Billie asks, "At the same time, it is counterproductive to be excluded
from seeing breastfeeding mothers.

Do physicians really have the right to not allow an LC to see patients?
Do they own the patients?  I can't comprehend how a mother can be
excluded from a standard of care that the hospital follows because her
doctor is on an ego trip."

No, ethically, it is not alright and the place to go would be the ethics
committee of your hospital.  That is where the hospital I spoke of is
now, the management is considering this course of action and I would
strongly encourage you to as well.  Of course, the caveat is that
management has to be behind you and support you in the face of these
restrictions by physicians.  It will carry more weight if some doctors
are fine with your visits to their patients and some are not.  That
would present an ethical dilemma as some patients are denied access to
care that others freely get.  In any case, the basic issue is the same.
You are on staff.  You are qualified to give care and doctors are
denying their patients the right to see you.  Do the docs request some
other LC?  I could even see it (not agreeing of course) if they just
didn't like YOU and wanted someone else to see their patient.  I think
they are shooting themselves in the foot by denying their patients the
right to see *any* LC because they are effectively showing their
disregard for lactation consultation as a discipline not particularly
you as a professional person.  That, I think, could be their downfall,
if you approach it correctly!

Good luck.  Walking on eggshells can only last so long before one
breaks, either the walker or the eggshell!

Marsha, whose been there, done that, still working on the t-shirt!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Marsha Glass RN, BSN, IBCLC~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mothers have as powerful an influence over the welfare of future
generations as all other earthly causes combined.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~John S. C. Abbot~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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