Re: dietary recommendations for thrush

[Guest guest]

No worries, Niki, I never thought you were attacking me! We are just having a spirited discussion, right? Is it true that you can’t imagine a client who never cooks and would send them to someone else? That would destroy my business! I wonder if you work with a very different clientele than I do? Most of the women I work with will return to work in 6-12 weeks and will commute 2-3 hours per day into DC or No VA. 11-12 hours away from home per day are typical. The area I live in is lined with fast food places and restaurants which are packed every night of the week. I am not sure that I have ever had a client who would even know what kefir was. I try to help the mothers where they are. That was why I was questioning your recommendation about the juice. If I am going to ask a mother to make major and difficult changes in her lifestyle, then I want to know that the research supports that move. All I was asking is if there is any evidence that store-bought 100% juice is any more likely to “feed” the yeast than homemade juice. I personally prefer to avoid juice altogether and tell my kids to just eat the fruit and get the fiber! When dealing with clients, though, I try to make sure my recommendations are truly supportable. I’d be interested to know Niki, where you practice? Do others find that their clients are more educated about nutrition? Becky , IBCLCMilky WayLa Plata, MD

[Guest guest]

Hi Becky,I live and work in New York City. I would say that many of my clients are pretty educated on nutrition. We do live in a city with lots of take-out but we also are competitive and many New Yorkers love our local farmers markets. Whole Foods stores keep popping up as well.

Leigh Anne O'Connor, IBCLCleighanne625@...www.leighanneoconnor.comwww.mamamilkandme.wordpress.com(917) 596-3646

[Guest guest]

I too live in NYC, and I know several families who never cook a meal or whose

idea of " home cooking " is Boston Market. I also just spent a few days in New

Orleans with an amazing family and not one member of the 5 member family cooked

a meal. Not even coffee or tea. So, unfortunately I think that not cooking is

more normal then many of us are familiar with. In fact I firmly believe that

the move to not cooking is part of the allure of formula -- if it's packaged

it's good for you right? It says so right on the package!

Lea

Brooklyn, NY

[Guest guest]

Becky:

I never mentioned kefir in any of my posts.

Yes, its true that I have never had a client that never cooks. I live and

practice in rural east Texas. While I am definitely not getting rich from my

small practice, I would honestly refer a client if I felt that I could not

help her with her concerns, or if she felt that she could not follow any of

the recommendations I made.

I firmly believe that it is part of my job, as an LC, to provide the client

with the information that she needs to understand her situation, and take

the time to listen to her concerns and questions as we communicate. I

earnestly try to involve her in understanding how the recommendations I suggest

in

her plan of care can help her change her situation. I do not have a standard

plan of care, but work it out as we progress. Each client gets a unique

care plan and attention unique to her situation.

I don't expect that my suggestions will magically alter the problem, but

prefer to maintain contact as the situation changes. I don't make guarantees,

and I don't believe I am omnipotent. I recognize that the mother and baby

are the ones who must change their situation, and that they are ultimately the

ones doing the hard work.

While I personally do not spend 11 or 12 hours a day away from my child, I

recognize that some women make that choice. There are many trade offs in

life, and we all choose what we are willing to trade for and what we are

willing to give up to achieve that.

I believe that all LCs should be somewhat educated about nutrition. While

breastfeeding goes way beyond nutrition, breastmilk from your own mother is

obviously the best nutrition for you if you are a child. Its just one piece

of the puzzle, but a very important piece. Nutrition does not stop when the

baby is weaned, at whatever age. And yes, I have had clients who needed

information about first foods, or about length of nursing.

I am vehemently anti-formula and refer out all clients who are exclusively

pumping as it is my belief that I cannot give them the help they need. I'm

almost 60, and exclusively breastfed 2 children for a total of seven and a

half years. I grow or raise most of my family's food and rarely eat anywhere

else but in my own home or my grown daughter's (age 38) home. I have not

eaten anything with sugar in it for the last 30 years, nor do I eat processed

foods. I am 5'7 " tall and weigh about 125 pounds. I rarely see the doctor,

except in the case of broken bones as my family is amazingly healthy. I

practice attachment parenting with my 12 yr old son and while I may homeschool

him

soon, he presently attends public school. I do believe that society would be

totally different if every mother were supported to breastfeed each child.

I am educated and have had some great jobs during my career, including

trapping, banding, and researching falcons for the US Forest Service. But being

an IBCLC is the career I have consciously chosen as the best possible use of

my energy. These elements of my personality have all been my own choices

(which were made after much invested effort) and you are entitled to think

whatever you want of me. In fact, I have purposely included them so that you

might know that people like me do exist. I'm pretty sure that I didn't

mention anything in my original posts about thrush that could be conceived of as

falsehoods but if you need information on which to attack me, you can pick

and choose from the above list.

I did not enter this field in order to get rich and don't view

consultations as a means to make money, but as a means to serve. I certainly

don't

expect clients to adopt my lifestyle, and I haven't had the need to ever share

my

particular lifestyle with any of the women I have helped. But I do have a

unique lifestyle; I believe that all women are entitled to the same freedom.

I don't believe its part of my job to impose my beliefs upon my clients, but

helping them preserve their breastfeeding relationship is my way of sharing

what I consider to be the absolute best moments of my life-mothering my

children. That has been the gift of my life.

Niki Konchar, IBCLC

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[Guest guest]

Niki, please let’s call a truce! I am much more similar to you than you know (just finished putting in my vegetable garden, but I am shorter, with 3 children breastfed for over 9 years, and I admit to occasionally eating sugar). I would never attack your lifestyle choices! It sounds like my clientele is very different from yours, so I am interested in the differences in your practice. I only wanted to know about the research on juice, but I will stop asking now! Becky , IBCLCMilky WayLa Plata, MD

[Guest guest]

I've had a few clients who never cook because they have someone ELSE living in

doing the cooking for them. Just because you don't cook, doesn't mean you can't

eat great food if you have a live in gourmet chef. And on the other end, I have

had clients that also don't have the time to cook. Take out is relative. Some

take out here in Manhattan is actually quite healthy. There are even vegan and

raw food take out restaurants. Although one of these has a giant chocolate cake

made out of I don't know what, that I am pretty sure is not particularly helpful

if you are worried about sugar and fat consumption.

Best regards,

E Burger, MHS, PhD, IBCLC

NYLCA President

sburgernutr@...

[Guest guest]

Just because people have different opinions and ask for research to back up

opinions doesn't qualify as an attack. If we all had the same opinions and we

never challenged our own opinions, we would never grow and learn. Discussing

differences of opinions is a wonderful way to learn the many varied ways of

interpreting our world.

Stealing a line from my son

Peace off,

Burger

[Guest guest]

My youngest daughter went through a spell of eating raw foods. She used to make

a chocolate mousse torte that was to die for. Cocoa nibs and avocado and some

other healthy things blended to a creamy consistency in a crust of finely minced

dates, nuts (walnuts or cashews) and shredded coconut. It was unbelievably

delicious and impossible to gorge on because it was so rich a small serving was

totally filling.

The good vegan restaurants serve feasts where the serving portions are small and

the food is so satisfying to all one's senses that one feels full. Even my

Italian husband, totally skeptical of such foods, walked out full.

I wish I could have a live-in cook to make such things!

warmly,

Nikki

[Guest guest]

Norma:

They now have individual pack formula dispensers like those fancy coffee

individual pack coffee makers. My dentist has one of the coffee makes and every

single time I use it, the receptionist has to help me fix how I put the packet

in.

It all started with space food. I still remember Space Sticks -- weird little

cylinders of sugar and who knows what else -- and Tang. It was considered such

an advancement. That was when I still had dreams of being a colonist on the

first outpost on Mars!!! Haha.

Best regards,

E. Burger, MHS, PhD, IBCLC