----- Original Message ----- 
From: <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, December 31, 2007 7:29 AM
Subject: [LACTNET] contradicting the contradiction myth


> Dear? Colleagues,

**Hello Jennifer,

> I have wanted to address this topic for the past many weeks, but have had
> precious little time. Often in posts, LCs will make the statement that
> because they are unable to contradict doctors, they are unable to
> effectively help a mom with xyz problem. If we continue to say this, we
> will make it so through our agreement with it. It is not true. It was
> written into a SOP that was never approved and must never be approved. I
> do not know how it is that anyone believes that she has a mandate to
> validate anyone's misinformation or even to refrain from providing
> completely contradictory information where appropriate, but we are only as
> constrained as we allow ourselves to be.

**This was exactly my point in an earlier post: I really don't think we
empower women by validating the wrong information they got. Empowering also
means taking the lead (when you DO have the knowledge) in questioning status
quo and misbeliefs, setting an example in asking for evidence. We as lc's/bf
volunteers can do that in many situations. It happens all too often that I
ask a mom: "Did the HCP give grounds for what you were told to do? What were
the reasons you should do X/Y/Z?" Many times, women can't come up with
reasons or come up with nonsense that was offered them, but they lacked the
knowledge I have to know it was nonsense. I'm not very sensitive (or rather:
allergic... hahaha) to authority when it is based merely on a position of
power. I feel authority should come from a position of strength and
knowledge and competence and experience.

Everyone has the right to information and everyone has the right to make
informed decisions. When it comes to infant feeding, it is highly unlikely
that a mother will receive accurate information unless we provide it to her.

**Exactly: if we don't tell them, pretty surely they won't get that
information. I'm not being arrogant; this is just years of experience.

I am asking that my colleagues refrain from acting (or not) on the false
premise that we are constrained from providing information when it
contradicts a doctor.

**Mind you... during my IBCLC-study in Utrecht we once had this discussion
about who is responsible and makes the decisions at the end of the day. The
teacher said: "The physician is the one to decide", and I utterly disagreed,
saying I strongly believe in the parents being the ones to decide!! They
'hire' the doctor for his knowlegde, BUT THEY ARE IN CHARGE! It belongs to
your competencies to know where your knowledge ends and it is not at all
weak to admit you lack certain knowledge, especially when there is someone
else available who does have that knowledge. My brother in law (almost
urologist) told me this story, about how one of his superiors had referred
a client to a dietician for a consultation and then the dietician's policy 
was not
followed. My bil said: "If you don't want to cooperate, then don't ask for a
consultation." Well said, and I agree.
And in this context of empowerment... I really understand that false
information is a serious problem and that moms sometimes have a way too hard
time finding things out all by themselves or fighting misinformation. And
yet, I don't think we empower women by saying they are a victim of
misinformation and society is to blame, even if the way society looks upon
bf has a great impact. One line of information about bf is pretty well known
by now: breast is best. The mere foundation of LLL (and the Dutch VBN... 30
years ago in 2008! ;-)) proves that you do not necessarily need a promotive
environment to make biologically sensitive and sane decisions. Not every
woman may be able to, but I believe it is more often possible than reflected
by the bf statistics. Women will fight for a lot of other things and bf
could be one of them. When you say you want the best, the breast is part of
the deal. Fact is, that women sometimes only want the best if the best fits
into the life they lived before their baby came, the life they want to pick
up asap. And of course the fact that investing loads of time and energy in a
child (just had really tired parents on the phone and on the couch today,
looking for improvement in bf...) is not always as popular as needed for
exclusive bf, also has to do with societal convictions. But are we really
*forced* to join in with all that...? Are we forced or do we decide to do
so...?
People find every stupid gadget on the internet, so a bf course or book or
dvd or whatever can also be found; you have to google, though! hahaha

Disclaimer: I'm not a harsh person when dealing with moms; I just LOVE the
fact that Lactnet is a place where you can come with strong opinions without
being bashed, knowing that we all want to work towards the same goal: higher
bf rates, healthier and happier babies and moms. Thank you all very much,
for everything I've learned since I joined only about two months ago. I
would love to meet many of you, see you at work and learn from your
experience.

Warmly,

Marianne Vanderveen, Netherlands (who entered 2008 almost three hours ago! 
:o))

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

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