Many women want whatever will make it easier for themselves. This is a
fundamental problem in our society today and it goes much deeper than
childbirth or breastfeeding, although it significantly influences decisions
women make regarding those things. We can give honest education about
breastfeeding to women, but because it may make life harder for them, they
don't want to hear it. I see this EVERY DAY at work. Those of you who work
in hospitals: how many times have you tucked a baby up skin to skin and then
gone back into the room 5 minutes later and the baby is back in the crib
already? Or heard a mom say "I know breast is best, but it's not right for
me, I gave it a good try"---when the baby is still less than 24 hours old!?
Or had a mom roll her eyes when she hears how often she will be
breastfeeding her baby, or ignore feeding cues when pointed out because she
just got done breastfeeding and she "just can't do it again right now." Or
she's going to send the baby to the nursery for the night because SHE needs
to sleep. I could go on and on. I do believe that OB when he says that
nothing is going to sway those women, because until we change the
fundamental basics of our society to promote more self-sacrifice, they are
not going to hear our attempts at breastfeeding education. And shouting
those attempts louder and louder will not help, it may just turn people off.
Melinda Lueck, RN, IBCLC, LCCE
Ohio, USA
-----Original Message-----
From: Mary Herrington [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Sunday, February 26, 2006 2:27 PM
Subject: responsibilty
Jennifer Tow said
"When we ask for example why women want epidurals or AIM supplements,
(which is certainly true), we are asking the wrong question. I would ask-do
women want drugged, traumatized, unattached, sick babies? When we fail to
educate women
about the importance of their choices, then we relegate ourselves to
a pointless conversation in which we never notice that "the emperor
has no clothes.
I just do not understand the argument, made over and over that we
must respect a mother's right to make choices. "
excellent point!!
I just had a discussion on this very issue with one of our OBs the other
day. He was making the argument that he is just "giving women what they
want" with all these 39 week inductions/epidurals and the cascade of
interventions they cause.
And this is from one the few OBs who I respect and who I feel has true
caring and integrity!!
I very militantly voiced to him that women may "want" certain things but
it is the health care practitioners job to educate women about the pros/cons
and risks of these interventions. His response was that in our society
women come into prenatal care in the first trimester knowing what they WANT
and will not be swayed!!!
oh boy- we had quite a heated debate on this!!
I certainly dont know the solution to all of this- but I know I will never
deliver in a hospital again after 6 years of L&D nursing.
IMHO no one can blame the women for asking for
epidurals/inductions/primary c-sections when they are so misled and ill
informed by their obstetricians who constantly obfuscate the risks of said
interventions in the guise of just giving women what they want.
Mary Herrington RN
Labor & Delivery
St Luke's CMC
The Woodlands, Texas
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