Hi, Lactnetters.  As some of you already know, I have recently moved to a
rural community in southern Iowa with little breastfeeding information or
support available...anyway, here is my most recent dilemma...a woman I
know who is breastfeeding (one of the only bf moms in this town) called
and asked me if I could help her sister-in-law who recently moved to
town.  She told me that she had just had a baby a couple of weeks ago and
that her nipples were sore, cracked and bleeding.  She gave me her
sister-in-law's phone # and I immediately hung up and called her (funny,
I could never be a salesperson and do cold calls, but when it comes to
bf, I can call people I don't even know without a second's hesitation).
Anyway, to make a long story shorter, the baby is two weeks old.  The mom
said she had done a lot of reading during her pregnancy and had planned
on having a midwife-attended delivery with no meds or other
interventions, which she did have and told me she was very proud of
that.  She said that she had fully intended on breastfeeding and had
started but after the first week and a half had very sore nipples that
cracked and bled.  As a result, she started pumping and giving the baby
EBM via bottle.  She stated that she was not able to keep up with demand
so had started giving formula as well :(  She is using a G****R pump and
was unwilling to consider a different pump because she had already spent
the money on it, and felt like she was getting milk (approx. 6 oz. on one
breast, 2 oz. on the other at each pumping...which she was only doing
three times a day).  Anyway, I gave her as much education over the phone
about pumping, sore nipples, proper latch-on as I could over the phone
and offered to come over to help her and observe the baby's latch.  She
was happy for the telephone support but to be honest, I think she saw
limited benefits to actually having me watch the latch, changing pumps,
etc.etc.etc.  I guess I write this #1 to express my frustration and #2,
knowing what we all know about the consequences even one bottle (or less)
of formula can have, how do you explain that to the woman in a diplomatic
way without making her feel guilty for something she has already done?  I
feel like in order to get some of these women to go back to the breast,
they need to have a firm understanding of just what some of the harmful
effects even a small amount of ABM can have, but how do you pose that
when in a way, it's too late.  I realize that going back to exclusive bf
would be ideal...but how do you get that point across???especially to
someone who obviously saw the benefits of having an intervention-free
birth experience?  Anyway, again, I am longwinded...but I really would
love to actually see two women in this town breastfeed.
P.S.  Her birth experience occurred in a city four hours from here.  Her
husband recently opened a chiropractic practice here and they delivered
in the town they used to live in.  Thought I better clear that up for
those of you who wondered how she could have a midwife-attended delivery
with no postpartum bf support.