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Subject:
From:
Susan R Potts <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Mon, 11 Jan 1999 14:32:16 -0600
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Dear Bonnie and all,
     Yes indeed it is frustrating to see a need for so long and not
having it met for so many mothers.   There are multi-faceted stratagies
that could be tried.
1.  Get someone or several someones with some power in your institution
to also get behind the importance of supporting breastfeeding.  This may
mean writing letters to the chairman of OB services, the nurse manager,
president of the hospital, etc.  It may help to mention anecdotal cases
when you may have helped a Mom because you happened to be the nurse who
was on that day, or a case that needed help that was missed.  How many
times does this happen each month?
2.  What is the community standard?  Are other hospitals providing LC
services?  Patient satisfaction is VERY important in this day and age.
3.  The health benefits of breastfeeding means saving health care dollars
down the road.  LInda Smith has a Nice Pak of health benefits.
4.  It is PC to support breastfeeding and also providing excellent health
care (who wants to be less than the best?)
5.  Continue to rally the task force!!  It can be tiring, especially if
you are the one writing the minutes, organizing meeting times and
places,etc, but oh! so fulfilling when your lactation program is born!
     The program at my hospital started in August of 97, a 10 year dream
of mine come true!!  I did some of the above measures, but not alone.
Some of the 10 years I took time off to start our family and dragged my 3
kids to most of the meetings because we were home schooling or they were
toddlers.   A mid level clinic administrator looked for $$ for one year
and finally had to say no, nothing available.  Then the funding search
went into the lap of an inpatient director of nursing, OB services, and I
thought, " great, I've seen the mugs and t-shirts, nurses know how to get
things done."  (ha ha) But sure enough!  She found the $$, and knew the
LC program was the right thing to do and also provided excellent care to
our patients.  We made it clear that as LCs our philosophy was to help
mothers meet their personal breastfeeding goals, not to push our ideas on
anybody.  We were one of the last hospitals to get a lactation program
going in our metro area, so the community standard was a help in pushing
the program along.
     Good luck and don't lose heart!!!  I LOVE working in the field of
lactation, I was BORN for this.  I don't mind being a  nurse, I liked it,
 but it's hard to believe I can actually earn $$ helping mothers
breastfeed!!!!!  It was worth the wait.
   Susan Potts RN IBCLC
                                                             Goingout
soon in the cold and snow to buy 31 1cent stamps.


On Sun, 10 Jan 1999 05:26:34 -0500 Automatic digest processor
<[log in to unmask]> writes:

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