bowl movement for a few days (we're talking  about a week old baby)
Just keep on breastfeeding even though the baby is nursing for hours on end, is never satisfied, AND has not had a bowl movement in three days.
Breastfeed always from one side only at each feed, from day one, no matter what. 

I have seen these all too often, even when things are obviously not going well.   Just keep on breastfeeding.   And the health professional is "proud to be  supportive of breastfeeding".   No more 5 minutes on each side, no more just give a bottle if the baby seems dissatisfied.  
So what is the solution to this?  More education, more involvement of IBCLC's in the health care system (a rather far fetched dream here in Israel), and, also, judicious use of scales and weighing (not necessarily pre-post feed), especially when breastfeeding is so deeply misunderstood.

Comments?

Yael Wyshogrod IBCLC
Rechovot, Israel

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