I am feeling a little chagrined about being mis-quoted in a national women's
journal.  Last year I was contacted by a reporter who wanted to do a story
for breastfeeding week about community resources.  She had obtained my name
and position from an article I had published.  I thought, great this is an
opportunity to educate the public about IBCLC's.  I chatted with her and
asked her if I could write it or at least review it before publication, but
was told it was not their policy. I then wrote her a three page letter in
the interest of accuracy, she contacted me again and I made a few more points.

What came out in her article was a number of ommissions.  She started out by
saying physicians and nurses received very little breastfeeding education in
their basic education programs, then instead of saying hospital nurses and
physicians had extremely variable breastfeeding knowledge, she said they
have no breastfeeding knowledge and went on to discuss community resources
such as PHN's, midwifery courses, instead of midwives, and LLL counsellors,
she completely ommitted IBCLC,s despite my lengthy discussions with her.
Apart from the fact many of my good friends, and students are hospital
nurses some of whom are IBCLC's, they are few and far between, but I would
not insult them (they are the first to tell me about the extremely variable
knowledge along with the mothers I see) I did tell her that some nurses who
were IBCLC's worked in hospitals but the hospitals did not capitalize on
their knowledge and expertise

Needless to say nursing administrators at high levels, in all the hospitals
in my city are very upset with me, after all they spend lots of money on
educating their nurses!!! and don't I need their hospitals for my students
to get their experiences etc.  Has one of them approached me directly? NO

But, the misquote has galvanized them, had I been quoted accurately they
would never have noticed the item.  So I guess I shall have to lie low for a
while and let the dust settle, and hope some good comes out of it.  Oh one
nurse did contact me saying it would scare mothers away from the hospitals,
this hospital is actually doing some good things about breastfeeding so I
suggested she write to the journal and let them know what they were doing
other hospitals needed to hear it.  Needless to say my letter to the editor
complaining about the poorly written item and their policy of not letting
those whose name is being used preview the work has not been answered.
Thanks for letting me vent.

Susan Moxley IBCLC
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