Dear Friends:
    This notion that parents should be educated and  informed is important.
    However, how can we expect parents to be proactive  when they have no 
power? And how much is the right amount to know? When was the  last time you saw 
a parent with power acting from a position of strength and  knowledge? 
    And how can we expect a lay person to be as  knowledgeable as needed to 
make good decisions?
    What happens when a parent decides to go home? They  get harassed, 
scared, and made to sign a release saying that they are leaving  against medical 
advice. If their choice is upsetting enough, the medical staff  will bring in the 
lawyers or social services to force the parent to yield. I am  thinking of 
the case about 15 years ago with a woman, dying of cancer, forced to  have a 
cesarean section. She refused, they did it anyway and the premature  infant died 
shortly after the mother did. What a mess!
    I am thinking of my teeth and gums, which will  require a expensive and 
painful surgery. How can I, who know little beyond  brushing and flossing, make 
a decision? I have seen 2 practitioners already that  are saying different 
things. Now what? I know something must be done, but how  far do I go? Raise the 
gums and scoop out underlying bone on 2 teeth or 6?
    warmly,
 
Nikki Lee RN, MS, Mother of 2, IBCLC, CCE
Maternal-Child Adjunct  Faculty Union Institute and University
Film Reviews Editor, Journal of Human  Lactation
www.breastfeedingalwaysbest.com

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