Hi Judy,

Sometimes that is all you can do, listen and be compassionate... At 
least this mother will feel understood. Maybe, if she ever gets another 
child, she will call you sooner and have a better chance at succeeding. 
Or maybe she will tell friends and relatives how well you helped her and 
prompt other mothers to call for help sooner.

Roosje van Gorp
LLL Leader
Maastricht, the Netherlands
>  
> This was obviously from last week already, but here were my thoughts  
> anyway...
>  
> Sam writes:
>
> If  we
> have "experts" on artificial infant feeding, who are also supposed to  be
> experts on breastfeeding, where is the line drawn? The line starts to  blur 
> -
> I'm an expert on formula a, and it's almost as good...  
>
>
>
> ~~~ I look at it like this: I will never believe nor lead anyone else to  
> believe that using an artificial limb is normal, or as healthy as using one's 
>  own ( it actually costs a lot more energy), nor would I ever suggest 
> someone use  a wheelchair or crutches when they could, with some good work over 
> time,  transition back to normal walking without an assistive device. But I 
> will  support the use of the items for those who need them, and I will learn 
> as much  as I can for people for do need them. People who casually choose to 
> use bottles  or artificial infant milks over breastfeeding do not need my 
> guidance. But  today, and there may be anger over this, I helped a mother 
> I've been working  with decide which AIM and which bottles might be the least 
> risky for her baby.  She was of "advanced maternal age", obese, with huge, 
> shapeless nipples and  breasts which never changed during pregnancy, and after 
> pumping appropriately,  herbs, nutritional support, and supplementing with 
> a tube at breast for a week,  she still got no more than 1.5 ounces of milk 
> in a 24 hour period. We talked  about other options like acupuncture and a 
> consult with a local breastfeeding  medicine specialist. She said she was 
> afraid of needles, but might consider the  consult to try to figure out why her 
> body did not respond to any/ all the things  she tried. We talked about 
> milk banks, but our current system is not set up to  help mothers so that 
> anyone who needs human milk for their baby can have access  to the supply needed. 
> She was devastated, and tired of working and seeing  nothing change. Since 
> her baby was nearly 2 weeks old before any of this was  suggested, I have no 
> idea whether earlier timing might have made a difference,  but for now, she 
> said she's done trying. I encouraged her to keep putting the  baby to 
> breast, even if she doesn't think he's "getting anything" because  breastfeeding 
> is so much more than transfer of calories. I also answered her  questions 
> about how formulas are and are not different, and how to feed her baby  as 
> safely as she can with a bottle, and with an eye toward normal amounts and  
> pacing.  I do feel like these are helpful and compassionate skills for  me to 
> have. 
>  
> Peace,
> Judy  
>
>
>   

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