I want to share with you a conversation I overheard at work the other evening. 

 Here's the gist:  Two nurses were talking about another nurse (that also worked at the hospital) that had just delivered her baby.  One of the nurses was assigned to her care.  They were sitting at the nurses station feeding the baby a bottle of formula (per the mother's request).  The younger nurse (single, no children) was talking  to the other one in regards to breastfeeding.  The younger nurse was saying to the other nurse, "You didn't breastfeed your children, right?"  The other nurse says, "No, I knew I was not one that could get up at night to feed, all my children were sleeping through the night by two weeks of age."  The younger nurse says, ".......and your children are healthy, right?"  The other nurse says, "Yes, my children are extremely healthy, I think that breastfeeding is a matter of personal choice."  They were discussing the fact that the nurse who had just delivered was making the choice to send her baby to the nursery and be "fed in" at night.  They thought that that was a good thing so that the new mother could get some rest.  The younger nurse then said, "Well, If I do decide to breastfeed, then I'm going to be sure and give my baby a bottle too so that I can do both."  I was sitting at the nurses station charting.


Believe me, I was so tempted to say something, but since I wasn't purposely included in the conversation, I didn't comment.  It was the end of the evening and I was trying to chart and wind things up.  I would like to sometime take the younger nurse aside and ask her about her attitude about breastfeeding and provide her with more information.  The other thing, the nurse that had the baby doesn't realize the impact of her *choice*. This younger nurse was looking at her as the *ideal* situation.  The nurse who didn't breastfeed is also a smoker.  So, obviously I think she isn't too careful about health issues........or she prefers to stick her head in the sand.  

Just seething and trying to think before acting.


Connie Chiavario, IBCLC

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