Flossie wrote:

<<One more thing to add to this handout: If mom's medical condition
makes it difficult for *her* to pump, nursing staff needs to be aware
that this should be done *for* her, not trivialized as "she's too sick
to do that".>>

I agree that you need to consider the role and the needs of the med-surg
staff. A mom who is sick enough to be hospitalized may find it really
difficult to pump--perhaps she can't sit up well, maybe she's trying to
minimize the amount of pain meds she takes because she's worrying about
the effect on the baby, she may have dressings or restrictions on
positioning--like having to lie flat, for instance, or being in
traction. Med-surg nurses need to see that helping a lactating woman
with emptying her breasts (by whatever means: baby, pump, or manual
expression) is a nursing role similar to helping a patient perform any
other normal body function that is temporarily challenged by her
illness, injury, or surgery. Nurses help people breathe, eat, excrete,
stay hydrated, sleep.that's what nurses do! We don't let them neglect to
support the normal function of any other organ or body system.so why
should they be allowed to see supporting lactation as "not their job"???

On the other hand, med-surg nurses are usually pretty busy people, and
they don't have to deal with lactation very often. I think it needs to
be clear that the LC's role is to help them assess the situation and
work out a plan. The plan acknowledges that lactation is a function that
has to be supported and says who does it, how, and how often. Family
members should know about the plan and know how to assist--just as they
might assist with walking in a patient who needs to ambulate after
surgery and has been up for the first time with a nurse to help. I guess
what I'm saying here is that taking care of the breasts is the nurses'
job, but they can probably use some help with it, and it doesn't take a
nursing degree to help a mom position her baby or express her milk--a
caring partner or (female) relative can do it too.

Chris Mulford, RN, IBCLC, remembering my days as a hospital nurse and LC

LLL Leader Reserve
working for WIC in South Jersey (Eastern USA)
Co-coordinator, Women & Work Task Force, WABA



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