Hi All, please cast your eyes skyward toward a BIG soapbox....

If I get one more call from a mom regarding (1) low milk supply, (2) baby
won't nurse, (3) thrush isn't clearing up, (etc) who says "But I even tried
(fill in the blank with something that doesn't work).... I'll scream!!!!

One more time:
1. Milk supply is about REMOVING the milk. "Stimulation" alone won't do it.
What mom eats/drinks won't do it. Babies with poor suck won't do it. ("But
I even tried letting my breasts fill up more between pumpings."  "But I
even took brewer's yeast." "No, I didn't pump.")

2. Edema is made worse by heat. ("But I even tried hot compresses and my
breasts were still rock hard.")

3. Babies need to eat frequently in order to gain weight. Pacifiers contain
zero calories. Babies who are not breastfeeding well or failing to thrive
should NOT be getting these devices ("But I nurse him every 3-4 hours, and
he only gets a pacifier to tide him over till the next feed.")

4. Skin infections on nipple skin need to be treated simultaneously with
the baby's mouth.  Today's call: mom still in pain after 8 months (!!) of
treating her nipples, and nobody has even looked in the baby's mouth. ("But
I even tried a nipple shield!")

(Climbing down now, a little out of breath...)

I'm glad Lactnet exists! Let's keep talking about appropriate management of
BF to anyone & everyone who will listen. I feel the saddest for the moms in
these situations because they really DO want to breastfeed. It isn't their
fault when they receive unhelpful information and then breastfeeding goes
downhill for them.

Linda Smith, BSE, FACCE, IBCLC
Dayton Ohio