Marie wrote, "The only person's behaviors or feelings that we can
control is our own. We can present the facts. Or we can omit the facts and
reflect our cultural bias. Breast is best. If women feel guilty for not
giving their babies the best, well, maybe they should. My basic philosophy
is the people feel guilty only when they know in their hearts that they are
wrong."

Gotta confess on this thread - I did a truly awful thing today.  A new (for
me) lady doctor phoned to refer a 21 year old single mom of a 5 day old
baby. The doctor described how Mom had sore nipples and was very engorged
and then concluded, in withering tones, "... and she wants to *bottle*-feed
...!" Please would I go over "positioning" with her?   I dropped everything
and the young mom arrived half an hour later, together with her friend who
had a 13 month old, who had that glazed-doughnut type face (ref Bill Cosby)
and was wheezily slurping at an up-ended *bottle* of orange-juice. My heart
sank.  It got worse when Mom picked the baby up out of the carry-cot and
there was the bottle of formula lying under the baby!

I took the history, examined the breasts (superficially abraded nipples and
moderate engorgement) and sussed out what the mother wanted to do.  It was
clear we are at odds here - mom *did* in fact want to bottle-feed, "because
the baby seems so content on ****brand  (costing more for the next year than
she will earn in a month).  However, the doctor had made it clear she wanted
her to breastfeed.  We reviewed manual expression (very easy) and the need
to drain the breasts, and were just about to review the positioning when
baby started to fuss.  Mom picked up the bottle and I heard myself blurt,
"Please don't give the baby THAT now ..." and Mom dropped it like a hot
coal!  Aaaarrgh! It just slipped out! How could I have done such a thing??

Anyway, the result was that although Mom resolutely refused to try the baby
on the breast direct, she was receptive to the idea of a shield (I hate
using shields for sore nipples, but this was a last-resort situation) baby
latched brilliantly and Mom was amazed to feel no pain.  We'll see what
tomorrow brings.

Pamela Morrison IBCLC, Zimbabwe (writheing with guilt for being
crystal-clear about the differences between breastmilk and formula, and for
*ordering* a client not to bottle-feed in my office  .. oh dear!)

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