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Subject:
From:
Jill Meltzer <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sat, 4 May 1996 20:47:02 -0400
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Hi, today I attended the Mid-Hudson Lactation Consortium Conference starring
Kathleen Auerbach.  While there, a fellow Lactnetter came over to say hello
to me and innocently asked about the situation I discussed with all of you
about "My bad day"  when my boss came down on me for promoting breastfeeding
to the 4 day post partum mom with engorgement and the mother perceived me as
coming on too strong and making her feel guilty.  Anyway, this fellow
lactnetter acquaintance of mine said to me, :  "Whatever happened with that
incident with your coordinator and that problem?" or something like that, and
my coordinator was sitting right next to me and heard her!  It was really
quite funny - sorry you were embarrassed Ellen.  Fortunately I had told my
coordinator that I discussed the situation of Lactnet without using her name
and she acted okay about it.  The case actually got pretty much dropped ( at
least outwardly) after I wrote a 4 page "rebutal".   I gave an inservice
yesterday and among other things discussed the issue of guilt as being a
choice the mother makes and how I feel we should be doing breastfeeding
promotion and about discussing the disadvantages of ABM rather than only
discussing advantages of human milk.  The staff as usual was pretty
unreceptive, almost to the point of hostile, but what do you know, my
coordinator was actually suppportive of what I was saying! (even told me I
had a tough job ahead and said I handled it well!)   What was also great was
that today Kathleen discussed some of the same issues I did at the inservice
I did yesterday and said the same kinds of things I did (about guilt, and the
power to make and informed choice and acting as we are not neutral on the
subject of breastfeeding being the acceptable normal way a baby should be
fed) and my coordinator  noticed the similarities.  Thank goodness that
Kathleen has so more credibility than I do ;-) because having heard her say
similar things to what I said certainly may help  my case, (thanks Kathleen)
even though the nutritionist thinks my way of doing breastfeeding promotion
is manipulative and she refuses to cooperate to my satisfaction.  Anyway just
to let everyone that was so supportive  while I was so upset about that
incident with the client, know that for the last few weeks the boss and I
have been getting along very well.  I hope it lasts.  It sure  makes it
easier to get up and go to work in the morning.
  P.S.  I am the Breastfeeding Coordinator, R.N. of a WIC Program and have
been doing breastfeeding counseling for over 13 years and before that held
LLL meetings in my home as a League mother (never completed my leadership
process because I went to nursing school.  I do routine breastfeeding
promotion and counseling, crisis counseling, take emergency calls at home,
make occasional home visits, even a rare hospital visit, train peer
counselors and run that program, as well as doing breastfeeding inservices to
staff.    I tell people I'm the breastfeeding coordinator and lactation
counselor, that IS what I am, I'm not pretending to be anything else, or
something I'm not so What should I call myself.  There are lactations
consultants (people do call me for consults or crisis help or whatever) and
there are IBCLC certified lactation consultants and that's how I see it IMHO.

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