I can't imagine that anyone from this bunch hasn't been there.

I hold onto a strong belief that any exhibition of diligence, caring, and
enthusiasm is never completely lost.  Perhpas two years from now, when this
woman's experience becomes a blurr and she has a friend in a similar
postition, she'll remember a name, a tip or two, or maybe a friend or her
husband will recall information or just the caring, and pass it along.

So often I hear a someone remark about how helpful and kind a doc, nurse, or
LC at the hospital was, but since we live in a society accustomed to
whipping out a nasty letter of complaint but rarely penning a note of praise
or thanks, the word rarely gets back to the helpful party. Lately I've been
trying to remember to suggest that the person praised would love to hear it
themselves, too.

An "educated" throng of visitors wouldn't have hurt this woman any, either.
Argh!  There's that loving support thing again...  It probably wasn't
overzealousness on your part, but a lack of zealousness from those around
her, perhaps a friend knowing how stressed and exhausted she was that might
offer to up expressed milk from her at her house at midnight every night and
drive it to the hospital.

Zealousness IS infectious, keep it up!

Lorri Centineo



> -----Original Message-----
> From: Kathleen Bruce [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Saturday, March 06, 1999 8:38 PM
> Subject: zealot and bummed out....
>
>
> I wonder how many of you have had an experience like I have had.
>
> I once  helped  a mom breastfeed in a difficult situation. She had a
> premature baby, in hospital,  and was not pumping enough, or putting the
> baby to the breast enough either.  Baby was getting a lot of
> bottles....mom
> was exhausted. ..lots of visitors, and not a lot of time at the breast.
> Thrush involved as well.
>
> Mom was thrilled initially with the information and help, and
> baby was able
> to get to breast. However, the next day, mother had so many visitors that
> she did not breastfeed at all.  She was also not pumping enough.
> I ended up
> stressing the fact that if she was not breastfeeding, that she should be
> pumping to maintain supply. Baby was hospitalized, and getting a bottle of
> ebm q 3 hours.  I encouraged her to pump, and better yet, to put
> her baby to
> the breast, asking for a cot if necessary, so that she could rest and be
> around to breastfeed as much as possible.
>
> She then let me know that she appreciated the help, but that she had to be
> flexible, because she wasn't sleeping at the hospital. Obviously, she felt
> pressed, and pressured, and was feeling that the whole thing was
> overwhelming. I was surprised at the fact that she was so overrun by
> visitors that she wasn't able to feed at all....even once...in the day
> following our work together.
>
> Has anyone ever felt as though they had turned a mother off with what they
> felt was good information and encouragement, and that they then
> had the word
> "ZEALOT" branded on their forehead?
>
> Yipes.
>
> Kathleen, who wears the term Zealot, I guess. Self doubt creeping in...
>
> Kathleen B. Bruce, BSN, IBCLC co-owner Lactnet,TLC, Indep. Consultant
> Williston, Vermont
> mailto:[log in to unmask]
> LACTNET Archives http://library.ummed.edu/lsv/archives/lactnet.html
>