I was so incensed after watching this program last evening (which I had taped),
I watched the most offensive parts again this morning before Emailing Lifetime
with my comments. I said that it was unfortunate they chose to portray a
caricature, rather than a true to life lactation specialist. Their character
ignored the mother's request for privacy, commented loudly on her "large
nipples!" and touched her without her permission. She spouted robotic dogma
about nipple confusion, criticized the mother, used no empathy, and the patient
was left to be saved by the heroic OB/GYN, who told her that breast milk was
only "marginally" better than formula.
Despite her clear symptoms of PPD, the OB does not figure it out until the end
of the program, when she then sends her to a psychiatrist, who puts her on
antidepressants, which both MDs say will preclude her breastfeeding or giving
breast milk. The mother is clearly grieving for the loss of the breastfeeding,
and after being told by the MD that formula is a perfectly acceptable
alternative, she then offers to look into banked donor milk. She says that
although babies are supposed to have a clear medical reason to receive it, she
will circumvent the rules for her.
The program ends with another mother who has lost her baby at birth (and was
portrayed as having a very questionable background), breastfeeding the baby of
the PPD mom, who slept on the couch next to her in the physician's waiting room.
I hope no mother who sees this delays treatment for PPD (feeling she could not
continue breastfeeding), or goes off antidepressants. I also imagine there are
women who would never consult a lactation specialist after seeing this program.
Grace Doolittle, RNC
Minneapolis, MN
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