LACTNET Archives

Lactation Information and Discussion

LACTNET@COMMUNITY.LSOFT.COM

Options: Use Forum View

Use Monospaced Font
Show Text Part by Default
Show All Mail Headers

Message: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Topic: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Author: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]

Print Reply
Subject:
From:
"G. Hertz" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Fri, 1 Feb 2002 01:19:16 -0800
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (58 lines)
Christine,
I've been pondering the questions from your post. Teaching doctors about
breastfeeding is one of my favorite subjects to speak on. First off, I
want to say it's wonderful that you're out there presenting this info
because MDs and MD's to be (med students) need to get this information even
if some of them "don't want to hear it".
I am an MD, IBCLC and when I talk to docs I run into the subtle "that's
nice" response from SOME of them too. I have the biggest problem with the
old established docs. These older docs are so used to the formula fed baby
health record as the norm that they have a tough time changing their frame
of reference. They have been fed the formula companies' line of "education
on infant nutrition" since it first came out. Don't worry. With the current
constraints on practicing medicine now-a-days, they're all hoping to retire
in the next few years anyway.

Residents (and med students) are usually very receptive to learning about
breastfeeding. Most of them, if they are going into peds, OB/gyn or family
medicine realize that they need to know more about breastfeeding than what
they've been taught so far. There's always a few who think they know
everything that there is to know, but you'll find there's a couple of them
in
every crowd so don't let them get to you. Just because the others didn't
speak up doesn't mean they didn't absorb what you said.

So, who do people listen to? You mention the "MD" as giving credibility -
and for docs it does - somewhat. People attribute credibility to someone who
is either an authority or a peer. For your group of NPs, I'm sure you were
both. This is where teaching doctors gets tricky. One of my favorite sayings
is "An expert is a person that comes from somewhere else and brings slides."
I'd like to point out that "an authority is a person that tells you what you
already know is true". Now this may sound silly, but think about it - if
someone was telling you things like "you must rub the nipples with a hair
brush 3 times a day for 2 weeks before your due date" and "for the first
week there is only 5 minutes of milk in each breast every 4 hours so baby
can't nurse longer that this" - you'd have a pretty tough time accepting
them as an expert no matter how many slides they brought.

The tough part about doctors, especially established ones, is countering all
the "infant nutrition education" they have received from the formula
companies. To give you an idea, I see about 15 pieces of formula advertising
and information for every 1 piece of breastfeeding info. So how do you deal
with docs that have so much misinformation? Realize that you can't clear it
all up at once. If you can convince half the crowd that formula is not "just
as good" as breastmilk you've done one heck of a job. Think about it. The
infant nutrition companies have spent millions of dollars over the years
teaching just that - "formula is just as good" it doesn't really matter if
mom can't/doesn't/won't breastfeed - "formula nowadays is just as good".

Part 2 of this post will follow....
Gail S. Hertz, MD, IBCLC
[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

ATOM RSS1 RSS2