Dear Friends:
    Linda Smith's post about epidurals and breastfeeding fired me up.
    It is essential to collaborate with other members of the healthcare team
in situations where breastfeeding is not going well, particularly after a
high-tech birth. The obstetrician or midwife needs to know what happened.
And the perinatologist.  And the anesthesiologist or nurse-anesthetist.  And
maybe a pediatric neurologist. Everybody that works with the couplet needs to
know if there is a problem, especially in a situation where a otherwise
healthy term infant can't suck.  When the LC and the pediatrician solve the
problem themselves and don't communicate with other members of the healthcare
team,  the people that help create the problem remain ignorant and won't
change.
    Without collaboration,  we will still be dealing with babies coming home
from the hospital that have never sucked, and can't suck, with their next
appointment being two weeks after hospital discharge. And the people that
deliver babies with salad tongs and plumber's helpers will continue on their
merry way because they never have to deal with the impact of technology on
breastfeeding.
    Collaboration is the only way to prevent weak links in the chain.
    Warmly, Nikki Lee

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