Category: Stories from Clinicians

Italian Doctor Talks About Her Daughter Starving In A Baby-Friendly Hospital And Clinic Under The Care Of IBCLCs

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I gave birth to my daughter three months ago (vaginal delivery) after prolonged labour. I had been ill the week before, unable to walk, stand, or sleep (I had been to the emergency room several times for pain in my left iliac fossa; they ordered exams, but no diagnosis came up), so I was already exhausted prior to birth. I chose a baby-friendly hospital (two hours of skin-to-skin contact after delivery, no nursery, no doctors unless strictly necessary) because I wanted, if all the clinical criteria were fine, a less medicalized experience with a midwife.

My second night was awful, as my baby cried desperately and was attached to my breasts all night long. I even called the midwives because I was so tired, but they reassured me saying that everything was going just fine, so I just endured for the good of my daughter. To be honest, I was already skeptical by my prenatal course teachers with their motto ”breastfeeding is the best for babies’ and mothers’ health.” As a doctor, I knew that formula works just fine in western countries for term infants with almost no repercussions on the child; but I felt so overwhelmed after delivery that I needed to trust the professionals—I needed not to be my daughter’s doctor.

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Two Physicians Describe How Their Baby-Friendly Hospital Put Their Newborn in Danger

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John and Kristen are both surgical residents who recently had their first child. This is their story.

By John and Kristen Waters

Let me start by saying we are one of the lucky ones. Our first-born was born at term on July 25th, 2019 at 9:43 p.m., a healthy 7 lb, and 10oz. My wife – a general surgery resident – was planning on beginning to breastfeed right after birth. My wife had undergone a bilateral breast reduction about 15 years ago, so issues with breastfeeding were on our radar. Immediately after birth, we were taken from the delivery room to the postpartum unit, where at 2 a.m. my wife and I were given a pile of paperwork and instructions on breastfeeding practices. All the while both of us were seeing double from the long day and night of laboring and delivery.

Over the course of the next 12-24 hours, our baby attempted to latch and breastfeed, continuing to have issues with falling asleep while on the breast. We spoke with a lactation consultant and multiple nurses who stated that things were going fine and that everything was normal. Over this time the rate of wet diapers continued to decrease and our baby did not have a bowel movement.

As we got into our second night of life, our child began to cry hysterically.

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Dr. Beth Elston, Pediatrician, Shares Her Fed is Best Story and How She Supports Moms

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Dr. Beth Elston is a mother and a general pediatrician. She talks about her experience as a breastfeeding mother. She talks about how breastfeeding education taught to moms and health professionals often does not fit with reality and discusses the harm caused by programs like the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative. She shares her insights on how to best support mothers regardless of their ability or decision to breastfeed and how to respect mother’s decisions, including breastfeeding, formula-feeding or combo-feeding. She shares how her experience has changed how she supports her patients in their unique infant feeding journeys.

Dr. Beth Elston’s Fed is Best Interview

Feed Your Baby—When Supplementing Saves Breastfeeding and Lives

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Jody Segrave-Daly, RN, MS, IBCLC

Mothers are taught that it’s rare not to produce enough milk to exclusively breastfeed in nearly every breastfeeding book, mommy group, and hospital breastfeeding class. The truth is we have limited studies that provide an accurate percentage of mothers who can produce enough milk for their babies for the recommended six months. Although actual rates of adequate milk production are unknown, some estimates range from 12-15 percent or more.   

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Breastfeeding, Supplemental feeding, Formula-Feeding, Fed is Best

Letter to Doctors and Parents About the Dangers of Insufficient Exclusive Breastfeeding and the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative

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(En español)

Dear Colleague and Parent:

My name is Christie del Castillo-Hegyi and I am an emergency physician, former NIH scientist, with a background in newborn brain injury research at Brown University, and mother to a 6-year-old child who is neurologically disabled. I am writing to you because my child fell victim to newborn jaundice, hypoglycemia and severe dehydration due to insufficient milk intake from exclusive breastfeeding in the first days of life. As an expectant mom, I read all the guidelines on breastfeeding my first-born child. Unfortunately, following the guidelines and our pediatrician’s advice resulted in my child going 4 days with absolutely no milk intake requiring ICU care. He was subsequently diagnosed with multiple neuro-developmental disabilities.  Being a physician and scientist, I sought out peer-reviewed journals to explain why this happened. I found that there is ample evidence showing the links between neonatal jaundice, dehydration, hypoglycemia and developmental disabilities. I wish to explain to you how I believe this could apply to my son and the many children whose care you are entrusted with. Continue reading →