OK, here's what I think is going on, and if I'm wrong I'll be THE FIRST to
back down, with apologies all around: I bet that the doctor hears the word
"Haitian", assumes AIDS/HIV, and comes up with this whole medication thing
as a "reason" she shouldn't breastfeed.

I really, really hope that I'm wrong about this, that it's just medical
arrogance - the doctor not knowing enough about the med to REALLY know about
its safety w'BFing, assuming (as happens so frequently) that it's not safe,
and the being defensive when he's presented with other information (esp.
since it sounds like a bad scene already between his nurse & the LC).

But I'm betting it's the Haitian/HIV issue. Why? Because I've known a lot of
medical people, doctors and nurses, who react in a very similar way. Same
thing happens with certain "troublesome" types of teens who give birth: the
doctor or nurse *assumes* that "she isn't a candidate for BFing" - they
assume that "she's at high risk for HIV", or assume that she's looks like a
drug abuser to them (or, God forbid, maybe she had a positive marijuana
screen), or that she's "unfit" in some other non-explicit way, and advise
her against BFing.

So this doesn't give you any suggestions for help, Ilene, except that if you
start thinking that this might be what's in his head maybe you can approach
the issue a little differently, rather than battling it out on the
medication issue. You might ask, for example, if there's any bloodwork the
mom could have done that would reassure him about her continuing to
breastfeed. (Worded, of course, to oh-so-subtly remind him that whether or
not she breastfeeds her baby is NOT his decision.)

Cathy Bargar, RN, IBCLC Ithaca NY

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