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Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Fri, 4 Sep 1998 08:17:16 -0400
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I supposed I should have objected to the expression "doctor bashing" in the
first place.  By "bashing" one doctor (or other health professional) I, or
someone else, am not bashing *all* doctors.  And the very fact that so many
doctors don't seem to understand that, makes me wonder about their thought
processes.  In fact, physicians in general are getting better and better, I
think, with regard to breastfeeding.  But there are still some bad apples.

I do not think that the analogy of the mother kicking the child is valid.
We (breastfeeding advocates) are in the weaker position (the position of the
child).  It is the physician (as part of the establishment which maintains
that breastfeeding can be sacrificed for any reason) who does not listen or
understand who is in the position of the mother kicking the child.

But, really this is not the point.  The point is that Lactnet is a
discussion forum for health professionals.  If a physician, nurse or other
health professional gives out stupid advice, I think we have a *duty* to
make it clear that this is stupid advice.  If we want to be nice we can use
the word "dubious" or "questionable" instead of "stupid", but the fact
remains that we have a right to make it clear that the advice was
inappropriate.  If some people consider this "bashing", I'm sorry about
their thin skins.  Nobody is ever named by name on Lactnet, and it is
extremely unlikely than anyone but the writer of the post knows who the
person involved is.  Besides why are doctors exempt from criticism?  They
shouldn't be.  And if they accepted criticism gracefully, just as we
breastfeeding advocates do (and you can imagine the amount of criticism I
have received from my fellow pediatricians) and at least thought about the
criticism, there would be no bashing.

Golly, when Dr. Hale disagreed with me about hydroxy tryptophan, I didn't go
skulking into my bedroom and weep bitter tears.  I thought about what he
wrote, and still I think my approach was correct.  But if more health
professionals accepted that there isn't very often only one right answer,
there would be a lot fewer problems.

Jack Newman, MD, FRCPC

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