LACTNET Archives

Lactation Information and Discussion

LACTNET@COMMUNITY.LSOFT.COM

Options: Use Forum View

Use Monospaced Font
Show Text Part by Default
Show All Mail Headers

Message: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Topic: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Author: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]

Print Reply
Subject:
From:
"Glass, Marsha" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Wed, 6 Feb 2002 14:02:46 -0500
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (30 lines)
My post that agrees we shouldn't have to walk on egg shells when addressing breastfeeding issues with professionals comes on the heels of personal experiences where I seem to get reminded of the need to do this very thing, but the other professional (not always a physician.  My worst personal attack
came from a nurse practitioner who calls herself a 'lactation consultant' but has no formal training or credentials to that effect.  It can be nurses, as well.) suffers no such 'reminder' by virtue of their position when it was they who actually verbally attacked me!  I believe all communication
should be of a professional nature and my frustration comes as one who is tired of being on the receiving end of the attack while the attacker goes on their merry, ignorant way.  In the case of physicians, as Gail H. so clearly pointed out, they see all sorts of cases and have to address all sorts
of issues.  I think that makes an even better case for us.  If you have a patient with suicidal feelings or what could be considered a psychological issue, wouldn't you defer to someone who specializes in that field?  In the case of someone with a broken bone, you might refer to an orthopedic doc.
For a heart problem, a heart doctor and so on, if the case warranted it.  So why is it so hard for docs to let go of breastfeeding?  Gail, I think you answered that.  They've been courted by the formula industry and are products of the formula-feeding society we all grew up in.

I understand all the reasons why -well maybe not ALL of them!- I'm just ready to get on with it and I suspect many of us are.  We have spent a considerable amount of time, energy and money to obtain the level of expertise we have and most of us ARE fanatical about at least this one thing- keeping
up-to-date on research.  It is seven degrees of frustration to work at a research hospital and have professionals totally disregard the research!  I cannot tell you how angry it makes me that the above mentioned NP can call me on the phone -having never met me before- and verbally assault me (for it
was nothing less!) over my recommendation to a patient's mother, whose chart she reviewed, to try a galactogogue to boost her milk supply back up.  I provided documentation for my recommendation.  She provided a newspaper article and her curricula vitae (which included the title "lactation
consultant" which she certainly is NOT).  I had to promise not to mention galactogogues again to their patients (I do, however, occasionally mention that term to some moms and tell them to search the internet for information).  I had a letter written to my manager (who supports me) with the notation
that "fortunately" this mom was told NOT to take the galactogogue she had already started taking, so they figure they caught it in time!  BTW, I received a note a few months later from a colleague that this mom had disregarded that advice, kept taking the galactogogue along with other suggestions
and eventually got her supply back up and planned to write a letter of complaint to that sister-hospital about the negative breastfeeding experience she had there.  Still, I wear the black eye.  Is it any wonder that we get impatient, or even angry?  This info is out there in the general public, but
HCP's still consider themselves the authorities without benefit of educating themselves to the degree that even their patients have!  I'm sure we all have these stories to tell.  I still work on developing good working relationships with other professionals, but I really do despise being written
off.  I am a Lactation Professional.  I worked long and hard to get here, only to find that some people consider that work worthless and my knowledge just so much emotional prattle!

Marsha, who is taking a deep breath and climbing down from this soapbox!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Marsha Glass RN, BSN, IBCLC
Mothers have as powerful an influence over the welfare of future generations as all other earthly causes combined.
John S. C. Abbot
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

             ***********************************************
The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html

ATOM RSS1 RSS2