amen sister to barbara's post about doing research. i must proudly point out
that dr. newman and i are still working on the answer to her first question
(how long does it take to dry up). i never thought about doing research when
i began doing this work, but i have found it to be intensely interesting. it
is also a lot of work, but well worth it. how else will we get the respect we
clamor for, unless there is a body of research to support us?

of course that doesn't begin to address the other cause of "magical thinking"
that i so often see applied to breastfeeding issues. it is called
"extrapolating from your own experience." this is why having breastfed or not
having breastfed probably makes little difference to our abilities doing this
work, aside from providing a basis for commitment.

i see too many HCPs doing this. here are some recent examples - babies don't
need treatment for reflux because MY baby did just fine; mothers will have
pain for the first six weeks, sometimes excruciating, and that is normal,
because *I* had pain and *no one* could figure out the cause; your baby can
sleep through the night while breastfeeding because *mine* did; and so forth.

puleeeease! if i operated from the basis of my own experience, i would have
mothers using syntocinon, pacifiers, and tea bags taped to their sore
nipples. luckily i learned a lot in a short time after no. one son was born
and wouldn't wish lousy treatment like mine on anyone. or, i could tell
people that breastfeeding was no big deal, their babies would grow fine,
sleep through the night at ten days (okay, don't shoot me, please), and so
forth.

i have a new relationship with a bf friendly pediatrician (yeah! they live!)
and she was frankly amazed that i have stuff like an ictoremeter and know how
to use it. duh. maybe she thought it was all touchy-feely stuff. hey!
evidence-based practice. i seem to remember someone teaching me that phrase.
could it be . . . barbara clay?

more on milk banking in a minute, its halloween here, and luckily for me my
oldest son, who possesses a fine wit, is not dressing up in the scariest
costume i can imagine - a bottle of formula.

carol brussel IBCLC

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