Oh Alicia, how right you are!  Our hope does lie with the next generation of
physicians.  I have had a glimpse of this next generation and I am hopeful.

A pregnant woman came to one of my LLL meetings with the usual questions and
concerns.  She also had concerns about her impending c-section because the
baby was transverse.  As it turned out, she was a med student.  She
experienced many of the pitfalls any other mother would encounter after her
baby's birth including a nurse who had her feeding sugar water with a dropper
in the middle of the night because the nurse was sure the baby wasn't getting
enough because, on day 1 1/2, baby had ONLY 2 wet diapers.  Imagine that.
Sounds critical, doesn't it.  Luckily the morning shift knew their stuff and
tossed the dropper and put baby to breast.

This lady has grown and grown in her breastfeeding knowledge and her
mothering. (And she continues to come to LLL!)  She nursed her first baby for
a year and a half, supplementing with ABM maybe 1 or 2x a day when pumping
was difficult or unproductive as an intern.  She has now had her second
child, BF of course, and is so very knowledgeable and supportive of her BF
patients.  No one gives a BF baby a bottle on her shift.  Now if we could
only clone her.

She came with my co-LC and I to speak to OB residents and really didn't need
us there at all!  She was wonderful.  She may be one in a million (I hope
not!) but she will be a very important one.  She will be a terrific family
practice MD.

Yes, Alicia, there is hope in the next generation. And I do have to believe
that. I think this is where I go to my second post.

Linda Barrett, IBCLC, LLLL, Dayton, OH

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