teaching physicians

[Guest guest]

Interesting question.

My first major teaching gig for physicians was an enormous hurdle, in my mind.

As a nursing student, I was taught to let the physician enter the elevator

first, and surrender the chart I was working on if the physician needed it.

I did a lot of mental and spiritual preparation and even got a private

consultation with Molly Kellogg, (www.mollykellogg.com) who is a nutritionist

specializing in difficult counselling situations. Our local lactation consultant

affiliate group had her in to speak to us, and she was AWESOME.

What changed my attitude, after all the personal work, was thinking about how

difficult breastfeeding must be for physicians. Everyone expects them to KNOW

everything and to be SUPPORTIVE and to add one more clinically intricate

knowledge base to their overburdened plate. They've had no training or

education. Who helps them?

They don't have to be lactation consultants. All they really have to know is to

1) be glad the mother asked the question

2) encourage her to keep taking milk out and feeding it to the baby

3) refer

After all, if a baby with a cardiac defect came to the local pediatrician, we

wouldn't expect the peds to fix the defect...we'd expect a good referral.

I have found it helpful to take the pressure off them,ask them for what they

want, then to focus on some simple and specific strategies that are relevant to

their clinical practice.

They are experts in medicine. I am an expert in lactation. We meet on equal

ground, in an atmosphere of collegial support and inquiry.

warmly,

Nikki