I'm part of another group, which was discussing which book would be best to
give a mom upon hospital discharge.  I wrote a reply and then decided to
share it in this venue, also:

 

I have been a La Leche League Leader since 1975 and an IBCLC since 1985 - I
say this to be clear I am NOT "generation NeXXXt" - but we NEED TO KNOW how
to reach them and avoid using the way WE learned as a way to teach/reach
THEM!  I hope you all are members of the International Lactation Consultant
Association - and have received the latest Journal of Human Lactation.
PLEASE read the editorial!

 

For the last few years I've created a website for the state of California
with information for both mothers and health care providers - and have been
working at a county-level with Public Health Nurses.  The moms we work with
and see - even those on WIC - have e-mails and are used to having their
information in short bites - not BOOKS.  

 

So I recommend various more "electronic/modern" ways of reaching moms.   

- One option could be using a CD such as the inexpensive one available via
LA Publishing "Breastfeeding, You Can Do It".

- Another could be having a webpage or forum that moms could write into and
an LC could reply to - I especially like this, as moms write to me at all
hours and I (being of the age I am) can reply to them at MY 3:00 AM working
time...

- You can even use Facebook (although I'm now told that's passe) and
Twitter, etc.

- You can develop a series of information-sheets that can be e-mailed to
moms for particular ages of babies (which will address one of MY big
problems, which is visiting a mom of a 4 week old who still thinks whatever
the nurse told her the first day in the hospital still holds: size of baby's
stomach, length/frequency of feeds, # of diapers, etc.)

 

My point is - before spending money on books that moms usually (in my
experience when I make the home visit) end up in a pile at the bottom of the
closet or in a corner, while they pick up their phone to text me or their
girlfriend - SURVEY your patients and find out how THEY want their
information  AND 6 months after delivery, ask them for an evaluation to see
what worked and what didn't work!  

 

I know that Continuous Quality Improvement has become a "buzz word"  - but
this is for a good reason - it actually SAVES staff time and money giving
you information about what to continue doing because it WORKS and what to
drop (even if it is your favorite prenatal class)!

 

 

Jeanette Panchula, BSW, RN, PHN, IBCLC

California, USA


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