Dear Friends:
    In the beginning of my work with breastfeeding, I  had quite a few 
misconceptions about breastfeeding. When I started, the  resistance against 
breastfeeding in the medical community, the vast ignorance  was staggering. I became 
stronger and reactive.
    If a mother wanted to supplement with formula when  the baby was a week 
old, I would insist that she not do that because she HAD to  breastfeed, didn't 
want the dread NIPPLE CONFUSION, or the baby to get FORMULA.  After all, 
breast was best, correct? 
    Pretty foolish, eh?
    Now I am so thankful that Linda Smith has kept  hammering this message 
for so long. While I learned to 'feed the baby' a long  time ago. it has just 
been reinforced this very day.
    This mother, aged 43, is home with her first baby.  She had a cesarean 
section (surprise, surprise) which led to a paralytic ileus  (the bowel stopped 
moving from being handled during the cesarean section), 9  more days in the 
hospital and another surgery. And now she wants her poor body  to make enough 
milk?? I told her this morning that as far as her body has  concerned, she's 
been hit by an express train.
    And she got a terrible cold yesterday, on top of  everything.
    Fortunately her mother is attending to her. This  woman spent yesterday 
on the couch. She gave 1-ounce complementary feeds since  last night, and the 
baby has finally had a poop (a nice big, but green  one) and a pee. This mother 
had sense enough to call the NMAC Warmline,  that serves a 5-county area 
around Philadelphia. She thought her baby was  getting dehydrated because there 
was not a single poop or pee for 24 hours. She  was right. Now the baby has 
gotten about 10 ounces complement in the past 12  hours, plus spending time at 
breast and getting something there (she has pumped  some, so I know there is 
milk).  The baby is rousing more and feeding  better. 
    We are in touch every 12-24 hours, and hopefully,  the milk start flowing 
quickly, and soon.
    Remember, Feed the Baby. 
    warmly,
 
Nikki Lee RN, MS, Mother of 2, IBCLC, CCE
Maternal-Child Adjunct  Faculty Union Institute and University
Film Reviews Editor, Journal of Human  Lactation
Support the WHO Code and the Mother-Friendly Childbirth  Initiative

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