My friends, I am somewhat distressed after working 3 days this weekend
in the NICU at the same well-known hospital locally and would like to
know if it is I or the hospital-LC who needs some consciousness-raising.

Basically, (and this only scratches the surface of a weekend comedy of
correcting errors), is there ever a time where we as LCs would *teach*
this position: (track with me - you may have to actually try this to
follow) Hold baby along the left arm with baby's head in the left hand,
support the right breast with the right hand (elbow stuck out in
mid-air), allow the baby to rest primarily on a pillow on the lap, then
lean the right shoulder in toward the baby in order to "put the breast
in the mouth" making jabbing motions with right arm/shoulder breast.
Seriously, when I saw this (while discharging former-premies, now 5
pounders) and said "Gosh, are you comfortable with that position? May I
show you another position that won't stress your shoulder so?", I had 3
mothers and their husbands tell me with straight, earnest faces, "No! I
HAVE to do it this way!" When I asked why (quickly trying to come up
with what might possibly *require* this position - a fractured left
clavicle in mom??) each said the same thing: "The Lactation Specialist
said this was the *only* way I could successfully breastfeed my premie."
I then said there were many positions and I'd be happy to teach those;
the mothers were agreeable and there was even better success
(!duh!)...at which point, each couple looked at each other and said,
smiling wryly, "We refer to them as the 'Lactation Nazis'".

Any suggestions, folks? I plan to write a letter to the MCH Director, as
I think no administration would not like any of their services being
referred to in such a manner - this is really bad publicity for the
hospital, not to mention the LC profession. BTW, this hospital employs
several LCs, and apparently several of them take this approach. (I got
different names when I discreetly determined who had assisted the moms).

Katharine West, BSN, MPH
Sherman Oaks, CA