When I have time to REALLY talk to mom and family - I also stress that the milk
is not the only part of this process that is important.  I explain how "mother
nature" wants frequent feeds for moms and babies to reduce the risk of PP
hemmorrage and babies who have been "evicted" from the uterus need lots of
physical contact that short, frequent feeds (kangaroo care) provides.  I also
talk about the need for the baby to practice feeding before there is lots of
fast, watery milk - that with the thicker colostrum baby is less likely to be
startled with a fast flow - making it easier to practice feeding movements in a
quiet, controlled way (then of course I get one of those "barracudas" and I need
to "fudge" a little and exclaim to mom how brilliant her baby is!!!).

Oh, to have TIME with moms and really get them to pay attention to their babies
instead of "rules" .   They all want me to give them a list of do's and don'ts
and a time line of what to do from day one 'til the child goes away to college!
No wonder the Ezzos are raking it in!  We want "recipes" and prescriptions,
diagnoses and 30 - minute resolutions.

Then I get a call like todays - have been in touch with this mom through
long-distance telephone calls (and with a good friend of hers) Well, mom stuck
it out through low milk supply, bilis of 18, hospitalization, and a nipple that
was described to me as the size of a thumb - but today her friend called to tell
me that baby latched on well when Daddy was gone to get formula - and that mom
had called concerned about all the stools the baby was producing today!  Hooray!

Jeanette Panchula, BSW, RN, IBCLC, LLLL
Puerto Rico
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