Coach Smith here, about hearing or mis-hearing a speaker/teacher:

 

When it's said that that "someone" is saying or teaching "XYZ," please take
the time to go to the source of the XYZ information. I've been mis-quoted,
misinterpreted, and misrepresented more times than I can count. I would bet
that ANYONE who does a lot of teaching is misquoted frequently. We take
great care to phrase our information accurately and precisely, and STILL the
information may come across in ways we did not intend. Arrgh!

 

Even though I'm very careful to distinguish an evidence-based concept about
breastfeeding from "my impression" about something, that distinction does
not always reach or stay in people's minds. I've also been confronted by
people who think that a specific intervention for a clinical problem should
become "THE RULE" for all mother-baby pairs. I really resent it when I hear
"But Linda Smith said." when in fact I did NOT say what the person thought
they heard, especially if the alleged quote is coming second- or third-hand.

 

Examples: the current Lactnet threads on "how many breasts per feed" or "how
long a feed should last." Nobody can answer that question - it depends on
the baby and mother!!!  Research can help us establish when a baby is in
trouble versus the normal range of patterns. Eyeballing the baby and mother
is vital, and knowing WHAT to look for is also vital. Knowing when something
is NORMAL is just as important as being able to spot a real problem.

 

Bottom line? Don't assume you "know" what any teacher, speaker, or other LC
has said unless YOU personally were in the room for the entire presentation.
And if you think the speaker is saying something weird, FIRST ask the
speaker to clarify the point he or she is making. I'd rather be asked to
clarify 100 times, than be misinterpreted ONCE on an important point. 

 

Linda J. Smith, BSE, FACCE, IBCLC

Bright Future Lactation Resource Centre Ltd

6540 Cedarview Ct, Dayton OH 45459

937-438-9458 / fax 937-438-3229

www.BFLRC.com  

 


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