Reading Magda`s letter I can truly identify with her frustration - those of us who have been working for years, grit our teeth, bang our heads against brick walls and are still stunned at the downright ignorance of some of the health-care workers.
But I take inspiration from those mothers who are sufficiently motivated to call me and say that they need help.  In the hospital, bottles were given without permission, the well-baby nurse tells her never to feed after an interval of less than three hours, the paediatrician suggests cornflour because the baby has gas and mother-in-law suggests giving the week-old baby orange juice because he didn`t do a poo.

After introducing ourselves with baby screaming and mother tearful, we need to give time and patience,  to listen for a long time while she and her partner if he is around tell us about themselves and their birth experience.
And after a quiet session in her house or mine, with no interruptions, I help her to sit comfortably and we change the baby`s position a centimetre either way and I see her shoulders relax, a small smile and return of her confidence and self-esteem.
A few more telephone conversations until she says: "Everything is going well. I feel less tired, the baby is feeding well and gaining weight" and it is worth it all.

For me, the NCT approach of education and preparation in pregnancy being inseparable from support for breastfeeding and the postnatal period has been my inspiration in all the years of working and training new counsellors in our Israeli organization.  There is such a difference working with parents who have been through quality prenatal courses.  But there are many out there who did not go to courses at all, they were too busy, they thought that the internet was sufficient, or went to courses where breastfeeding was referred to superficially.
Fortunately they do use the internet and they find us.  And although it is much harder to start from the beginning with a counselling relationship when the mother herself is under such stress and has received such conflicting advice, the satisfaction is enormous when she calls to say: "Everything is going well."
Just a drop in the ocean,  but the pebble thrown into the water makes ripples which spread out and make changes for everything that is in the water at that time. A few mixed metaphors here but forgive me, a missile fell near my home last night and I am trying to make sense of this crazy world.

Have a quiet and peaceful weekend.

Wendy Blumfield
NCT Tutor Teacher/BFC
Israel Childbirth Education Centre

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