>This is not a response to one particular post. I don't understand the
>increasing use of reglan in the U.S. for low milk supply.

Me neither, Valerie - or at least I do understand it. It seems to me like
rescuing the never-ending number of drowning men who have been thrown into
the river upstream, and ignoring the other guy standing on the bridge who's
doing the throwing-in.

I am making no 'superior' criticism of any other country, and I am saying
nothing that has not been said before by people from within the US
healthcare system - and heaven knows, the UK system is strewn with its own
underfunding, mis-practices and downright poor care - but  US healthcare
intervenes and medicates far, far more frequently and extensively than we
do here. I don't have facts at my fingertips, but I am prepared to stick my
neck out and say 'it is a truth universally acknowledged.'

So when bf is going badly, even though the reason is 'mechanical' in that
mother and baby have been separated, the response is to medicate.

Now, in fact, sometimes I think judicious use of some proven, safe
medication for low milk supply might be useful here - I have only ever come
across *one* mother who had any medication for this problem and she had to
badger her doctor for it -  even if it is to deal with the mess HCPs have
already made of the situation.  Generally speaking, we restore a poor milk
supply by plain ol' vanilla checking the position/latch and feeding more
frequently.  It works, if  the mother is able to stick with it. It might
work better with a touch of Reglan in the worst cases.

Heather Welford Neil
NCT bfc Newcastle upon Tyne UK

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