>In a message dated 97-06-06 19:51:29 EDT, you write:
><< who was bottle feeding EBM complained that I "bamboozeled" her
> into breastfeeding and was "pushing" her  into breastfeeding before she was
> ready!

One mom with a baby who was born premature told me that her ped. came in on
day 2 and told her with strong conviction that the best thing she could do
for her little 4 pound baby was to breastfeed him.  She recommended pumping
for now, have his mouth on the breast as often as she could, and as soon as
possible have him breastfeeding.  I began working with her when baby was 3
weeks old and this early assurance that she could do something so grand for
her baby was what kept her going for the 5 days of very hard work getting
him fully to the breast.

The basic belief of the nurses and the administration (bottle is standard)
is evident in their desire to satisfy mom's whims at the expense of baby's
health. It doesn't matter so we be "nice."  It it really matters we don't
put "nice" first.  And this mom probably knew that breastfeeding was not
supported by the hospital staff or she wouldn't have believed that her
complaints would have so great an effect. And if they took her complaints to
the hierarchy, when they too knew that she was a complainer, then they were
half way there already.

It's too bad that so many moms who feel pushed to give bottles don't
complain loudly.  But they are too busy feeding their babies at their
breasts, and their prolactin mellows them out so that they don't feel like
taking on "causes. I'm always urging moms to write to hospitals about what
was helpful and what was harmful to their goal of breastfeeding.  Few write.

For every mom like the one you wrote about , there are 15 that need your
assurance that feeding their baby at their breasts is something with
profound health benefits, something that they can take steps toward at this
time that they feel so helpless.  We musn't let the vociferous ones have
undue influence on how we do our work.

I have had moms who state that they plan to pump and feed their breastmilk
from a bottle to be sure that baby gets the best nutrition at this time.  I
compliment them on their desire to do the best, then give them additional
information to let them know that it does, in fact, matter how the baby gets
this breastmilk, plus informing them of the benefits to them.  A few choose
to just bottle feed, but almost all move on to breastfeeding.


We must say our Truth.  Others don't have to accept it, but it serves no one
to compromise our integrity in our work.

Patricia Gima, IBCLC
Milwaukee
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