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Preemie Books
Living Miracles: Stories of Hope from Parents of Premature Babies
by Kimberly Powell &
Kim Wilson
Life on the Reflux Roller Coaster
by Roni Maclean
The
Pregnancy Bed Rest Book by Amy E Tracy, Richard H Schwarz
The
Preemie Parents Companion: The Essential Guide to Caring for Your Premature Baby
in the Hospital, at Home, and Through the First Years by Susan L Madden M.S,
William Sears MD, Jane E Stewart MD
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***Because
preemies have very specific issues, I have not addressed their special needs in
this context. There is information available from La Leche League International
on the special situation of breastfeeding a preemie.
Breastfeeding the
Hospitalized Baby
Where To Find Help
Sometimes,
it may be necessary to find someone who can help you through any difficulties
you may experience. The following are some things to consider in choosing a
lactation professional and some resources for finding someone who is qualified.
If you are not happy with the person with whom you are working, please seek
another source for information. Many mothers give up on nursing because the
person who was "helping" them with breastfeeding was not much help!
Things to consider:
- What is this person's experience with
medically compromised babies?
- Where is her information coming from?
(You have a right to know if it is personal experience, a good resource book
or a discussion forum with other lactation professionals. All of these tend
to be good sources for information.)
- Has she successfully helped other mothers
and babies in your particular situation? (A negative answer is not
necessarily reason to refuse to work with her. You need to judge that for
yourself.)
- What are the costs associated with her
services? Is the cost part of the hospitals care, will insurance pay (many
times it will) or are her services volunteered?
- What is her availability to you? Will
she be on call for emergencies? Can you call her just to cry on a
sympathetic shoulder? Will she make home or hospital visits as needed?
- Does she have any connection with a
mother's support group? This could be important for further support after
the baby has been discharged.
Resources for finding appropriate help:
- La Leche League International
LLL has trained leaders in every state
in the United States as well as a number of other countries. LLL Leaders are
volunteers who have nursed their own babies and have met training and
continuing education guidelines. They offer monthly support meetings as well
as phone counseling to pregnant and nursing mothers. Home or hospital visits
would be done at the discretion of the Leader. There is no cost for their
services, although membership in LLLI is available if desired.
La Leche League International
1400 N. Meacham Rd.
Schaumburg, IL 60173-4048
(847) 519-7730
http://www.lalecheleague.org
1-800-LALECHE (US)
- International Lactation Consultant
Association
ILCA has a listing of certified
lactation consultants in your area. Not all certified LC's are listed with
ILCA, but all listed LCs are board certified. When looking for a certified
LC, look for the initials IBCLC which stand for International Board
Certified Lactation Consultant. This guarantees that she has a minimum
background of counseling hours and has passed a comprehensive test on a wide
variety of breastfeeding situations and topics.
International Lactation Consultant Association
4101 Lake Boone Trail
Raleigh, NC 27607
Tel: (919)-787-5181
Fax: (919)-787-4916
http://www.erols.com/ilca
E-mail: ilca@erols.com
- Women's Infants and Children's Program
WIC is a program that is
administered by the state Department of Health. They provide food
supplements, nutritional counseling, and breastfeeding support for pregnant
or lactating women and children up to the age of 5. While not all WIC
programs are as supportive of breastfeeding as they should be, many have
IBCLCs on staff and/or breastfeeding Peer Counselors who are trained to
assist mothers wishing to breastfeed. They may also have breastpumps and
other special supplies available as well as literature supportive of
breastfeeding. You can contact your local health department to find out what
services they have available. Many programs do not require that you be
eligible for or on WIC to utilize their services. This can be very helpful
if you can not find a local LLL Leader and/or do not have the resources to
pay for a private LC.
Remember: If you are not comfortable with
a course of action, the person you are working with, or the services provided,
speak up. She is there to HELP YOU, not to lecture you, give you ultimatums or
get in your way. Please do not let a bad experience with one person get in the
way of seeking help elsewhere. You and your baby deserve the best start
possible, and that includes a successful breastfeeding relationship.
Copyright
© 1998 Cyndi Egbert. All rights reserved. Please e-mail all reprint
requests to Cyndi at: CyndiMom23@aol.com.
Breastfeeding the Hospitalized Baby-Main Text
Appendix A:
Glossary of Useful Terms
Appendix B: Chain of Command
Quick Checklist: At-a-Glance Reference
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