A mother may prefer to bring her question to an LLL Leader where she knows she will find support. Keep in mind, however, that when a mother does not mention breastfeeding to her health care provider, she misses an opportunity to build a rapport as well as educate him or her about breastfeeding. A failed attempt to work out a satisfactory solution may lead a mother to realize that she must find a practitioner who is more suited to her needs. All doctors do not evaluate a drug's compatibility with breastfeeding in the same way so the mother may need to contact more than one doctor before she finds the support she seeks. Some health care providers will prescribe a treatment without asking the mother how she feels about the recommendation.
Leaders can provide a valuable service by encouraging the mother to request treatment options .
Offering a mother the skills and moral support she needs to converse with her medical practitioner is as vital as providing her with specifics about a given drug. The most important point to remember is that Leaders cannot diagnose, prescribe or advise. We can certainly give the mother the information we have but we can not offer advice about a particular medication. Being sick and having decisions to make can't be easy. I can't tell you whether or not to take this medication because I'm not qualified to prescribe, but if you would like, I can give you a reference to share with your health care provider so the two of you can talk about it.