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Mon, 28 Feb 2011 20:45:50 EST |
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Hi Michele,
As a Former WIC Breastfeeding Program Administrator, I can say that our
in-clinic Lactation Specialists did weigh babies - in some clinics. (Our Peer
Counselors did phone helping only).
It was definitely dependent on each clinic and the staffing at that clinic.
We also found the flexibility of work hours and the foreign concept of
being on call 24/7 caused much confusion and some crazy-making in clinic staff,
especially nurses.
I found it helpful to frequently bemoan the not-so-pleasant aspects of the
Lactation Specialist position... it seemed to help the nurses at some
clinics grasp that while the LS was coming in 2 hours after they did and leaving
sometimes 2 hours before they did... that she may have also taken 4-6
helping calls throughout the night while the nurse was enjoying dinner with her
family and sleeping.
The weighing bit we just did our best to adapt for. In some cases, as the
nurses grew tired of weighing all those "extra" babies, they allowed the LS
to weigh.
I imagine it varies most based upon each specific clinic and the attitudes
of its staff.
Laura Goodwin-Wright
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Date: Mon, 28 Feb 2011 16:24:48 -0800
From: Michele Crockett <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: WIC Peer Counselors
I have a question for WIC Peer Counselors and their administrators....
Are Peer Counselors 'permitted' to weigh babies? Not test weights before
and after feeds but general check to see how babies are doing and to aid
in
making referrals early if there are problems.
The agency I work with is very flexible and a non-profit so not as much
overhead or territory guarding. We recently partnered with another near by
agency and they are not permitting the Peer Counselors to weigh babies.
They have taken the issue to our state office which is now considering a
policy not permitting Peer Counselors throughout the state to weigh
babies... I am feeling that this is a disservice to the Peers and
especially eliminates a basic evaluation tool. Not to mention that 90% of
the time the client thinks she doesn't have enough milk and then baby is
weighed is gaining well reassuring the client. What has been shared with me
is that other staff (read nurses) have such strict guidelines of what is
their scope of practice that the flexibility built into the PC program is
driving them nuts. But shouldn't this be about protecting babies??? I
would appreciate hearing other points of view--hopefully beyond staff
guarding their own territories.
Thanks,
Michele Crockett, IBCLC, LLLL, PCPA
unnamed WIC agency and state!
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