For those of you who provide breastfeeding education to professionals I am wondering if you would mind sharing how you help provide support and manage your students reactions to the material that is addressed as it relates to their own personal breastfeeding challenges. 

I've been teaching for some time, and I know to anticipate that for some of my students exploring the risks of formula use and the value of breastfeeding may inspire feelings of regret and grief as they reflect on their own personal breastfeeding experiences, particularly if their experience fell short of their expectations or they faced obstacles. I preface my presentations with dialogue surrounding this issue, but I am looking to you to share your approach and the strategies you find beneficial in addressing this issue.

Secondly it has been my experience that students who are trained in a healthcare discipline, and/or have received higher level education related to statistics and research methodology are often capable of understanding the approach of risks of formula use, or risks of not breastfeeding. I find that my students who are not trained in a healthcare discipline or have no exposure to concepts related to scientific research or statistics find it very difficult to use breastfeeding as the norm and speak of the risks of not breastfeeding without getting entangled in these emotional arguments about how it 'makes people feel' and so forth. I do address the issue of inducing guilt and reinforce that health promotion should not be considered guilt inducing (and refer to Newman's handout, the Ad Council PSA is reviewed in this material as well, etc....), I demonstrate interpersonal skills that can be utilized in order to adhere to the commitment to offer factual, evidence based recommendations using breastfeeding as the norm while simultaneously demonstrating regard for our clients. 

I am seeking resources that might help me improve my ability to simplify this issue for students who may be embarking in a future career as a perinatal or lactation educator, or doula for example.

I actually feel these two topics can be interrelated at times. I often find that the students who are experiencing regret and grief in regards to their own personal breastfeeding experiences are the same students who are particularly challenged by encouragement to use breastfeeding as the normative model from which to draw comparisons, perhaps because these mothers have often resorted or needed to use formula at some time.

You can send this off list if you prefer.

Thanks ahead!

Michelle H. Kinne BA IBCLC RLC ICCE CD(DONA) CLE

 





 


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