I got an email today that made my blood boil. How is behavior like this okay? And why, when we hear far too many stories like this here on FFF, do people continue to tell us that we are imagining problems that dont exist? Anyone who thinks this LCs actions are justified or okay.... Im pretty darn tolerant, but I would have nothing nice to say about these folks. PLEASE - if something like this happens to you, dont keep silent. Tell me. Tell US. A breastfeeding mom gets kicked out of Anthropology and her fellow breastfeeding moms get rightfully pissed and take action. A formula feeding mom is harassed, and we seethe silently, anonymously, held back by shame and fear. I say ENOUGH. Next time someone experiences this type of thing, report it. And we will stage a bottle-in. Im wicked serious (and you know when I bring out my Boston colloquialisms, Im seriously serious). Anonymous writes: I am going to share my recent brief experience with the lactation consultant who works for my pediatrician. The LC is active and admired in my city. When I went to see her for the second time, with bleeding nipples and one areola rubbed raw from my breast pump, she performed a yield and my son transferred a minute amount of milk. As I cried, she asked my what my goal was: obviously to exclusively breastfeed - why else was I suffering so much? I told her as much, but added that I also did not have the physical and emotional energy to devote all of my time to making milk, as I did for 4 months with my daughter before switching completely to formula. I told her that I have to think of my daughter as well and that I want to be a happy mom, instead of the sleepless, depressed mother I was for 6 months after her birth. I told her that my 5 year old daughter is extremely healthy, smart, and all-around amazing. She looked at me and said, But imagine how much more amazing she would be if she had been breastfed. I have since thought of numerous different things that I should have said to her, but as I was already depressed, half naked, and attempting to nurse my newborn in her office, I just shut down and tried to get out of the building as quickly as I possibly could. When I made it to my car I cried harder than I think I ever have. I suffered from postpartum depression after my daughter was born 5 years ago, and I blame most of it on a traumatic delivery and my inability to produce enough milk. If an LC had said that to me as I struggled to feed her, I cant even imagine how devastated I would have been. Thank goodness my hormones gave me a bit of a break this time around, and that I have my extremely healthy, smart, and all-around amazing daughter (along with a number of her friends) to reassure me that formula is not poison. Although the LCs statement was still like a knife to my heart.
Posted on: Sun, 24 Aug 2014 04:24:00 +0000