I am in private practice.

In my community we have an excellent LLLC group and other free resources 
so most of the run-of-the-mill breastfeeding issues get sorted out 
before people call me for an appointment.

The vast majority of clients I see have babies with PTT.  After 
explaining about tongue ties, how they impact breastfeeding, and what 
help is available in our community most of the parents opt for revision.

I have had a few recently who did not and have chosen to pump and bottle 
feed what human milk they can get and then supplement further with 
formula. These mothers tell me they can't bear the thought of harming 
their baby by having the tongue tie revised, but don't see the harm in 
choosing to formula feed as the alternative.  I find that they rarely 
continue pumping for long and are often fully formula feeding within a 
few weeks if they choose this route.

I am finding it difficult to tactfully and respectively discuss the 
risks of formula feeding with emotional, sleep deprived post partum 
parents so they can make a truly informed decision about whether or not 
to revise the frenulum.  Often they shut me down when I delicately begin 
bringing up the short and long term risks of formula feeding.  I do 
discuss paced bottle feeding, appropriate feed volumes, signs of 
distress in a bottle feeding baby, as well as the WHO guidelines for 
safer formula prep at home.

Does anyone have any sort of a script/bullet points on how you can cover 
this info without the parents feeling like I am being pushy about the 
frenulum release or their choice to formula feed.

For the record, I really don't judge when a family choses to formula 
feed, I just don't feel like they are truly making an informed choice if 
they don't know the full consequences of formula feeding.

Any advice?

Tania

-- 
Tania Archbold B.Sc., IBCLC
Mother's Nectar Lactation Consultant Services
519-400-7098
www.mothersnectar.ca

             ***********************************************

Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail
2. To start it again: set lactnet mail
3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome