Dear Pam,
       I can appreciate your frustration with so many mothers thinking they
cannot breastfeed without a breast pump.  But please do not lump all lactation
consultants into the same category of being "at the top of the list of
'selling' the idea that nursing cannot occur successfully unless she is pumping,
using lanolin", etc.  While some IBCLCs may behave that way, I myself and many of
my colleagues do not.
       When I get a phone call from a 3-day postpartum mother (or a family
member on her behalf) wanting to come rent a pump immediately because she is
painfully engorged, I *always* suggest hand expression first (and I usually have
to explain that I mean "by hand" because so many people think that means using
a manual pump!).  I explain that mom can begin to do that right while we are
speaking, as I explain to her how to do it, whereas she would just get more
and more uncomfortable waiting for someone to get to my office to pick up a pump
and drive back home again.  I suggest she try to soften the breast some with
hand expression and then try putting baby to breast again, with the
recommendation that she call back if it just doesn't work.  Moms rarely call back for
that, but often call again later with more questions because they got help they
didn't expect when they called the first time.
       When moms call wanting to know my rental rates, I ask if they are
going to work or school full time.  If they won't be doing that, I always suggest
a cheaper manual pump or one-sided electric pump, with explanation of the
differences in pumps and what situations they are designed for.
       I have never sold a pair of breast shells for sore nipples.  (I have
sold the ones for inverted nipples.)  I have always felt it was more important
to fix the reason the mom is sore.  If we are successful with that, she will
feel so much better in just a day or two, that it has seemed unethical to sell
her a set of shells for pain when her pain (hopefully) won't last long.
       There are all kinds of products sold in baby stores that ought to be
only sold with professional consultation, but moms don't know that when they
see them in the stores.  And there are ads for all kinds of products, too.  Moms
see so many ads for pumps that they just assume every nursing mom will need a
pump.  The manufacturers of breastfeeding products "push" their products
every way they can, because they are in the business to sell things.  But it is
unfair to blame IBCLCs, who carry these same products because sometimes there is
a mom who could really be helped by one of these products, for all the
misinformation and wrong assumptions moms have about the need for various
breastfeeding products.
       Dee

Dee Kassing, BS, MLS, IBCLC
Collinsville, Illinois, in central USA

             ***********************************************

To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail
To start it again: set lactnet mail (or digest)
To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
All commands go to [log in to unmask]

The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html