A disheartening experience

I was at work the other night (I work at a hospital), and had been told that
there were two LC's on staff in the OB department, one on days and one on
nights. I had met the day nurse/LC last week. Because the hospital is so small,
there are often no OB patients and the OB nurses have to float to other floors.
So, I met one of the night OB nurses and asked her if she was the night LC.
First, she looked at me like I had 3 heads. Then she said "Oh, you mean a
Lactaion Consultant? No, I'm anti-breastfeeding. I'm all for the bottle".

When I asked her why, she said "breastfeeding just isn't my thing. I can help
and all, but to me bottles are thumbs up sign".

I just nodded and carried on with my work but man, that bummed me out. I have
nothing against formula feeding, but an OB nurse who actually discourages
breastfeeding? That's sad.


laurie
mommy to Jessica, 2.5 years and
Christopher, 8 months

That would have ruined my whole week. Boy, that sucks. Perhpas you could
be a bf'ing advocate for the department some how??? Ideas anyone?? She
just sounds ignorant and uneducated to me. Grrrr.
"laurie" wrote in message
...
I was at work the other night (I work at a hospital), and had been told
that
there were two LC's on staff in the OB department, one on days and one on
nights. I had met the day nurse/LC last week. Because the hospital is so
small,
there are often no OB patients and the OB nurses have to float to other
floors.
So, I met one of the night OB nurses and asked her if she was the night
LC.
First, she looked at me like I had 3 heads. Then she said "Oh, you mean a
Lactaion Consultant? No, I'm anti-breastfeeding. I'm all for the bottle".

When I asked her why, she said "breastfeeding just isn't my thing. I can
help
and all, but to me bottles are thumbs up sign".

I just nodded and carried on with my work but man, that bummed me out. I
have
nothing against formula feeding, but an OB nurse who actually discourages
breastfeeding? That's sad.


laurie
mommy to Jessica, 2.5 years and
Christopher, 8 months

laurie wrote:

When I asked her why, she said "breastfeeding just isn't my thing. I
can help and all, but to me bottles are thumbs up sign".

How depressing. I hate to think what her version of "help" is like.

--
Belphoebe

ospam (laurie) wrote in message ...
I was at work the other night (I work at a hospital), and had been told that
there were two LC's on staff in the OB department, one on days and one on
nights. I had met the day nurse/LC last week. Because the hospital is so small,
there are often no OB patients and the OB nurses have to float to other floors.
So, I met one of the night OB nurses and asked her if she was the night LC.
First, she looked at me like I had 3 heads. Then she said "Oh, you mean a
Lactaion Consultant? No, I'm anti-breastfeeding. I'm all for the bottle".

When I asked her why, she said "breastfeeding just isn't my thing. I can help
and all, but to me bottles are thumbs up sign".

I just nodded and carried on with my work but man, that bummed me out. I have
nothing against formula feeding, but an OB nurse who actually discourages
breastfeeding? That's sad.

It's worse than sad, it's not in the best interest of the patient.
Does the hospital not have a breastfeeding policy? A lot of ours do
in the UK.

teapot

"teapot" wrote in message
om...

It's worse than sad, it's not in the best interest of the patient.
Does the hospital not have a breastfeeding policy? A lot of ours do
in the UK.

No kidding. It actually seems irresponsible given the enormous amount of
information that *proves* that breastmilk is a superior food for infants.
Seems almost....well, negligent.
--
JennP.

mom to Matthew 10/11/00
remove "no........spam" to reply

It's worse than sad, it's not in the best interest of the patient.
Does the hospital not have a breastfeeding policy? A lot of ours do
in the UK.

teapot

Actually they're quite BFd'ing friendly, even have a lactation room for the
staff. They have 2 LC's on staff, and considering there are only something like
6 or 8 OB nurses in the hospital, that's pretty good! I think it's just this
one nurse that has the bad attitude.


laurie
mommy to Jessica, 2.5 years and
Christopher, 8 months

Actually they're quite BFd'ing friendly, even have a lactation room for the
staff. They have 2 LC's on staff, and considering there are only something
like
6 or 8 OB nurses in the hospital, that's pretty good! I think it's just this
one nurse that has the bad attitude.



Yeah, but 1 nurse out of 6 means 17% of the staff is not bf friendly. Very
high stat if you ask me.

ospam (laurie) wrote in message ...
It's worse than sad, it's not in the best interest of the patient.
Does the hospital not have a breastfeeding policy? A lot of ours do
in the UK.

teapot

Actually they're quite BFd'ing friendly, even have a lactation room for the
staff. They have 2 LC's on staff, and considering there are only something like
6 or 8 OB nurses in the hospital, that's pretty good! I think it's just this
one nurse that has the bad attitude.


I had a thought last night - is this her personal or professional
opinion, she can think what she wants herself but if she is promoting
formula to new mums I think thats dodgy.

teapot

"teapot" wrote in message
om...
ospam (laurie) wrote in message
...
It's worse than sad, it's not in the best interest of the patient.
Does the hospital not have a breastfeeding policy? A lot of ours do
in the UK.

teapot

Actually they're quite BFd'ing friendly, even have a lactation room for
the
staff. They have 2 LC's on staff, and considering there are only
something like
6 or 8 OB nurses in the hospital, that's pretty good! I think it's just
this
one nurse that has the bad attitude.


I had a thought last night - is this her personal or professional
opinion, she can think what she wants herself but if she is promoting
formula to new mums I think thats dodgy.

teapot

Maybe she's on commission?

--
Andrea mom of 5 - latest addition Kamron David 6 months still nursing strong
with 4 teeth!

"teapot" wrote in message ...

(laurie) wrote in message ...
I was at work the other night (I work at a hospital), and had been told
that
there were two LC's on staff in the OB department, one on days and one
on
nights. I had met the day nurse/LC last week. Because the hospital is so
small,
there are often no OB patients and the OB nurses have to float to other
floors.
So, I met one of the night OB nurses and asked her if she was the night
LC.
First, she looked at me like I had 3 heads. Then she said "Oh, you mean
a
Lactaion Consultant? No, I'm anti-breastfeeding. I'm all for the
bottle".

When I asked her why, she said "breastfeeding just isn't my thing. I can
help
and all, but to me bottles are thumbs up sign".

I just nodded and carried on with my work but man, that bummed me out.
I have
nothing against formula feeding, but an OB nurse who actually
discourages
breastfeeding? That's sad.

It's worse than sad, it's not in the best interest of the patient.
Does the hospital not have a breastfeeding policy? A lot of ours do
in the UK.

teapot

Out of the 5 hospital births I have had, only on birth number 2 & 4 did they
put the baby to my breast/mention b'feeding. The other times all I got was
"Breast or bottle?".

With my 1st they put my baby on a bottle while I slept, when I woke I tried
to breastfeed but needed help, so carried my baby to the midwife station,
where I was told off and then put back in my bed. They then took my baby and
bottle fed him again.
I was so upset that breastfeeding didn't commence till day 5, when I was
home alone with my baby.

After baby number 3, (a 48 hour induction that went wrong), I asked to
breastfeed but was told no, and I watched as they bottle fed him. I was too
weak to argue after a PPH. I did breastfeed the next day.
I was induced at 37 weeks due to IUGR, and was told after several growth
u/s's - "Induce or he will die". They also told me he would need special
care as he was going to be so small.
I was given gel in my cervix, followed by ARM, then put on an induction
drip. I was given no fluids. The drip got me contracting like crazy, and my
body fought it for 48 hours.
When finally ready to push, I was pushing for 5 hours, and I begged for a
Dr. I told the 2 midwives I knew my baby was stuck. They ignored me. I was
screaming, but I was in a delivery room, so noone cared.
They had used all the drip when they fixed me up to another, and then turned
it right up. I contracted violently. One midwife slapped me hard on the leg
and said "Get this baby out now!".
He was born blue, with black all round his mouth. They rushed out to get a
paediatrician (which isn't the norm here unless it's twins or a problem). He
was put in an incubator with oxygen.
I then went on to have a PPH (post partum haemorrhage).
I had another induction in the same hospital after that, and they have now
changed their policy. They can't turn the drip up too much or too fast, and
they have a maximum dosage.
I believe the whole thing explains why my son has apraxia and had
developmental delay - from lack of oxygen at birth.

Out of the 5 births only 1 was a happy experience.

I hate the UK as far as hospitals go. People are so lucky in the US with
your more positive natural approach to childbirth.

Phew what a vent! Sorry!

--
Andrea mom of 5 - latest addition Kamron David 6 months still nursing strong
with 4 teeth!