It has been at least a week since there was some discussion on the topic of
nurses having too heavy of a workload to properly assist mothers with
breastfeeding initiation and/or continuation after discharge from the
hospital.  Some thought have been rambling around in my head since then.

I was wondering if there is a practice in many areas of referring mothers to
La Leche League (assuming there is a group in the area) before they are
discharged from the hospital.  Our local Group has once again begun
attending Breastfeeding Task Force meetings in our area (although these
meetings are very sporadic), and we have found that the general practice
here is to refer mothers to us only when "they don't have an actual
breastfeeding problem, but just want support".  Which means it doesn't
happen very often.  Although I have referred moms to their doctor or LC
several times, many of the helping calls I receive as a LLL Leader are from
moms who are experiencing problems related to lack of information/support
during the hospital stay.  We are hoping to increase our visibility in the
area so that mothers, as well as the medical community, become more aware of
LLL as a place to go for actual help with breastfeeding problems, as well as
general support.

As a Leader who has great respect for the wealth of knowledge that Lactation
Consultants, nurses, and doctors have that work with moms in the hospital
setting, I am wondering what ideas the "medical" types on this list might
have for creating a more active partnership between the medical and
non-medical community regarding breastfeeding support - especially once the
mom & baby are discharged from the hospital.  Is there a way to "break in"
to the circle of nurses and doctors, from which we are currently excluded,
without stepping on their toes?  As a LLL Leader, I do not give out medical
advise, of course.  But LLL does have a wealth of information available to
me as a Leader, and what amazes me is that often it seems to be more
accurate and up-to-date than the information our local doctors give to the
moms. How much more effective we would all (doctors, nurses, LCs, WIC, LLLL)
be if we worked together!

Sara Demmon
LLLL in Wisconsin, where anything not tied down has probably blown into Lake
Michigan!

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