What a sad, sad story.  I, too have met some very impressionable young teen
mothers in the nursery.  I remember stories that have been told here about
abuse victims... and how breastfeeding can been very healing for them.
Although this young teen mother has more on her plate than any 16-year-old
should, she is expressing her desire to breastfeed.  I think this could be
very, very therapeutic to her.  And certainly we know the benefit to the
baby.  It's not someone else who is compelling her to do this; SHE is the
one is asking to do this.  SHE is the one who wants to do it.  I'd support
her 100% in this effort.  If it becomes too much for her, she can always opt
to quit.

Kudos to you for the services you are providing this mother at no charge.
The world needs more people like you!

Christina Harris, RN
Seattle, WA

On 7/2/07, Heather LaRosa <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> Hello, I have permission from the mom to share this with others on this
> list. My
> husband who is also an RN, has recently started up a business doing
> professional patient advocacy.  We recently had a family in the news who
> had
> an 11 week old baby that had been brutally beaten by the father while mom
> was at work, she was thrown off the bed, kicked in the head 5x, and then
> shaken. At the time, I contacted the family and offered all services my
> husband provides, at no cost to them. They immediately took us up on the
> offer.  Baby is now in Peds ICU originally she was having multiple
> seizures, she
> had been put into an induced coma to stop the seizures, and is now weaning
> out of it and having subtle seizures.  I went to see the mom yesterday to
> discuss some fundraising efforts that a friend and I were planning.  I
> have to
> say, one thing that they kept repeating in the news was that mom was 16,
> this mother was extremely impressive.  I had a child at 16, and I got
> through
> high school, college, etc, so one of my own weaknesses is that I have low
> tolerance for excuses from teen parents, and it takes a lot to impress me
> when it comes to them.  This girl impressed me in words I can not explain,
> she
> is smart, loving to her baby, goal oriented, I could go on and on.  Anyway
> while we were there, it came up that I am an LC, she told me she had tried
> to
> breastfeed but never could get it right, then asked if she could still
> breastfeed.  I told her it was definitely possible to start producing milk
> again if
> we stimulated her breasts with a pump, but I also told her that she should
> really think about it, bc its a lot to take on when you are going through
> so
> much.  I just spoke to a case manager I work with and asked what she
> thought and she said it might be good for the mom, to be able to feel like
> she
> can do something for the baby.  I agree, and I definitely think even if
> she
> could pump for the babies OG feeds that she is getting right now, then it
> would benefit the baby, even if we never completely succeeded with fully
> breastfeeding.  What is the opinion here? I am a new one in the world of
> LC,
> so as far as ethics and morals are concerned I think I feel a little
> perplexed by
> this.  I know mom wants to bf bc she wants whats best for her baby, then
> part of me feels like this poor mom has been through the ringer
> emotionally, as
> well as physically since she has not left the baby's side and sleeps in a
> recliner
> every night, and I question if it would be wrong of me to encourage it?
> Thank you,
> Heather
>
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