Is Your Pediatrician Breastfeeding-Friendly?

Your child’s pediatrician and your OB play a crucial role in your breastfeeding success.  They can influence your decision to breastfeed.  If they are not knowledgeable about breastfeeding and they seem like ambassadors for a certain milk brand, then they can sabotage your plan to breastfeed.

[caption id="attachment_1596" align="aligncenter" width="197"] Your doctor can make or break your nursing plans.
Source of Photo: ky.gov[/caption]

Formula feeding seems to be a norm in the Philippines. I really think this is partly caused by the attitude of health practitioners towards breastfeeding.  Here are some tell-tale signs that you ought to look out for.

The pedia suggests giving solids at four months.

WHO says complementary feeding should start by six month. Before this time, breast milk alone is the only and sufficient source of nourishment. Introducing solids earlier can decrease breast milk production, since baby might be too full to nurse! The golden rule if you want to keep your milk supply up is to nurse, nurse, nurse!!!

The pedia’s office shows promotional items from milk companies.

If you can see  pamphlets, pads,books or growth charts sponsored by a milk company. These may be direct violations of the Milk Code. Well,  they may argue that they are not advertisements per se, just some form of information campaign. But moms do connect the dots.  If the name of a milk company is written there, then that is a form of advertisement

What’s sad is that these materials misguide the moms about breastfeeding, somehow saying that there’s an easy way out of her “breastfeeding misery” and that they can’t and won’t provide enough breast milk for their child.

If the pediatrician often asks you if you have enough milk supply and seems surprised when you answer yes!

Admit it moms, being asked if you have enough milk is one of those “touchy” subjects.To me, it feels like she's doubting my capability to produce enough. I guess they mean well, just checking if the baby is getting enough. But being surprised when i say I do have enough baffles me.  If you are breastfeeding-savvy then you know that almost all moms can and will produce just enough for her baby.

Pedia does not prescribe iron supplement at six months.

An infant’s iron reserve is depleted by the six months so she needs other sources of iron. For formula fed ones, there are several milks that are iron-fortified. Iron supplementation is needed for breastfed babies at six month. This may come in the form of iron drops or iron fortified cereals.

Introduces formula milk by one year.

Follow-on milk or formula milk for toddlers is non-existent or not popular in other countries. Most babies just “graduate” to whole fresh milk after reaching one-year old. The Philippines is among those countries where formula milk  is popular – we have formula milk for 1 to 3 years, for pregnant women and even for breast feeding mothers!A good breastfeeding-friendly pedia will encourage mommies to continue nursing, even beyond one year.

So, do you have pediatrician  like this? Well… I do! Sadly, she’s not breastfeeding –friendly and breastfeeding-savvy at all.  Come to think of it, which doctor would say she’s not breastfeeding-friendly? Of course, they would say they support breastfeeding. But being a true breastfeeding advocate needs more than just lip service.

Yes, we have a pedia like this. But what can we do? I’ve looked for the doctors as recommended by Latch, but their schedule just don’t fit ours.  Besides, she’s also accredited by our company’s HMO. So we opted to keep her.

What to do when you’re pedia is not breastfeeding-friendly? BE INFORMED! The best way is to look for peers who breastfeed. They will provide utmost guidance and support.  The internet provides a universe of helpful information to breastfeeding moms. Kelly Mom and Jenny Ong’s blog are by far the best sources of information. They provide well researched materials for nursing moms.

If you find yourself conflicted and doubting your doctor, just be consoled by the fact that final decision on rearing your child lies SOLELY ON YOU.  It’s YOU who know’s what’s best for your child.

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