I, too, encounter people who ask for help and then refuse to consider doing
what needs to be done to ensure improvement in the situation. Case in point:
being called to the NICU to assist a mom "who doesn't have enough milk!" What
can I do to help? Turns out mom is only pumping 2x a day at 17 days of age! No
wonder she doesn't have enough milk! Can't or won't rent an electric pump,
won't bring her kit to the hospital to use our electric pump because "she
doesn't have time." I went through it all; how many times a day does the baby
eat, how to increase her supply, how much better her milk is for her
baby...... and she just blows off my advice (which the DR. asked me to give
her!) I just tell them that I'm happy to help them do whatever it is they wish
to do but I can't make milk appear by magic.

I also have a weird situation to cope with; someone can offer some words of
wisdom.  Several of the members of our "team" did not breastfeed (have older
kids) and always apologize to me for it. I just say things like "you did the
best you could..." and try to get the subject to our work at hand. It wouldn't
be so bad if it only happened once but it happens every time we meet!  There
is also one person I have to work with that had a baby last spring and did not
succeed at breastfeeding (and did NOT ask for any help) and now avoids me like
the plague. I wish I could figure out how to approach her in a non-threatening
way to let her know it's OK.  (and i have tried)
No one calls the infection control nurse a zealot when she reiterates hand
washing!
Mary Kay Smith, CLE, IBCLC
Romeoville, IL