An Angry Encounter

[trekkingirl]

So today while at work ( retail job ), I ran into the nurse who ended up with the task of teaching me how to breastfeed six years ago. Maybe she didn't recognize me without my boob out? More likely she didn't recognize me because all she did was yell at me that I was doing it all wrong. She literally grabbed my breast, shoved it in my infants mouth, watched for a moment and called it a day! I know I should own up to my own crap but I felt like giving her a piece of my mind. I wanted to tell her how she altered the closeness I could have had with my daughter that is lost forever. I didn't know what I was forfitting! It was my first kid, I really needed help. Doesn't she know how drastically important her job is to new moms and babies? Instead, all I said to her was "here, have a free sample." Then she walked away. That was it. I just let it go. I guess there wasn't really much I could say anyways. It wouldn't have changed the past!

[April Dawn]

I'm so sorry that you didn't get the help you needed in the early days. I also had very poor lactation help in my son's first days. It really stinks that the medical community isn't doing better at helping new moms breastfeed!

[PatioGardener]

Originally Posted by April Dawn

It really stinks that the medical community isn't doing better at helping new moms breastfeed!

Personally, I feel that anger is a much more productive emotion than guilt. I can harness my anger to work towards change, while guilt just eats me up inside. I think it is healthy to see anger directed at the medical system that fails women and babies. The system needs to change!

[haydn'smommy]

Originally Posted by PatioGardener

Personally, I feel that anger is a much more productive emotion than guilt. I can harness my anger to work towards change, while guilt just eats me up inside. I think it is healthy to see anger directed at the medical system that fails women and babies. The system needs to change!

AMEN. My first experience was so horrible and the "LCs" were so little help. I used the anger. I went out and took classes to become a IBCLC. I will sit my boards this summer. I am already starting to do a lactation clinic in my office (I'm a PNP) and I'm seeing some success with undoing the damage that our hospital nurses and LCs are doing. I want more mommies to have good support and to succeed, and I have found solace in helping that happen.