Sep 7

"No, Yours Are Too Big!"

“No, yours are too big….yes, you can breastfeed….no, your nipples will never work…yes, you’re fine…no, your nipples are too flat” -hospital lactation consultant in a post-birth lactation class after asking a group of new moms to remove their shirts for inspection.

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There are 13 comments to this post.

Virginia Bobro had this to say, Sep 8, 2009 @ 10:12 am (Quote)

As a long-time IBCLC and LLL Leader, this scenario simply turns my stomach! I am appalled! There is no consideration of the women’s privacy or emotional needs. This sort of consultation should absolutely be done privately. If a mom’s individual anatomy *potentially* may create some challenges, then she can be gently informed, then the IBCLC should shut up and listen to the mom’s reactions and concerns. The next step, obviously, would be to suggest several things a mother can DO about it. With breastfeeding, there are never any absolutes. Some moms with “perfect” nipples and breasts can have difficulties. Other moms, who “objectively” have flat or inverted or wide nipples, may have no problems at all.
Breastfeeding is an art!

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Aimee had this to say, Sep 8, 2009 @ 12:26 pm (Quote)

Oh. My. God!

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michele had this to say, Sep 9, 2009 @ 9:07 am (Quote)

How humiliating!

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Veronika had this to say, Sep 9, 2009 @ 1:05 pm (Quote)

I think I might have just blanked out for a minute. They had to remove their shirts??? How humiliating!

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rootofnewt had this to say, Sep 9, 2009 @ 3:08 pm (Quote)

I’d like to smack that LC with my massively prominent mammaries, but I’d give myself whiplash.

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Ashley had this to say, Sep 10, 2009 @ 1:23 pm (Quote)

O.M.G.

Seriously? In this day and age?

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Tara had this to say, Sep 10, 2009 @ 2:38 pm (Quote)

WOAH! She’s a nurse AND she’s psychic?

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Knitted in the Womb had this to say, Sep 10, 2009 @ 3:43 pm (Quote)

Huh???? The women actually submitted to this??? How absolutely humliating and unprofessional, not to mention the false diagnoses. Where did that LC get her credentials, from a Cracker Jack box?

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Heather had this to say, Nov 9, 2009 @ 10:55 pm (Quote)

OMG! I’d love her to explain to my three year old and 10 month old how they can’t nurse on my size H/I breasts with flat nipples (my only problem was overactive letdown and stupid LCs that didn’t teach me to do a C-hold but tried to teach me to nurse hands-free, which isn’t comfortable to me and is impossible with a newborn and my nipple positions and a baby with a terrible latch because she loved sucking in her upper lip–5 lactation professionals couldn’t fix her latch or the clicking, but the clicking was never a problem).

I hope you reported her.

It is extremely improbable to look at a woman’s breasts and say “You can’t nurse because…” or “Oh, nursing will be easy for you!” and be right (beyond self-fulfilling prophesy, of course). I was so terrified of nursing, but luckily I went to LLL while pregnant and had a good leader who wasn’t an idiot who told me I’d be fine and I’d figure it out as I did it, like everyone else had to and to just come in/call if I had any issues at all.

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Sarah Cassill had this to say, Dec 13, 2009 @ 6:59 pm (Quote)

And like the mother (and her breasts!) are the only factor! I’ve heard too many stories from women who nursed their first baby (or babies) with no problems, but then had trouble with their next. Or who had trouble feeding their first, but their second was a natural….

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Kristin had this to say, Feb 17, 2011 @ 3:46 pm (Quote)

SERIOUSLY? They can make women undress in public?!

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cottonlily had this to say, Sep 10, 2011 @ 2:01 pm (Quote)

OMG who would take their shirt off in a room full of people??? I still haven’t come to terms with a LC touching my breasts for help so I sure as hell wouldn’t have one “inspecting” me in public!

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