Well, as if the Prevention Guide article was not enough,Maureen Nelson sent
me a copy of this article that appeared in the NY Daily News about two weeks
ago... If you want to write a letter, an address is at the end of the post.
"FORMULA FOR SUCCESS"
BY LENORE SKENAZY
Ah, breast-feeding. What could be more natural? Well, how about hanging
upside down by your toenails, whistling Dixie?
<snip>
While doctors recommend breast-feeding over bottle-feeding because
mom's
milk contains valuable antibodies and nutrients, a plethora of problems can
greet even the most eager nursers. It is the pain, first of all, that
shocks
new mothers.
"Like razor blades in your breasts," says school psychologist Pam
Reininger.
"Hot needles," says Harlem Hospital administrator Deborah Williams.
"I cried!" says Jeffre Gravely, a Staten Island mother of two. "I
cried! I cried!"
Most women do.
"If the baby isn't latched on properly, yes, it can be uncomfortable,"
confirms Karen Goodman, Beth Israels's coordinator of parent and family
education. But "uncomfortable" is to nipples what "damp" is to the Titanic.
Lactation experts insist that proper positioning of the baby on the
breast eliminates most pain. "Bring the baby to the breast, not the breast
to the baby," is their mantra. They add that it's important to make sure
the
baby's mouth is as wide open as possible when sucking. And they recommend
letting one's breasts dry in the open air for quickest healing. However,
once a nipple is cracked and sore, waiting for it to toughen up can be
excruciating.
"I literally have scars today," says Kaplan, whose youngest child is
four.
<snip>
But women whose babies never learn to latch on, or whose milk never
comes in, miss out on that experience. Worse, they often blame themselves.
Lactation experts warn against giving bottles to a breast-feeding baby
becasue infants can get so used to the artificial nipples that they reject
the breast entirely. But sometimes the bottle becomes necessary.
"My baby latched on beautifully," recalls Reininger, whose girl just
turned one. "She sucked vigorously for 23 of 24 hours a day, and I was
losing sleep. Then, after a week, I was dressing her to go the doctor and
she looked like a plucked chicken." The pediatrician examined the infant,
smelled her breath and announced: "Your baby hasn't eaten in a week."
Some women's milk simply does not come in. Some women get their milk
but not enough. While these conditions are not that common, any women who
suspects her child isn't getting enough to eat should be aware of the
warning
signs of dehydration. <snip>
Breast-feeding can be a wonderful thing for mother and baby- when it
works. But when it doesn't, there is no shame in bottle-feeding. It could
even save a baby's life.
END OF ARTICLE.
If you'd like to let the folks at the NY Daily News know what you
think about this article, their address is:
NY DAILY NEWS
450 W. 33d St.
New York, N.Y. 10001
Happy letter writing!
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