Hi All,

I need to vent today about overused birth medications, especially epidurals.
I've seen several babies recently who CAN'T EAT.  Not at breast, not
fingerfeeding, not with bottles/teats, and not with cups. They hump their
tongues way back, guarding their airways. It takes us forever just to get
some pumped milk IN using anything short of a squirt gun!  This isn't nipple
confusion, it isn't normal, and it isn't easy to fix.

Last night's home visit was an affluent, well-educated couple who shopped
around for a good OB and Ped, hired a massage therapist, took plenty of
classes, and then had "GREAT MEDICATION" for the birth. Their 6-day old
daughter has a lousy suck and can't begin to latch-on, and didn't do very
well at cup, fingerfeed, or bottle either. NOBODY (yes, I'm shouting) told
them that epidurals and nubain can affect the baby's ability to suck.
 ARRGGHH!

So now what? Pump and cupfeed or fingerfeed, and keep trying. Hope that time
will help. Refer to a D.O.  Wait.  Listen patiently while mom cries because
the baby's not at breast. Listen while she grieves for lost expectations for
what she thought was a "wonderful birth" - that probably caused her baby's
bad suck.  Listen while she gripes about having to use the stupid machine so
often. Watch and listed to dad as he tries to comfort his wife, while he's
also grieving for his baby who can't eat well and easily. Write ANOTHER
letter to another pediatrician with references about what birth drugs do to
the suck. Charge them money to fix a problem that was probably entirely
preventable.

"Safe" drugs for labor pain is such a big lie! Chloroform was a lie for Queen
Victoria, scopalomine was a lie for those who were lured by the magic of
 "twilight sleep," and walking epidurals are a lie for the X generation.
 Lies, lies, and more lies.

Climbing down now, but I'LL BE BACK. Keep the microphone plugged in.

Linda Smith, BSE, FACCE, IBCLC - tired of the lies about birth that are fed
to vulnerable women by those who are afraid of the power of unmedicated birth
and the women who DO birth this way. Dayton, Ohio