"Booby Traps" and Clueless Doctors
From Melissa at EcoMommy in Training
I sure wish my neurologist got the memo about breastfeeding, I mean it is World Breastfeeding Week! You hear about “booby traps” all of the time, be it clueless people making rude comments, media, or the hospital staff, all of them add up making it difficult for a well-meaning mom to nurse. I had one of those moments today with Dr. S, who I don’t think I will be returning back to. I was referred to this Dr. for a VERY bad case of restless legs and suffice it to say I will be going elsewhere from now on. Flat out she told me I need to quit nursing to go onto Requip, I told her about how they had me on Tylenol 3 from my general practitioner. I only take the pill at night after my DD has gone down for the night and only when the pain is such that I wouldn’t be able to get to sleep otherwise. She told me I was only sedating myself and that I need to quit nursing (again). I informed her that my daughter was 11 months old and I had no plans on when I was stopping, to which (yes again) she told me that I should stop she was almost a year and it was time. YEESH, so much for that Dr….
This happened only a few weeks after I decided I also needed a new general practitioner. At my daughters 9 month checkup the Dr. told me at 12 months we could talk about weaning. I informed her that I was planning on going with the WHO guidelines or leaning towards baby led weaning. Without missing a step she ignored what I had to say and told me again that at the next appointment we would talk about quitting nursing. Blink, Blink, HUH, did you not hear what I said lady (That’s what I wish I had said) but I just said, oh ummm okay. A little later in the appointment I got the “hairy eyeball” look when she told me that my DD needed a shot and I informed her I would nurse through the shot. The Dr. then told me how she was so surprised my daughter didn’t cry. Another one of those moments where if I was a little more forceful I would have pointed out that, of course she was great about it, I mean she had a mouthful of her favorite thing she isn’t going to let that go!
These are just two of the more recent episodes that I have had. Unfortunately for me ALL of my bad experiences with breastfeeding have come from medical staff. Really when you think about it that’s so very sad. I can only imagine if I was a less informed woman, I mean they already make me feel bad and I honestly feel what I’m doing is right. You want to trust that your health care providers are going to do the very best for you and know the correct answers for your questions and all of your health needs. I am so grateful that I have such a supporting husband, friends, and LLL that I can lean to when I start to doubt myself (because a ‘smart’ Dr told me I was wrong). I only wish that every mama out there had the same support, be it nursing, bottle feeding, or donor milk!
Don’t let the “booby traps” get you! Happy World Breastfeeding Week!
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| Does it look like I'm ready to stop? -Baby E |
I've had some very similar experiences. I'm sad to see Drs haven't made any progress over the years and this kind of nonsense is still going on.
ReplyDeletegreat post! :) happy world breastfeeding week indeed!! it is disheartening that there are so many people ignorant to the magic & natural perfection of breastfeeding, but thank goddess for the internet & other resources for mommas to turn to when others (md's included!) are urging them to go against their own motherly intuition! i'm grateful i had the support (ha, ha- no pun intended) that i did because those first few weeks were challenging! good for you for not giving in, Melissa! it is hard to go against the advice of people who are supposed authorities on health, but nobody is an authority about one's health more than oneself!!
ReplyDeletethanks for the post! :)
That's gotta suck. I had to change pediatricians because of that. Anywho, is it the picture or is the bra small?
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