Kathy,
I don't think that what you describe is the opposite of  the situation I
posted earlier...it's a different piece of the puzzle altogether. I think
the situation you describe is no different from what LCs and lay
breastfeeding counsellors come up against every day in "normal"
circumstances, that is not having enough information about breastfeeding and
not knowing what to do.

> I have the opposite problem, -- meaning I work with moms who think
> relactation is easy. There seems to be a myth floating around that all one
> has to do is take fenugreek.
> I frequently work with moms who are told by a friend (or even the "LC at
the
> hospital") that all they have to do to relactate is take fenugreek and
start
> pumping again. No one ever tells them how much fenugreek to take and that
> they should add blessed thistle for better results, how often to pump and
> what kind of pump, the need to get baby to the breast,

Well, I can't say that we can tell mothers how long it might take because
that varies too much depending upon mother's physiology and exactly what she
is doing and whether self discipline comes into it or not depends entirely
on the circumstances again. I can't imagine telling a newly post-partum mum
"you will need discipline to breastfeed this baby, before you decide whether
you want to breastfeed think about whether you have what it takes"

and how long the
> whole process will take. Nobody tells them they will need self discipline.

Again, I think this is very common and I must say that in my own experience
when I was pumping for 2.5 weeks before I saw any milk it was one of the
hardest things I have ever done...and here I was part of a breastfeeding
"microculture," very familiar with the research in relactation, knew the ins
and outs of how it all works and had people supporting me etc You'd reckon
that if it was going to be easy for anyone that it would be easy for me but
it's often hard that's why support is very important!! and IME attempting to
force a child to breastfeed is counterproductive, mother's instincts are
right on this one.

> Moms tell me they thought it would be much easier and that the fenugreek
or
> reglan would magically make milk. They are very discouraged by day 7 even
if
> they are starting to make drops (which most aren't).  In my experience,
moms
> won't make a baby learn to breastfeed when he/she cries at the breast. It
is
> too heart breaking for them.

Yes, you're right, getting a baby suckling at the breast can be by far the
hardest thing and it makes a great deal of difference to whether relactation
is a piece of cake or very difficult. If a baby is willing to suckle at the
breast and likes sucking it can be very easy. If the baby does not want to
suckle and mums need to use a pump it's much harder but still possible and
hopefully the baby will eventually breastfeed.

> I find that mothers do not like the SNS system and will not use it more
than
> once. I have not worked with the Lact-Aid myself but hear that often moms
> preferr it. Some of our Lactnet posters say that the key to successful
> relactation or induced lactation is getting baby to the breast, usually
with
> a supplementer device. Often babies will not latch and suck if there is no
> milk flow.

IMO what mothers need from lactation professionals is support and
information. Relactation is difficult in some instances but it can also be
very easy. I think that mothers should be able to make a choice about what
will be too hard for them. Again, we don't tell newly postpartum women about
all the things that can be difficult with breastfeeding and the barriers
they might have to overcome to be able to braestfeed, we don't predict to
them how hard it will be for them, we give the the information they need
right now and provide them with support and encouragement. I think that we
should do the same for mothers who are relactating. We should not prejudge
who will and will not be able to successfully relactate. When I talk abuot
relactation I share stories of mums who you would not expect to be
successful like the mum who previously botttlefed two children, 3 young kids
at home, husband in a wheelchair running business from home or the single
mum working full time, both ladies successfully relactated. However, with
the first mum, her first contact with her LC she was counselled to be
"realistic", the mum was devastated and when she met up with the LC in
person (according to the LC) it took her a long time to undo what she had
said in that first telephone conversation. Mums do not need to be told that
relactation will be easy but they also do not need to be told that it will
be difficult, they do need to be given good information and encouragement
and support.

Karleen Gribble
Australia

> Relactation is a complicated issue and I feel moms deserve to know the
good
> and the hard so that they can make an informed decision.
>
> Kathy Eng, BSW, IBCLC
>
>

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