I have been providing information to a bfing family via the mother's sister who is a friend of mine and a WIC director. I have not spoken to the parents but have provided information to the friend who has completed lots of bfing courses-my friend is trying to help her sister but we have thrown in the towel and given up. The mother is seeing a Pediatrician in my town who has a RN/IBCLC on staff. (This person took the exam last year so she is newly certified). The mother went in to see the Ped on Friday (baby is 5 days old) with the complaint that the baby is nursing all night long and will not sleep.
(My friend has been trying to explain frequent nursings, etc) The LC gave the mother samples of ready to feed and powdered formulas and told the mother to give that to the baby at night so the baby will sleep. ARRGH!!!!
Today at work, the formula rep ( the one I gave an earful to a few months ago) came in and dropped off 3 cases of protein hydrolysate formula for one of the other LC's who had called and asked him for it for a mom who has a baby allergic to breastmilk protein. When I told her this is against the Code of Ethics for an IBCLC, she got upset and said she was just trying to help. Then when I came back, she had left me a note saying that she had checked and this is not a violation of our ethics. AARGH!!!What about the section about adhering to the Code? And what about the section in the Code about samples not being given out by health care workers?
Maybe this needs to be clarified somewhere-at the conference, IBCLICK, JHL, etc.

Barb Whitehead, BS, IBCLC
(eastern NC)

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