I can't remember a day when I haven't heard a mom complain about getting
a lecture from a health professional.  Her breasts are too large or too
small.  Her nipples are not suitable for nursing because they are flat,
inverted (not!) or raspberry-shaped.  And of course the baby is either
underweight or overweight.  I combat this type of "professional
counseling" by using the STOP and THINK method:  It is
very easy to use.  The mom just has to take a minute to think
logically.  Some examples:

"The doctor says wearing a tight fitting bra will help my engorgement."

STOP.  If you had clogged plumbing, would you try to stop it up further
by closing off the pipes?  Wouldn't you want to open the pipes as much
as possible to get the water flowing?"

"The nurse says to add cornflour to the baby's diet because he isn't
gaining enough."

STOP.  Suppose you are underweight.  Would your dietician recommend
eating four?  Sure it will help you put on weight but is it the best
choice?

"The nurse says to give tomato juice at 5 months."

STOP.  If you were pregnant, would you want to drink something acidic
like tomato juice the first thing in the morning?

"My prenatal counselor says I have to eat a lot of calories or I won't
produce enough milk.  I'm not a big eater."

STOP.  Women in third world countries breastfeed long-term often with
limited calories.

"I was told it's almost impossible to produce enough milk."

STOP.  Has something happened in our evolution over the past half
century?  Mothers have nursed for thousands of years. What could be the
cause of this lack of milk?  (Answer:  baby formula.)

"I shouldn't nurse because the nurse said I'm the nervous type."

STOP.  Will giving cow's milk in a bottle make you less nervous?  Will
your baby's crying from stomach discomfort make you feel less nervous?"


"The nurse says I have to wait 3-4 hours to nurse or the baby will be
overweight."

"If you were really hungry, how would you feel if I said to hang on just
one more hour or two.  And by the way, you can suck on a bit of
rubber or silicone to make you feel better."

O.K.  I know some of you may think this sounds really cynical, but
believe me, it works.  It gives the mother instant reasoning power.  It
gives her the tools to use when she is given poor advice.

Susan Nachman-Srebrnik, IBCLC
Ranana, Israel