LACTNET Archives

Lactation Information and Discussion

LACTNET@COMMUNITY.LSOFT.COM

Options: Use Forum View

Use Monospaced Font
Show Text Part by Default
Show All Mail Headers

Message: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Topic: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Author: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]

Print Reply
Subject:
From:
Jeanette Panchula <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Tue, 13 Jun 2000 21:39:17 -0400
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (54 lines)
"It's clear that many women attempt breast-feeding but give it up. Federal
surveys find that about 60 percent of infants in this country are ever
breast-fed, well below the target of 75 percent set by public health
officials. Yet only 30 percent of those babies are breast-fed for at least
three months. Reasons often include problems the baby has learning to
nurse, the mother's difficulties producing milk, discomfort for the mother,
and inconveniences when the mother goes back to work outside the home.

"Part of the issue, according to Sargent and the Tennessee researchers, is
the difficulty getting lactation counseling once mothers leave the
hospital. A study in Effective Clinical Practice surveyed more than 5,000
new mothers who were enrolled in managed care health plans and found that
only 1 percent of the women were given breast-feeding assistance after the
birth."

http://washingtonpost.com:80/wp-dyn/health/A42342-2000Jun12.html

That is EXACTLY the point!  Moms need help when they go home - moms need
telephone assistance, home visits and support!

Let's not talk about "the mother's guilt"!  Let's talk about society's
failure to support these moms!

Today I went to see a mom of a 5 day old baby - she bf in the hospital,
during engorgement she found it difficult to get baby to latch on, so she
stopped on Sunday.  Today our PHN called her - she said she was doing fine,
she was formula feeding.  Instead of taking that as an answer, the PHN went
one step further - "When you were pregnant, did you want to breastfeed?"
she asked.

"Oh yes, I even went to the WIC breastfeeding classes and learned about it
- I bought an Evenflow pump, but it didn't get any milk out, and as the
baby is under 5 lbs, I didn't dare let her go hungry!"

We were there at 4:00 pm, baby was tongue thrusting - no luck on either
nipple, baby very upset  (100 degrees here today), constipated thanks to
the formula .  We used a nipple shield, baby nursed 2 ounces (I have a Baby
Weigh Scale) and fell quietly to sleep after giving one big, poopy diaper! 
Mom is very pleased, we will visit her tomorrow and plan to stop the use of
 the nipple shield by Friday, after baby gets used to opening wide and
lowering the tongue.  

This mom WOULD have felt guilty about not breastfeeding - but it would have
been the lack of support that had failed her, not her desire to breastfeed!

Jeanette Panchula, RN, IBCLC
Vacaville, CA

             ***********************************************
The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html

ATOM RSS1 RSS2