Hello friends Just a little venting here:
Remember the  baby who latched on beautifully in the office when left alone
and the parents were going to try rebirthing at home? Well this kid managed
to get even more breast-phobic over the weekend. (he had fought the breast
from birth-- wouldn't even latch after delivery) I speculate that the parents
were trying too hard. Sometimes no matter how we caution them agaist letting
the baby get upset at breast-- they get over-zealous when they get fustrated
or worn out. Mom's milk supply is gone--too much stresss, too little pumping,
too little stimulation. By Monday-- they gave up--breastfeeding just *Isn't
going to work for us* I cried with them.
I had problems latching with several babies this week--I was starting to feel
like I'd lost *the touch*.  A baby who went on a nursing strike for no
apparent reason, screaming in my office while mom sobbed. Moms with
redicioulous reasons not to Br F after it didn't work in the hospital. A mom
that aggitated a physician regarding her lack of care for her baby  and then
said I had given her the information. Result--An angry physician that won't
return my calls. There are rumors about an impending nurse's strike and
rumors that the medical center is going to be closed. The whole week was too
many problems and not enough time to handle them as well as I would have
liked.
The last mom I saw on Friday was the mom of a premie that I had been working
with for 21 days. She  made the whole week, end on a wonderful note. She was
origionally sent home from the hospital with a little 4 1/2 pound, 31 week
gest, premie on a Friday afternoon. I saw her the following Mon. by that time
the baby was in REAL trouble. She was a dedicated LLL member and refused the
use of any formula. Mom pumped every 1 1/2 hours and got her milk supply
 really going, tried to nurse at breast but baby had no suck reflex,  so she
syringe fed, and later used a feeding tube to just get though. I saw her
every day (she lives almost 100 miles from the clinic) for the first two
weeks. We worked through each problem or phase as it came up.  She told me
that all of a sudden on Wednesday baby got the idea and began nursing like
*it was no big deal*. On Friday, this mom left me a beautiful thank you card
with a picture and a footprint, and a beautiful plant. Here's what she said:
When we first started this I thought my baby might not make it. Then I felt
that it was going to be an eternity of tubes and pumping and that we might
never be a normal nursing couple. You never made any guarantees about how
long this would take or if it would even work. But you gave me the support
and encouragement I needed to keep going. I am so thankful that I could come
get help. If it wasn't for you we wouldn't be the happy nursing couple that
we are today... (It wasn't me really, it was simply waiting for the baby to
mature and keeping her fed while we waited on mother nature)
And that folks was my week. I hope this next week will be a whole lot better.
Marie