CNN article regarding breastfeeding

[Deleted]

Has anyone read this yet? I can't tell you the amount if agony and/or stress that my friends have gone through with breastfeeding challenges. Great article.

www.cnn.com/2013/01/03/health/medical-breastfeeding/index.html?c=health

[The Foozzler]

I saw a Breastfeeding Doctor and I credit her with my ability to be successful breastfeeding. When DS was in the hospital I had no idea what I was doing. My first try and nursing was in the NICU. I wasn't sure what to do, so they handed me a nipple shield to use. It took months and a doctor to teach me how to nurse without it.

Through that experience I learned that my insurance does not cover lactation consultants. The group I went to are all MDs and they bill as breastfeeding doctors in order to be covered by insurance.

I really enjoyed the article. More doctors need to be able to support breastfeeding women.

[skiesthelimit]

Great article. Thanks for posting.

I was very lucky with X. The hospital I had him at was very pro-BFing. I had an emergency c-section and didn't BF until he was 9.5hours old. I thought I wouldn't be able to because everything says you need to have them latch asap. They had a LC with me right away and I received a lot of support.

My city runs BFing clinics daily at differing locations across the city with access to a LC and scales. They also send a nurse to your home within the first 2 days of being home with baby and she is trained to help with BFing. There is also a help line that's available 24/7 to call for BFing support.

We had a lot of trouble with my supply and X's tongue tie and not once did anyone tell me I should stop BFing and switch to formula. I'm very grateful and I know it's thanks to all of them that I'm still BFing at 9 months.

[bebeetmoi]

Interesting. The hospital where I delivered was very much pro-breastfeeding and offered lots of support in the recovery wing for new mothers. However, at least not to my knowledge, a lactation doctor was not available. It was all LCs.
I attended a breastfeeding support group at my hospital for the first several weeks (offered from birth-3 months) of DDs life and women of many different circumstances were there. One of the women was having difficulty BFing, and used this formula dispenser that came through a tube and where her baby received it at her breast, in hopes of one day becoming successful in BFing and avoiding confusion for the baby. Anyways, she was seeing a lactation doctor in Manhattan and was incredibly informed as to what she stood up against and what she could do in hopes of successful lactation.
I believe that if women want to BF, they should be provided all the resources necessary to aid them in hopes of being successful. It's very interesting to read that so little emphasis is placed on the mechanics of BFing to doctors in medical school, but I am glad they are changing that.

[mamasaurus]

Today there are 88 physicians in the entire world who are fellows of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine.

That's kind of sad.

[mscatra]

Interesting article, and like mamasaurus said, also kind of sad. I also felt they really pushed the "if you can produce, you SHOULD BF" message through the article. More mommy guilting.

[jfh]

I thought that was really interesting, thanks for sharing. I loved the analogy of saying, "every pancreas can produce insulin." I hadn't thought of breastfeeding issues from this perspective before.

[christidee]

I read that article. I think it is sad that there are not many doctors who are well versed in the ins and outs of lactation.

[cat19]

I do believe that the medical community for the most part is uneducated and needs to learn more about BFing. I was literally packed and on my way out the door when the LC came. According to DH she was outside my door for 20 min or so when I was actually bfing... And no one else there was pleasant to deal with while bfing. I was fortunate that I had no issues because I had no one to turn to.

[rxbeth]

Jan 5, 2013 10:01:38 GMT -5 skiesthelimit said:

Great article. Thanks for posting.

I was very lucky with X. The hospital I had him at was very pro-BFing. I had an emergency c-section and didn't BF until he was 9.5hours old. I thought I wouldn't be able to because everything says you need to have them latch asap. They had a LC with me right away and I received a lot of support.

My city runs BFing clinics daily at differing locations across the city with access to a LC and scales. They also send a nurse to your home within the first 2 days of being home with baby and she is trained to help with BFing. There is also a help line that's available 24/7 to call for BFing support.

We had a lot of trouble with my supply and X's tongue tie and not once did anyone tell me I should stop BFing and switch to formula. I'm very grateful and I know it's thanks to all of them that I'm still BFing at 9 months.

Are you in Montreal? Can I just say I'm jealous of Quebec because your province tends to get more government support/tax dollars.

At our hospital (the only option other than a homebirth) the LCs work Mon - Fri 8-4 and aren't even very good. You are also discharged 24 hours after a vaginal birth and 48 hours after a c-section (if no complications) so if you have a baby on Friday, Saturday or Sunday, you likely will not see an LC.

We have no such places you can go for weighted feeds or anything like this.

But, getting back to the story, I do think it's sad that doctors don't know very much about breastfeeding and how to support women. My cousin has had 3 babies and has not been able to breastfeed any of those despite wanting to and she has never been given an explanation as to why her milk doesn't come in. I don't think they have ever investigated. That makes me sad.

[skiesthelimit]

Jan 5, 2013 12:03:39 GMT -5 rxbeth said:

Jan 5, 2013 10:01:38 GMT -5 skiesthelimit said:

Great article. Thanks for posting.

I was very lucky with X. The hospital I had him at was very pro-BFing. I had an emergency c-section and didn't BF until he was 9.5hours old. I thought I wouldn't be able to because everything says you need to have them latch asap. They had a LC with me right away and I received a lot of support.

My city runs BFing clinics daily at differing locations across the city with access to a LC and scales. They also send a nurse to your home within the first 2 days of being home with baby and she is trained to help with BFing. There is also a help line that's available 24/7 to call for BFing support.

We had a lot of trouble with my supply and X's tongue tie and not once did anyone tell me I should stop BFing and switch to formula. I'm very grateful and I know it's thanks to all of them that I'm still BFing at 9 months.

Are you in Montreal? Can I just say I'm jealous of Quebec because your province tends to get more government support/tax dollars.

At our hospital (the only option other than a homebirth) the LCs work Mon - Fri 8-4 and aren't even very good. You are also discharged 24 hours after a vaginal birth and 48 hours after a c-section (if no complications) so if you have a baby on Friday, Saturday or Sunday, you likely will not see an LC.

We have no such places you can go for weighted feeds or anything like this.

But, getting back to the story, I do think it's sad that doctors don't know very much about breastfeeding and how to support women. My cousin has had 3 babies and has not been able to breastfeed any of those despite wanting to and she has never been given an explanation as to why her milk doesn't come in. I don't think they have ever investigated. That makes me sad.

I'm in Gatineau. Right accross the river from Ottawa, it's about a 2 hour drive from Montreal. We are very lucky in Quebec. Taxes are higher than Ontario but our services are amazing.