Patty alerted us to Today show (USA) of 4/10 in which Dr. Donnica
Moore made some comments about birth and bf that maybe should be
addressed w/ some emails from us. I caution you to read the entire
piece before you write, as Patty suggested also.
While it seems obvious to me that Dr. Moore views hosp birth and the
use of medical technology and anesthesia as the norm, after reading
the entire piece, I did not feel that she was anti-bf or even
anti-natural birth. Here are the relevant comments she made
addressing "third trimester MYTHS":
Natural birth is always better. No extra "points" are given in the
mother-of-the-year contest for who suffered the most in labor. Asking
for pain medication or an epidural does not mean that you're weak in
character; it does mean you are experiencing one of the most painful
conditions! The goal of pregnancy and delivery is a healthy mother and
a healthy baby; in the long run, it doesn't matter what it took to get
that desired outcome.
You're a bad mother if you decide not to breast feed. While breast
feeding is generally optimal for newborns for many documented reasons,
it is not always. For numerous physical, social, cultural,
psychological, or emotional reasons, there are mothers who either
cannot nurse or who choose not to nurse. [yeah, I know, a bit of the
guilt thing here - LW].
To her credit, she says that "A wide range of health care providers
offer prenatal care in a number of different settings: obstetricians,
family clinicians, women’s health care clinicians, nurse midwives,
clinician assistants, nurse practitioners and nurses."
Then, later, under "Important issues to discuss with your clinician in
the third trimester":
Breast-feeding: address any concerns or questions you may have. Are
there any medical reasons you should not breastfeed? Would you like a
referral to a lactation consultant postpartum?
Postpartum contraception: what are your choices? What are your
options? The good news is that there is now an oral contraceptive that
is safe for nursing mothers. [not sure which one; not sure she knows
or would endorse LAM - LW].
OK, now I know she is not ready to be certified as a lactnut, but I
thought that her comments, taken in the full context of her piece,
were probably where most U.S. docs are at. I will write, but I will be
respectful and positive. I am not suggesting anyone would not be,
however, it is easy to get burned when you fire off a quickie email.
Laurie Wheeler, RN, MN, IBCLC
Louisiana Breastfeeding MediaWatch Campaign
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