In addition to treating each mother and baby with kindness, compassion,
empathy and respect, I also strive to:
Let her know where else she can get recommended supplies (pumps, etc) so
she understands that it is an honest recommendation, not a way to get
more money out of her.
Learn all the time. Lactnet is a great teacher, so are the babies and
mothers we see. I recognize that we all have skills to offer and share
with each other.
Reinforce and stroke everything mom is doing right - it's easy to point
out how her baby looks at her lovingly, but looks at me suspiciously;
how she is following his cues without even being consciously aware; how
smart she is to have thought of compressing her breast to give baby more
milk, etc.
Preserve her dignity if her resources (emotional, physical, financial,
temporal) run out and she just can't work at breastfeeding anymore. (I
also see lots of difficult cases...)
Refer on to other levels of care (though this is hard, we don't have
enough bf knowledgeable therapists, so now my new strategy is to try to
encourage any therapists I see as clients into learning about and
specializing in oral motor issues.)
I'm not as good at taking care of myself, but I'm learning. I state
"office hours" on my telephone, and let people who call outside of them
leave messages. I do check the messages, and return them judiciously.
I make a little time for fiction reading (in bed), knitting and
crocheting (in front of the tv when I'm too tired for anything else),
and make sure to just sit and talk to my hubby for a little while every
day. I try to make time to spend with friends, but not often enough. And
when the kids are home (from college) I see fewer clients and spend some
time with them.
Catherine Watson Genna, IBCLC NYC
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