Rachel writes:

 

"The difference was when we in the breastfeeding vanguard started treating
the whole staff as adults who could be responsible for their actions,
instead of as children who couldn't be trusted to use all our supplies right
and so had to be monitored.  In retrospect I see that that attitude really
undermined getting the whole staff on board for improving all our
breastfeeding guidance skills, though at the time I thought that control was
the only solution.  I'd encourage you to foster open discussions about the
situations in which we do find shields helpful, because it will help the
staff to understand why restrictive use is important, while acknowledging
that sometimes they are a valid aid."

 

I agree with this wholeheartedly.  Bringing the staff on board with
breastfeeding issues has helped my relationship with them tremendously, and
has improved the breastfeeding care on our unit.  Since I made shields
available to the staff a few years ago, very few have actually been used.
They have totally stopped the practice of using bottle nipples over the
mother's nipple (AACK!) which used to be a fairly big problem.

 

I am depressed today, however, because someone on the staff very rudely
defaced a poster I put up this week that talked about how supplementing with
even just one bottle of formula can affect a baby for quite a while.  I have
been very happy with the progress the staff has been making and my
relationship with them lately, so this was a blow.  My boss has made me wait
until over the weekend to respond, which is probably a good idea, but I've
gone from angry to depressed.  Oh well, two steps forward, one step back.

 

Melinda Lueck

Toledo, Ohio, USA  

 

 


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