Yes, I feel this way too. I've also a question for you..have you found
that mom's nipples are flat after receiveing an epidural? A co-worker
(also a lactation educator) claims this is so...so she often gives a breast
shield to this moms. Many times it is even prior to 12 postpartum. I'd
like more info if you have.
Lucy
----------
> From: Cathy Bargar <[log in to unmask]>
> To:
> Subject: non-sucking babies
> Date: Saturday, May 29, 1999 3:54 PM
>
> AAACK! I am completely frustrated - needing to vent a bit here, more than
> looking for a fast & dirty answer (although if any of you have such a
> solution, please speak up!).
>
> Just had a call from yet another mother (this one very young, unable to
> afford the services of a LC or even the rental of a good heavy-duty pump)
> whose baby won't latch on & nurse. She had an intrathecal with nubaine
for
> delivery 3 days ago, and the baby won't latch, won't try to suck at the
> breast. Since I didn't see her (her midwife called me from her house), I
> don't have the full scoop here, but this connection between
> intrathecals/epidurals and non-nursing babies seems to me to be as plain
as
> the nose on my face! Almost *all* the clients I've worked with since I've
> been in private practice have presented with this same set-up.
>
> So frustrating!!! And if I'm frustrated by this situation, what about all
> the poor moms trying to cope? And all the poor little babies that don't
have
> a clue what to do, many of whom won't get breastfed despite their
mothers'
> best intentions because of the major grind involved in pumping & working
> with these kids till they are able to get organized enough to suck
properly!
>
> And, on a purely selfish note, this is the problem I dread the most;
there
> really is so little that I can do to get these kids to suck. Mostly I'm
left
> being sure the mom is using a good pump and a good pumping "regimen", and
> telling her over and over again about skin-to-skin contact and remaining
> patient till the baby "gets it", and being sure she's doing all the right
> stuff (and continuing to feed the baby, of course - let's not forget
that!),
> and providing moral support till I'm blue in the face. But it makes me
feel
> incompetent! Seems to me to come down to a face off - me against a puny
> little 6-pounder - which is not my usual way of viewing babies. I refuse
to
> let myself get locked into thinking of this as a power struggle with a
> newborn infant - yet this is how it feels! It's the kid who has to do the
> sucking, after all - I'm not a magician!
>
> OK, I'll try not to go on & on. Do others of you feel this way sometimes?
> Have any of you taken up this matter with the childbirth professionals in
> your area - OBs, anesthesiologists (the biggies!), childbirth educators,
OB
> nurses? I guess I'll have to steel myself up to bring this matter to the
> anesthesiologists, for starters; I want to do it in a collegial way,
because
> I know they want the best for their patients and I'm sure they haven't
got a
> clue that this is going on with these babies. Since they have no contact
> with the mothers after discharge, I wouldn't expect them to know what
we're
> seeing.
>
> Thanks for "listening"!
> Cathy Bargar, RN, IBCLC Ithaca NY
>
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