We have here the breast shells for drawing out nipples, but I have not
heard of using
a syringe; I haven't had much experience counseling mothers in more
difficult situations yet;  I've mostly dealt with the common "Do I have
enough?" "Are pacifiers good for babies?"
Thanks ahead of time.

Also, I would really appreciate that source again for the Haberman feeder.
Specifically, how it was developed,etc.  This sounds like it would be
revolutionary here.  My friend, mother of a preemie and co-student was very
interested in learning more, since she had so many problems with nipple
confusion with her son.  She plans to work primarily with mothers of
preemies.  Even though we are taking a course, it helps to learn as much as
possible on our own.


The main problem is that there are very few pregnancy courses here on
breastfeeding, where the issue of flat/inverted nipples could be dealt wih
best, before the affected mother gives birth and gets hit by an onslaught
of "expert" advice.  I was told by a nosy nurse that I would have problems
with my VERY SLIGHTLY inverted nipple. Luckily my friend told me that nurse
was neurotic and to "let it all go in one ear..."

  Even the childbirth courses usually don't cover breastfeeding in-depth,
and if they do it's
only general.  And still my childbirth educator told us to buy a box of
formula "for emergencies"
That emergency came when my child was 5 mos old and hospitalized for
gasterenteritis.  The staff INSISTED I give him some pear-banana mix they
made "since we should start solids at 4 mos", and lo and behold, *I*
figured out why he was sick - temporary allergy to bananas.  They of course
didn't believe me, I'm only the child's mother, you see.  I didn't give him
anymore solids until 7 mos, and then boy did he eat bananas.

Why the formula? Because the exhausting 6 days in hospital had a staggering
effect on my supply, so I supplemented for two days until I felt better.
I wasn't allowed to nurse the baby lying down because "NOBODY does that"
and parents in hospital aren't allowed to rest, you see.  In the end I had
a loud argument with the nurse and had the doctor write on   my child's
chart that nursing mothers require rest, and that they should allow me to
lay down to rest.  Helped for the last two days.  And this was supposed to
be the hospital with the BEST pediatric ward.  Heaven help us.
Am I sarcastic?

What do you all do when you feel frustrated and want to explode at a
staffer, and know you can't because it would be unprofessional and highly
childish (and sometimes as bad as them?)? Or if you feel a nurse or doctor
is plainly more ignorant than one would expect of a medical professional?
How do you subtlely educate them? How do you all calm yourselves
down?
Same hospital experience I had a 20 minute argument with the nurse who told
me my child had diarrhea - all he had were breastmilk stools.  And for that
he was kept over two extra days.


Nofia Altman
Human Milk Advocate
LC-in-Training
Beit El, Israel
My first aim as an IBCLC will be to arm pregnant women with an onslaught of
accurate information that will stagger health care workers everywhere so
that they will find themselves going back to the books.