I find that this scenario is an ideal situation. In the hospital where I
practice, this would be impossible for many reasons:
I have 16 hours a week for lactation consulting, as well as 24 hours of
staff nursing and 4 hours taken from one or the other for childbirth
education. So I must work the consulting around the staff nursing shifts and
the teaching. I try to see as many as the mothers as possible, but it is
impossible to see all or to see the feedings of those I do see. As staff
nurse I probably observe more breastfeeding sessions than when I see the Mom
in my other capacity.
We do not have a mother/baby follow-up clinic or a lactation clinic. I am it.
I do have office visits for clients who have problems or concerns not
solvable over the phone.
If I believe that I will be able to see the mother more than once, I try to
keep the teaching to a minimum, just stressing the need to nurse frequently
and allow the baby to nurse as long as s/he wants to, and what a good
latch-on is. Does it hurt? Can you feel the tugging on the breast, not only
on the nipple.
Then go back the next day to review weight loss, signs of dehydration,
adequate hydration, growth spurts, etc.
>  They need to do this with their own baby --
        I agree that the mother needs to use her own baby.
>  The breast feeding rate increased from 50% to over 80% within the first
month that in-patient lactation consulting was started.  I believe they have
stayed at least over 75% since.
These statistics are great. I wish ours were as good. Our area does not have
many physicians, from what I have seen and heard' who are true advocates of
breastfeeding. The MD's believe nipple confusion is something the fanatics
think up to discourage bottlefeeding.
>  The phone call within the first 72 hours of discharge is very important.
I agree completely. I try to phone the 2 day following discharge.
I, also, am not stopped any more by visitors. I introduce myself and inquire
about how the nursing is going. Family members as you stated remember more
then the mother herself and can be a wonderful source of support to help the
moms through engorgement and that first tough week. I do pass on alot of
info, but I give a very simplistic pamphlet with all the information I
believe important to the mother also, as well as my phone number and the
local La Leche League leader's number.
Forgive my long windedness.
Helen
"Believe in yourself and your body"