Return-path: <[log in to unmask]> From: [log in to unmask] Full-name: KRBhom Message-ID: <[log in to unmask]> Date: Fri, 25 Aug 2000 14:15:31 EDT Subject: Selling things room to room To: [log in to unmask] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mailer: AOL 4.0 for Mac - Post-GM sub 147 Yesterday I spent 45 minutes with a young couple who wanted information on everything except the actual putting of the baby to the breast. Which pump should we buy today, when can we pump, which formula is best for supplementation, etc, etc, etc. Meanwhile baby lay in the basinet rooting. Needless to say this made me NUTS. To quote the director of our center (Melanie Ashworth...hope she doesn't mind) re pumping, supplementing, etc. "This is NOT today's job." I finally convinced mom to put her baby to breast and, bless the little ones heart, she did a bang up job of latching, sucking and swallowing, totally softening mommy's moderately engorged breasts. Now imagine if the pink lady had arrived with an array of breastfeeding equipment. This family could have been convinced to buy any item on the cart, furthering separation of mother and baby. Despite great breastfeeding, this family continued to hound me about pumping, asking to try out a variety of pumps before they left the hospital. I explained that this was not a service we provided and that there was absolutely no reason for mother to pump at this time. I recommended that they return to our lactation center at 3 weeks to discuss pumps for return to work. Meanwhile she was to just breastfeed. I strongly believe that breastfeeding aids and equipment can be invaluable when they are indicated but a large part of our responsibility as LC's is to ensure their judicious use. When they become part of our livelihood we've muddied the waters and threatened our credibility. I also find it almost impossible to believe that the practice of selling items room to room could increase breastfeeding rates. It would only provide one more distraction while sending the message that successful breastfeeding requires money and lots of equipment. Better we spend our time dispelling this notion. Kathy Boggs, RN, IBCLC Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford. Palo Alto, CA