Great question Dianne.  

I gave birth to Maya 31 years ago.  I had been living in Israel for less
than a year, and did not speak the language.  I had once seen a cousin of
mine breastfeed her baby, and I knew that my grandmother breastfed all of
her 7 kids and loved it.  I had a little book about breastfeeding, which
became my Bible: Nursing Your Baby by Karen Pryor.  When Maya was born in
the 37th week, they brought her to me, said something in Hebrew which I did
not understand( luckily) and left the room.  I held her on one arm, and
Karen Pryor in the other and tried more or less to latch her as best as I
could.  I had had pethidine ( was not told that they were giving it to me),
and had been separated from her for more than 15 hours.  She latched and
nursed as if she was born to do it.  Yes, it hurt, but I was determined, so
pain was not going to stop me.  Someone told me my nipples were too small.
That did not seem to bother Maya.  She probably got a bottle at night in the
hospital, but with a funny nipple which was long and skinny and soft, much
like they use to feed baby animals.  At one point, I refused to return her
to the nursery, which was unheard of, but my natural maternal instinct
kicked in and I would not let anyone near me to take her away from me, so I
was probably the first person in Israel to have rooming-in in a hospital
where there was a central nursery.  They thought I was crazy then, and still
think I am crazy to think that moms and babies should be together.  There
were no lactation helpers then.  

MY greatest pleasure is to see Maya nursing my grandson, Itai , who is two
and a bit.  

When I had my second baby, I understood Hebrew and heard all the stupid
information they were telling mothers and then I understood why no one else
was breastfeeding.   Unfortunately, 30 years later, 100 IBCLC's certified in
Israel, and the incorrect information is still rampant in hospitals and well
baby clinics in Israel.  

 

 


Esther Grunis, IBCLC

Lis Maternity Hospital

Tel Aviv, Israel

 


             ***********************************************

Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail
2. To start it again: set lactnet mail
3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome