Hi
moms you’re back with the happy
Breastfeeder at
http://www.naturalbabyworld.com. Today we are going to talk
about how to find breastfeeding friendly health care. I can not
over emphasis this. With my first child I went to a pediatrician
when he was about a month old and I had to fire her after the first
visit because she was so ignorant about breastfeeding and I just
knew this is not going to be a good thing.
At the slightest sign of difficulty
she was going to recommend formula and you know honestly formula is
very rarely needed if there is a challenge in breast feeding. Some
pediatricians just give lip service to breast is the best. What you
need is accurate information and support. Ask around at your moms
play group at your breastfeeding class at your laleche league
meeting for a health care provider who is truly supportive of
breastfeeding.
You don’t want someone who is going
to lay down strict rules about when you should nurse and when you
should wean and when you should introduce solids and all of that. I
mentioned this earlier but not everyone who calls themselves a
breastfeeding counselor has ever actually nursed a baby. They may
just have a quick perfunctorily education of basic breastfeeding
management.
If you’re looking for a lactation
consultant find one with the initials IBCLC after her name or
contact a laleche league leader who herself has been a breastfeeding
mother and is skilled in helping mothers through common
breastfeeding challenges. And the nice thing if you attend laleche
league meetings before your baby is born you can develop a
relationship with your leader, same thing if you see a lactation
consultant.
You won’t hesitate to call her for
instance let’s say that you have to take some medication and you
want to know if it’s compatible with breastfeeding. You know many
times doctors are not really knowledgeable about how medication does
affect breastfeeding and how they show up in mother’s milk or if
they show up.
Here’s a quick tip – the vast
majority of medications are compatible with breastfeeding and even
the ones that are not can usually be administered in a way so as not
to disrupt the breastfeeding relationship. There’s a good reference
that you might want to jot down, it’s called medications and
mother’s milk by Thomas Hal.
You might want to recommend to your
OB or your health care provider that he or she obtains this book.
It’s pretty much considered the reference for medications and
breastfeeding. Another tip is to call the poison control center,
your local poison control center; they have accurate information
about medications and breastfeeding. Well that’s it. Find mommy
friendly health care. If you want to come visit me on the web you
can visit
http://www.naturalbabyworld.com. Talk with you later.
Happy Breastfeeder Part
Four
