My oral hygienist friend will really wonder about our subject line - but in
order to keep the line on-going, I'm continuing with it!

In 2005 at the ILCA Conference we heard about the many generations of nurses
that for the first time work together - and how each nurse, the one in her
60's the one in her 40's and the one in her 20's all value different things,
learn differently and need to be "brought on board" in different ways.

WELL - the same is true of our mothers - we have 13 year olds and we have
40+ year olds - and what worked for me in my mid-20's (La Leche League
meetings in Leader's homes) is NOT what works with many of my patients.

At the same time, I'm working with nursing staff that is closer to the older
than the younger generation and cannot IMAGINE providing breastfeeding
support in any other way but by giving out books, meeting notices and
offering classes...

AND we work with a reimbursement system that ONLY reimburses in "face to
face" contact.

HOWEVER, many of our moms are used to going to work or school - and then
getting their "companionship" AND information via text messaging, voice
mailing and e-mailing!  Yes, we are SOCIAL animals - but our society is much
greater than just those we can sit next to!  (Of this I am very grateful, as
I have children in Puerto Rico, Cleveland and California - and see them all
about as frequently!)

La Leche League DOES offer mother to mother forums: http://forums.llli.org/
and there are many blogs, some actually knowledgeable (unfortunately one of
my patients found one that said that bf babies didn't gain very fast - so
she didn't worry when she SHOULD have!), others not so much... but frankly,
when I was a new mother I also was exposed to incorrect information and
learned that I was NOT going to listen to "Ruth" about breastfeeding, but
she DID know about cooking...

So we need to continue to be aware that:
 - moms need different support
 - people learn in different ways, especially depending on how stressed they
are
 - we need to be willing to "be" there for people in different modalities -
even in ways with which we're not especially comfortable

AND we have to keep DEMANDING that the work we do, in ALL those modalities,
is valuable and deserves pay!  (Sorry, but too often we undervalue the work
we do - and although I AM a La Leche League Leader and do THAT as a
volunteer - as an IBCLC I'm also the sole breadwinner right now - and
DESERVE to be paid for my expertise!)

Jeanette Panchula, BSW, RN, PHN, IBCLC
California, USA

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