Hats off to you! Are they your private clients or did they get referred
to you from hospitals or what? I have always toyed with the idea of a
small private practice, but it's not the season yet. Or maybe, never.
Best I focus on trying to write.

I had a ball this week making visits to the daughter of a WIC LPN who
aspires to be IBCLC. She had IV pitocin induction, and I wanted to teach
her to try out my latest theory. Wouldn't you know it! She seemed to have
practically no edema. Don't know whether it was because the baby was such
a good nurser and we (granny and I) helped her learn massage and pumped
on the 4th day or not.

Baby's bili was 11 in hospital, 15 on day 4, so ped ordered another
follow-up blood test and told them "it was due to a hormone in mother's
milk" and told them to feed ABM every other feeding, because it didn't
have the hormone!

We told the couple we couldn't tell them what to do, but the information
was a half-truth,  if that, and not up-to-date.  Getting the mother
comfortable (unknotty) would supply a bottle of EBM that dad could feed
between nursings x 1 during the night so mom could sleep for maybe 3
hours straight. Thereby they could report how much intake the baby had
between nursings, and see plenty of calories and liquid going down
without using ABM, if they so agreed between them. (Dad has asthma and
milk allergy.)

Bili was drawn by the lab today, no direct contact with doc, who left a
message on their answering machine that it was still 15, so keep on doing
what they had been doing the previous 24 hours! So they didn't have to
lie or confront the doc or anything. It will be repeated tomorrow (poor
heels!) and doc had not told her anything about bright light, which is
hard to do with window light in winter and not risk chilling baby. So it
will be interesting to see if it's down tomorrow.

She said she liked my new intervention, but then, she is at a vulnerable
time, so what was she going to say? At least today, latch is pain-free,
damage on one nipple is still only  barely visible, < 1/32 inch in
diameter, (never got any bigger) and baby is eating and pooping  great.
It does give one a "fix" when things go according to Hoyle, doesn't it?
And it's wonderful to have a knowledgeable grandma who looks to you for
further advice!

I love reading your posts. It seems to me more what LN is for, rather
than the fluff and smart-aleck stuff that frequently goes on. I am having
a ball trying to be a "nurturing, mentoring influence" by private post to
other LC's who seek help on LN. I think my enthusiasm for sounding off on
the couple of occasions I did has waned after many of the posted
responses. "A (wo)man convinced against her(his) will is of the same
opinion still."

Warmly,

Jean

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