Hi, Debbie and Others: Over the years I have had the pleasure? (yeah,
right!) of being the one, or one of the few, who have had to help a mom
realize that she might not be able to achieve her goal of exclusive
breastfeeding, or more correctly, being able to provide 100% breast milk
for her baby. Unless a mother has had a bilateral mastectomy or the baby
has such severe facial anatomical defects that it cannot physically nurse
at the breast, she can NURSE her baby. This is where I like the perceived
differentiation between breastfeeding (which in my mind, implies
food/nutrition) and nursing (which is the warm fuzzies). I always
encourage these moms to nurse their baby and work with them to develop a
feeding plan that gets the baby fed. This plan may or may not include
breastfeeding, depending on their situation. I have not yet discovered a
negative to nursing one's baby as long as everyone involved is assured that
the baby is getting the milk it needs to attain optimum growth, either thru
full, partial, or no actual breastfeeding.
The best examples I have encountered that have helped me form my personal
philosophy on this are some adoptive moms I have worked with over the
years. Some of them never saw a drop of milk, but "nursed" their babies
for over a year. In talking with them about their experiences, I did not
pick up on any differences in their perception of their nursing experience
vs. mothers who are able to exclusively breastfeed (providing both full
nutrition/emotional bonding). Is this something that those of you who
either nursed adopted babies, or who have more extensive experience than me
also see?
Pam Hirsch, RN,BSN,IBCLC
Clinical Lead, Lactation Services
Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital
Barrington, IL USA
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