Hi all,

Jeanette Panchula was one of the people that responded to my request to
locate an LC in Ames.  She also suggested that I explain why I wanted an
Ames IA LC because others on LACTNET may be interested in the idea.

I must admit though, that this idea has been posted on LACTNET before, so
it is not mine originally.  Anyway, when I had my son in Ames, Iowa four
and a half years ago, the hospital did not have much in the way of
breastfeeding support.  (I understand from Jeanette and Jon Ahrendsen that
things are much better now.)  For those who have not heard my story before,
When I got David home and my milk came in, he could not latch on.  A LLLL
tried to help, but she was a stay at home mom and had never had to use a
breast pump, and neither one of us could figure out how to get it to work
(a manual Medela pump).  I didn't think I should be paying an LC to teach
me how to do something that should be very natural, so I gave David some of
the formula from that handy pack they sent home with me from the hospital.
(If I knew then what I know now, I would not have made that mistake!)  It
took a day or two before my dear husband figured out what the problem was
and we got the breastpump working, but by then David was quite happy with
bottles and wanted nothing to do with breastfeeding.  I spent the next
seven months pumping.  Things with son #2 have been quite different, as the
hospital here had an LC on staff, and Timothy is still breastfeeding at two
years.  I much prefer this relationship to the relationship I had with the
pump.

This leads to my request for an LC in Ames.  A dear friend is expecting her
first child on April 1st.  I didn't want her to have to worry about
spending for an LC if she needed one, so I intend to give her a gift
certificate for an LC as a baby gift.  If it turns out she doesn't need any
additional help, she can hopefully use it towards a breast pump, as I know
she'll be returning to work.  Jeanette thought this gift idea should be
mentioned on LACTNET, but as I mentioned to her, that's where I first saw
the idea.  With so many new people signing on, it is probably worth
repeating.


Donna J. Spannaus-Martin, Ph.D., MT (ASCP)
Assistant Professor, Clinical Laboratory Sciences,
University of Tennessee, Memphis
http://www.utmem.edu/allied/CLS.html