OK, tonight was a first in my experience..... Bob and I were at a local
restaurant having dinner.  A family was in the booth behind us, but I didn't
notice them until the mom got up and went out with the baby.  "Oh my gosh," I
said to Bob.  "She is really thin....(the baby, not the mom....) She needs to
EAT."

Mom came back a bit later -- betcha she was breastfeeding.  Baby still looked
thin.....

About 15 minutes later, she got up and took the baby out again.  "She's
breastfeeding, I'm sure of it," I said to Bob, "And that baby is NOT gaining.
 I wonder if I should go talk to her."  Bob gave me one of *those* looks.
But we were leaving.  As we walked out I glanced at the ladies' room
door.....wondered if she was in there....but NO, she was sitting in the
waiting area, breastfeeding!!  I smiled & gave her a thumbs up.  She smiled
back -- which of COURSE I construed as an invitiation.....duh....

Oh my gosh, that baby was SKIN-N-N-N-Y!!!  Big brown eyes -- thumb in
mouth.....ouch.  We chatted -- this lady doesn't even live in my area.
Inside I'm dying.  FEED THE BABY!  She only wants to breastfeed -- she had a
"lactation consultant" who suggested the SNS w/ goat's milk....but she can't
afford goat's milk, and doesn't want the baby to get anything but breastmilk.
 She's taking fenugreek & blessed thistle but hadn't seen any change.  Says
baby is bf 10 -12 times a day but only for very short periods.  Says she's
developmentally on target.  (That may be, but this baby is really HUNGRY).
Was appreciative that I didn't tell her (as everyone else is) to give the
baby a bottle.  (No, but I wanted to....).  I suggested upping the fenugreek,
adding alfalfa and More Milk 2, using breast compression and considering the
SNS w/ soy formula (baby is allergic to milk).  Suggested it would increase
the length of time the baby was at the breast which would increase her
supply.  She's using a hospital grade pump, and not getting anything.  I
suggested she keep on pumping anyway.

I wanted to grab that baby and feed her.  I've never felt quite so impotent
-- I mean, I deal w/ mothers all the time that don't really care about
breastfeeding, and here's a mother that doesn't want her baby to have
anything but breastmilk and her baby is starving.....

I will admit this is the ticklish situation I've ever been in -- I mean, you
don't just walk up to someone in a restaurant and tell them to FEED THE BABY.
 Obviously people had done that before and it hadn't worked.

So prayers, please, that something I said fell on receptive ears and a seed
was planted.  I'm hoping God put me there at that time for this specific
purpose....  I'll never know the outcome, but I'm praying that this mom will
have HEARD what I said -- and also what I didn't say.....

Sometimes you just have to go out on a limb.

Bob said he wasn't a bit surprised that I did it.

Jan B in Wheaton.  (And no, I didn't give her my card.  I'm leaving for
Nashville for a week tomorrow.  But I did write down the fenugreek dosage and
the More Milk 2 and some Oatmeal.....)

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