Hi Lactnetters:
I'm new to all this computer bizz, so I'll try to keep it brief.
First, I too, suffered from severe pre-eclampsia and developed HELLP with my
first child.  I delivered at one of the major perinatal centers in this state
and was surprised by the lactation support available.  In order to see a
lactation educator I had to make that request specifically myself.  (And here
I am extremely ill...)  Secondly, no one there told me while I began pumping
and subsequently that my supply might be diminshed since my body was in a
self preservation mode.  Thirdly, no one observed me trying to nurse my 35
weeker and I left the hospital feeling quite defeated.  I made several phone
calls to the hospital's lactation educators.  They were prompt in returning
my calls, but did not see clients on site or in their homes.  In fact, they
do not routinely round on breastfeeding moms.  (And this is a major perinatal
center??!!)
Therefore, after seven weeks of pumping and bottle feeding my baby(no one
told me about cup feeding)  I gave up feeling like a failure in every way.
 This led to an episode of postpartum depression ( more on that in a moment).
Eighteen months later, I am again delivered at 36 weeks as I started
developing symptoms of pre-eclampsia again.  Determined more than ever to be
a success at breastfeeding, I enlisted the help of one of the postpartum
nurses who had nursed her own children.  She was the only one who helped me
get started nursing my preemie.  Again, no lactation educator visited me
during my five day hospital stay.  I was inspired by this phenomen of
successfully breastfeeding to the point where nothing else mattered to me.
 Six months postpartum I developed severe postpartum depresssion and was
admitted to a local psychiatric facility for a month.  There, the entire team
of people treating me where adamant that I cease breastfeeding, since my
condition warranted treatment with an anti-depressant.  The psychiatrist (a
woman, no less) had no knowledge of any anti-depressant being compatible with
nursing.  So, my sister-in-law (God love her) researched the information and
found out that Zoloft was the drug of choice for nursing mother's with
postpartum depression.  I don't mean to bore any of you with this story.  I
just thought it might be helpful to let those of us in the profession of
lactation support know how incredibly baby non-friendly certain regions of
the U.S. still are even though they profess otherwise.  Even though, I'm
quite new to this field of breastfeeding education, I try my best to be an
empathetic supporter to any of my moms experiencing any difficulties similiar
to my own.
Thanks for allowing me to share.
Mary Ann Dever