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Date: | Thu, 23 Apr 1998 10:46:12 EDT |
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Here's a story about how misinformation can "mess things up" on breastfeeding.
Recently a new mom was so pleased the first day of her baby's life -- baby was
nursing well for 1/2 hour a side and then would sleep for 2 hours. She had
read up on breastfeeding and taken a class and was so glad things were going
so well already. I came in to visit the next day (on my rounds as a lactation
specialist in the hospital), as they were preparing to go home, and she had a
"fussy baby". Her Obstetrician had come in earlier that morning and she had
told him how well things were going and he said, "1/2 hour a side? She may be
using you as a pacifier. You might want to cut back and not nurse so long on
a side". So what did she do? She stopped the baby after 20 minutes a side
based on his advise. She thought maybe now the baby was fussy due to gas or
something. I told her it was OK to let the baby be in charge and the baby
would know when she had had enough (things she knew the day before, but on the
advise of her MD threw out the window...). So she went ahead and nursed her
baby right then, and didn't stop her at any certain time... She was so glad I
had come in to clarify what she should do. When I happened to see her the
next week she said things were still going well - baby was content and
breastfeeding was still going well. These Drs may have been educated at a
time when breastfeeding wasn't part of the curriculum (or even if it would
have been, some of the "rules" have changed), but how do "we" get them up to
speed on the current recommendations?
Lori in Washington State
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