HOW can you be a pediatrician, lactation consultant/counselor, family practitioner, nurse, peer, or human being and not figure out that your advice is repeatedly ending a breastfeeding mothers relationship? Haven't you realized that almost every mother who comes to you with trouble is no longer nursing at four months? Shouldn't you wake up and get yourself some training so you are better at your job? This IS a part of your job! If you were a mechanic who knew nothing about fixing electrical components of cars and kept breaking peoples cars by pretending you knew what you were doing you'd probably be in jail by now!
I put pediatricians on the highest fault level because most other professionals probably don't see a follow up to know if their advice worked or not. Typically newborns are seen at 1 day, 1 week, 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 8 weeks, and 16 weeks. That's six times in their first four months of life. When moms ask for my advice its almost always the same concerns, and just trusting your body, baby, and boobs is almost always my answer. If your baby is happy and having wet diapers - it's ALL GOOD. I wish pediatricians would get on the same page about that and stop dolling out horrible advice about feeding schedules, expecting a specific weight gain as compared to a formula fed baby, and just not understanding anything about the natural process.
A good point was brought up to me the other day about my concerns about weight gain with Chicklett. She gained only 2 oz from 4 to 6 months, and another 11 oz during a 6 week trial follow up period - she fell from being 40th percentile down to 15th. I was positive they were going to try and talk to me about supplementing with formula. Fortunately, they did not. BUT... in the hands of the wrong pediatrician I could certainly see it happening. What advice would doctors give a mother with a formula fed baby who had the same weight gain pattern? Would they suggest she find some breastmilk or start lactating? Why are pediatricians so quick to always blame the breastmilk whenever there is a problem?
Are there good professionals out there? Of course there are... but they certainly aren't required to know anything about breastfeeding to be a pediatrician. How can we change that? Demand more from your health care providers. Report when you are given false information. Seek out pediatricians that have taken the time to do specialized training. In most situations you are warrent enough time to ask for a second opinion, have an appointment with an LC or IBCLC, and ask around your support groups. If it is not an immediate life or death situation you have time to ask for these things! Most of all trust your gut instinct. You know what is best for your baby. If your pediatrician isn't running in sync with your instincts it is time to look elsewhere.
