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:
"Betsy Riedel,RNC,IBCLC" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Thu, 6 Apr 2006 12:07:19 -0400
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (77 lines)
Jennifer Tow says:<< It is a comparison between two forms of traumatic, 
invasive, medicalized brutality.>>

You know, Jennifer, it's statements like the one you made (that I have 
copied above)that serve only to potentially undermine women's confidence 
in their HCP's. On occasion, I have seen women come in to our unit to give 
birth with such a preconceived notion (usually fed to her by a radical 
childbirth instructor or similar person)and then be completely infuriated 
with this instructor because she (the patient) feels she has been lied to. 
Usually, it is because the patient finds out that their birth experience
(while it may turn out to be different than expected)isn't nearly as bad 
as they have envisioned or been led to believe that it will be.

While I would certainly agree with you that birth is for the most part 
over-medicalized and invasive, I really take issue with your approach and 
use of the word brutality in this case.

It is statements like this that make our role (as LC's for example)seem 
far less professional. Personally, statements like that only serve to make 
the general public (and certainly the medical community)view  us 
as "radical wingnuts." I don't want to be thought of in that capacity 
really because it hurts me as well as our profession in general.

Personally, I take great offense that you would see my role as a 
participant in brutality, because it certainly is not.

I don't mean to offend you but because you are NOT a nurse and you do not 
have an intricate working knowledge of how most places work, I cannot feel 
that your perspective is a valid one. You cannot have an appreciation for 
this area, just as I cannot have an appreciation for CST and what you do 
because I know little about it.

I know that some facilities are indeed, more invasive than others, but in 
general birth is NOT the brutal event you would imagine it to be and to 
paint it that way, is completely inaccurate.That approach only serves to 
discount one's credibility as a professional.

Home birth is a great option for many but at the same time, because there 
is often little documented follow up of these mothers and babies, we have 
no assurance that these babies are necessarily any better off than the 
baby born in your brutal hospital setting. I know full well from reading 
some HB women's birthing websites, that their babies sometimes do not 
regain quickly all the time,nor are they necessarily any less jaundiced. 
We have absolutely no assurance that they are breastfeeding any 
better,either. We cannot follow what we cannot and do not see. We may 
never know because these families often do not follow up where these 
issues would be accurately tracked. 

I do not intend to make this into a confrontational thread but personally, 
I am tiring of your continual criticism of an area where you have really 
very little experience and certainly no expertise.

Again, I would reiterate the fact that as LC's (no matter where we 
practice) it is our duty to take mother and baby where they are when we 
meet them and do the best we can to use our expertise to get breastfeeding 
off to a good start (or repair whatever the problem may be at the time).

If we want to further our profession, it is prudent to go with the flow 
(where we may effect quiet change) than to buck a very powerful system, 
look bad and diminish the credibility that we have worked so hard to build.

Respectfully,
Betsy Riedel RNC, IBCLC
Connecticut

             ***********************************************

To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail
To start it again: set lactnet mail (or digest)
To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
All commands go to [log in to unmask]

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

ATOM RSS1 RSS2