Allison said: "I want breastfeeding education to be mandatory!"  - YES for MDs, NP, nurses, dentists, ER docs, pharmacists, and anyone else likely to tell a mom to stop breastfeeding because.....(fill in the blank)...

WHEN will we have enough malpractice cases to cause them to include this requirement?  Probably not until, in this lawsuit-dependent county, enough moms realize that THEY are not the reason they are not able to breastfeed...

Interestingly, in the US, I don't see the IBCLCs showing the frustration and anger that many of us speak about in Lactnet - it is the PEER COUNSELORS that contact me FURIOUS with the lack of knowledge, poor information and in general DISGUST with the system!

They call me - they get me to see moms, they bring mothers to my support groups, now they are creating their own support groups when they found that even the groups hosted in hospitals did not provide the information the mothers needed (remember, hospital staff is limited in what to say...it may not be "politically correct"!).

Here in California and in other states, peer counselors are being taught how to support breastfeeding mothers - and they go out...and find that what they were taught is NOT what the mothers are told by their MDs, nurse practitioners, nurses, telephone advice nurses, etc.

Just this week I saw FOUR mothers (as a La Leche League Leader - I refer mothers who can afford it, to local IBCLCs) who were:
 - not evaluated in the hospital (WNL means We Never Looked, not Within Normal Limits, you know)
 - not seen post discharge or referred to anyone even though they reported to the doctor (in the "well baby checkup" that they were not breastfeeding well
 - not given adequate information about normal infant behavior and changes, what to watch out for, when to seek help
 - not provided ANY follow-up (and did you know that giving a phone number doesn't work, with most newly-delivered women?)

We discussed this in my La Leche League support group - and the moms there admitted that they, also, got little help, but - they never sent a letter reporting this lack of support. 

How about if we create a form letter with checks - and help EVERY mother we see complete it and send it in?  Suggestions?  Has anyone done this before?  Even if you have, can we do it again?  Maybe this time it will work???

BECAUSE until doctors and nurses and hospital administrators know that there is a LACK of knowledge - they won't attend trainings!  First principle of adult education:  they have to want to learn!  (Actually it's the first principle of ANY age education...)

Jeanette Panchula, BSW, RN, PHN, IBCLC
California, USA 

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