Deena:  I would add to all the other great suggestions that many doctors
are still mismanaging physiologic jaundice and not recognizing it as a
marker for inadequate breastfeeding.  Many are still telling mothers to
stop breastfeeding.  Also, since so many doctors, even those "supportive"
of breastfeeding, are hopelessly ignorant of lactation management, it
would be helpful to provide them with resources for appropriate referrals
to LC's, etc.  You might introduce them to the concept of alternative
feeding methods as well.  I recently spoke to a group of pediatricians,
and one referred to an LC's advice to a mother to supplement with an eye
dropper as insane.  Many have never even heard of a nursing
supplementer.  One more thing that they need to understand is the
importance of mothers expressing milk if their baby is not sucking
effectively.  Some of these pediatricians have caught on to the
literature about hypernatremic dehydration in babies and are big on
testing mothers' milk sodium levels, instead of preventing the
involutional hypernatremia in the first place.  Good luck, Alicia.
[log in to unmask]