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Re: Lactation Consultant and Breastfeeding Promotion From: Margie Dacko (dacko@accessnv.com) Wed Jul 30 14:17:45 1997 Messages sorted by: [ date ][ thread ][ subject ][ author ] Next message: DoctorJoe@aol.com: "Re: Lactation Consultant and Breastfeeding Promotion" Previous message: Laifer, Dr. Steven: "Re: Lupus anticoagulant and pregnancy" In reply to: rbraun@indyunix.iupui.edu: "Re: Lactation Consultant and Breastfeeding Promotion" Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Wow! I guess I really hit a nerve!! My comment was not meant to start an argument on home vs. hospital births or midwife vs. doctor. I think we've covered that subject pretty well and I doubt that any minds where changed in the process!! I only wanted to draw attention to the statement that inferred that breast feeding was natural and normal and therefore should not need anything more than the mom's desire and the baby's ability to suck. Some of the reasons that breast feeding has worked so well in the past is that women were exposed to breast feeding all of their lives, had mother's, sister's and friends who supported them and helped them and that there was no easy-to-get alternative feeding source, much of which was given away free by the federal government available.(The US government happens to purchase more formula than all other sources put together!!! And guess who pays for all that free formula and for all the health problems the babies whose mother's get free formula from our government???) Unfortunately, as a former La Leche League Leader, I have talked to many doctors (usually pediatricians) that felt that overly promoting breast feeding made women "feel guilty" when it didn't work out, and so counselled that it was a "personal" choice and babies grew up and were healthy either way! This is partially true, the babies do grow up (most of us on this list can attest to that) but are they healthy??? If you don't believe this attitude is prevalent in the US today, open up one of those free packages (like American Baby) your office gives away and read the little magazine on pregnancy and childbirth....breast feeding is always presently positively, but so is bottle feeding! Personal choices are always emphasized!!! Doctors, midwives, OB nurses, have a great deal of influence on the women who come to them for care. One of the criticisms I hear about midwives is that they are too rigid in their belief system....but perhaps this why we have some excellent success rates with breast feeding. I NEVER tell a woman that breast feeding is equal to artificial feeding. I make no bones about telling them the health and emotional differences between the two choices. I am also available to them for PP support, or I refer them to a LC or LLL if they have a problem that is more difficult or time consuming than I can take care of. I am realistic, though, and I know that no matter what, there will be some women who will never breast feed, but every time I see a one of my clients with a fat, healthy breast fed baby who had had no intentions of breast feeding before coming to me, makes me all the more convinced that I must continue to be an firm advocate for breast feeding. And, Ron, the statistics of infant mortality and morbidity on artificial feeding is available though the WHO and LLLI. An old statistic I remember from about 15 years ago was that somewhere in the world a child under 1 year old died every minute as a result of artificial feeding. Formula feeding does kill. It seems a shame that a woman should go to a doctor and a hospital for the ***best*** care available, deliver a normal, healthy baby, and then, because of formula feeding, has a child with life-time health problems!!!! -- Margie Dacko, CM Nevada PS Don't look at me to knock the advantages of medical care when needed, but I'm stilling looking for a local doctor who is brave enough to openly back me up so that my clients can take advantage of the best of both worlds!!!! At 01:13 PM 7/30/97 -0500, you wrote: >You neglected to include the rest of my comments which went on to say that >in those unusual situations where it doesn't go well a lactation >consultant could probably be of help. Also I never heard of an infant >dieing in less than 20 minutes when she/he couldn't eat. I ahve heard of >Mothers and babies dieing at home in less than 20 minutes when they could >have been saved had they been in an appropriately staffed and equipped >hospital. Please don't snip out the words "appropriately staffed and >equipped" when you read this. > >-- >@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ >R. Daniel Braun, MD FACOG "Money will buy you a fine dog >Clinical Professor OB/GYN but only love will make it >Indiana University School of Medicine wag its tail" >Indianapolis, IN Richard "Kinky" >OBGYN.net, International Rep. U.S. Friedman > Kinky Friedman for President >@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ > >On Wed, 30 Jul 1997, Margie Dacko wrote: > >> At 09:18 AM 7/30/97 -0500, R. Daniel Braun, MD FACOG wrote: >> >What makes breastfeeding so dificult. The system works quite well without >> >consultants or none of us would be here today. >> >> Gee, sounds like the same thing I tell my clients about pregnancy, >> delivery, and home birth!!! >> >> Margie Dacko, CM >> Nevada >> > Next message: DoctorJoe@aol.com: "Re: Lactation Consultant and Breastfeeding Promotion" Previous message: Laifer, Dr. Steven: "Re: Lupus anticoagulant and pregnancy" In reply to: rbraun@indyunix.iupui.edu: "Re: Lactation Consultant and Breastfeeding Promotion"

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