I really enjoyed the book brought to my attention by Karin Caldwell in 
her conference.  Women´s Ways of Knowing by Mary Field Belenky, Blythe
McVicker Clinchy, Nancy Role Goldberger and Jill Mattuck Tarule.  They 
address the differences in women´s ways of learning vs. men´s, and I
try to keep them in mind when teaching a large group of women
especially if they are of different socio-economic groups and levels of
education.  I always keep in mind that many of the moms I teach did not
do well in school - so using the same methods they used in school 
seems illogical and ineffective.

So I use dolls, videos, interaction (but not as much as we were used to in
La Leche League as moms are not always comfortable with this syle,
either) - and anything else I learn in Lactnet.  The book stresses the
short
attention span of some women - and the need to cover the main subjects
in the first 5 minutes for those women.  The others will stick to longer
times
but you need to cover the basics then - not wait and give it piecemeal
throughout the course.  It´s quite a challenge...

As for waiting for a quiet time to teach the patients - I´m afraid that
does not really exist in our hospitals where so many family members,
friends, 
cousins, neighbors, etc...  show up.  At first, I was trying to keep them
out
and found it was a losing battle.  Then I realized that:
        1. the mom´s brain goes out with the placenta and she won´t
remember much of what I said.
        2. these same people are going to be around her when she 
goes home
        3. these people have their brains in their heads and WILL 
remember what I said...

So now I teach them all - and get lots of interaction, including the nay-
sayers which the mom will need to face later on anyways.  It´s interesting
but the Dads seem to learn most of all - and are the ones that call when
they have questions. - or at least they dial the phone then put the wife
on.

Jeanette Panchula, BSW, RN, IBCLC, LLLL
Puerto Rico - spared by Erika
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