After re-reading my post to this thread I realize that my intended thoughts
did not come across clearly. My nursing brain is still quite foggy after our
newest addition! Of course babies can choke or aspirate while breastfeeding
and I certainly do encourage examination and followup. 

The tangent from the choking thread I was hoping to highlight was the issue
of perceived hazards vs. real hazards (ex. perceived low supply vs. real low
milk supply). The WIC cases of mine that I mentioned were about perceived
issues. The babies involved had not actually choked or aspirated but the
mothers perceived that they had. A small percentage of mothers I support
seem to honestly have some deep issues that seem to be borderline neurotic
or hypochondriac-like. Counseling and listening skills help me begin to read
between the lines when these particular moms discuss their bf issues but it
can be tricky to figure out what is really going on and what their true bf
goals are. With other types of moms I can sense when they are bringing up
issues just to find an excuse not to bf. However with some of these moms
with "perceived issues" I honestly have a rough time trying to figure out
what it is they want in terms of bf support.

I am quite interested in this topic of perceived issues vs. real issues and
how a mother's education, socioeconomic situation, culture and background,
etc all come in to play. I find that there is a more intense level of
anxiety and perceived medical concerns among my WIC clients than other
mothers that I support in the community. Does any one know if any studies
exist in regards to this topic? 

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