help me learn to be a lactivist!

[emma_goldman]

well, besides being a NIPper...

I am SO pissed off about the way this momma from my church got no or misinformed breastfeeding support from the hospital where she gave birth. What do I do? I want to write a letter (I gave birth there, too!). What else? What do I say in the letter?

I've heard that nurses can be certified for "breast care" or something like that in the state of CA... I need more info.

How do I gently give this momma info so that her next baby will get a better chance? Should I give her "The Womanly Art"? (She's still sad about not being "able" to breastfeed.) Should I wait until she's pregnant again?

Thanks!

[mamacatsbaby]

nak

gosh, it's so sad and such a sensitive subject when a mama can't bf for whatever reasons. how well do you know her? is there a way you guys could maybe hang out sometime, like in a playdate or something? then perhaps the conversation would swing that way at some point?

for me, i wouldn't go the letter route. i hope you're able to give her some good info!

[sadkitty]

If her baby is still an infant and you are close enough to know that she regrets not Bfing. You could introduce her to the concept of relactation.

[emma_goldman]

Originally Posted by mamacatsbaby

nak

gosh, it's so sad and such a sensitive subject when a mama can't bf for whatever reasons. how well do you know her? is there a way you guys could maybe hang out sometime, like in a playdate or something? then perhaps the conversation would swing that way at some point?

for me, i wouldn't go the letter route. i hope you're able to give her some good info!

Oh, I meant that the letter would go to the hospital.

And I did hear her story at a playgroup. Her kid is 4 months old. We've only talked about it just that once. We don't know each other that well. Another momma in the playgroup is totally a potential lactivist... I guess I'll just continue to build trust, although we are really different, so I don't know if her knowing me any better is going to help in that way...

[emma_goldman]

Originally Posted by sadkitty

If her baby is still an infant and you are close enough to know that she regrets not Bfing. You could introduce her to the concept of relactation.

She did say that she tried everything short of "being hooked up to a machine" -whether she meant SNSing or pumping, I don't know. And she said she didn't want to go that route.

She expressed regret. She was stressed because her babe wasn't sucking and was jaundiced and gave in to the formula and her mom's suggestion of the pacifier. If he couldn't suck, how did he suck on a pacifier? I really don't know enough... but I'm learning.

[emma_goldman]

I just found this and I'm bumping. I still want to write a letter to the hospital and would like to be armed with info for the next lady I run into who has a sad breastfeeding story like this. What do you say? What info do you give for next baby?

[LydiaJW]

When I gave birth to my son in the hospital (8 lbs 11 oz) a nurse came by TWICE to stick her head in and say "you'll never be able to make enough bm for that baby, just go ahead and give him a bottle." Now, I was barely 19 years old at the time. If my mom wasn't such a die hard lactivist, and I wasn't as well educated as I was, I would have bought it hook, line and sinker. Because obviously I don't want my baby to starve!! But I just ignored her and was pretty annoyed, especially since my son continues to be in the 95th percentile for weight, and 90th for height.

It never occurred to me to write a letter, but now I really want to!! That was a total abuse of power and 100% false information. It could have devestated the nursing relationship at hand if I hadn't been more educated than the nurse. I'll be interested to see what other people put for good ideas to write about...3 years later, I'm considering writing a letter!