What a GREAT JOB you did!  I can't imagine a better reply to what was of course a stressful situation.  Instead of increasing the stress on the mom, you supported her and provided information to both the nurse and the mom...

We always hang up, and then at 3 am think of all sorts of different ways we could have handled it (thus your note on Lactnet) but you did very well...

It sounds like this nurse is coming from the "I TOLD her what to do - she's supposed to DO IT" mentality that I see is SOME nurses...  It is clear she is trying to "solve all the problems of the world" in the 1 - 2 days that she has the baby in her care.  That is one of the big problems with the current infant-mother care delivery system.  Nurses feel they MUST "treat and prevent" EVERYTHING that COULD go wrong... We have gone from "anticipatory guidance" to "anticipatory TREATMENT" - we TREAT (supplement, prescriptions, etc.) "just in case"...    

One of the activities that I found the most rewarding was offering a session to hospital nurses about what is "out here" ... so that they DIDN'T feel they were all alone, and no one else will be there to help moms if there is a problem...  

Perhaps that is one project that your Breastfeeding Coalition could offer...and then add to it a section on why "exclusive breastfeeding" is part of Baby Friendly or "exclusive breast milk feeding" is one of The Joint Commission's  perinatal core measures...

Jeanette Panchula, BSW, RN, PHN, IBCLC
California, USA 

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