It is hard sometimes not to be excited when we see a mom and baby have that
magic first successful feed, and then to be brought down when we hear that
after we leave, they just couldn't sustain it.  I actually brought a mom
home a few months ago and had her and the baby stay in a spare room for
about 36 hrs so I could help with every feeding.  They still didn't make it.
She's pumping and feeding breastmilk exclusively by bottle, even now that
the baby's in day care and she's back at work.  However, my best efforts and
even the unusual effort of 'adopting' them didn't bring full success.  We
just can't fix every problem.  Ultimately I think what stays with the mom is
our concern for her.  Trying to communicate that calmly and to keep our
responses moderated probably does remove  what the mother may perceive as
some additional pressure.  I just find that performance anxiety is best
minimized by low-key praise.

Barbara Wilson-Clay BSEd, IBCLC
Austin Lactation Associates
http://www.lactnews.com

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