Pat Shelly, Pat Shelly, what is she the breast whisperer?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think Pat is a great advocate for BFing but a lousy LC. She tends to diagnose new problems instead of solve existing ones, sort of creating the idea that you need to/can quit. I would be interested how long women who say she is great did BF. Not a judgment, just that I think she gives advice that doesn't set you up for long term success. I BF for 2 years and still look back on the $1000 I spent on her and her LCs as a total waste. I EBF only because I did not follow their advice that I could not do it. And I am not the only one with this experience.

I was there at her new moms meeting every single day for 4 months! I never paid a dime and all my issues were resolved just by asking general questions and reading stuff online. We're on month 10 and I intend to BF until month 24.

Wacko. Wow, you need to find some friends, or get a hobby or something.

Wacko my ass you idiot.

I was fighting PPD with no family or friends in the country to support me. The meetings happen once a week and they were what kept me from sinking into a deeper state of depression.

The support and encouragement we share there are priceless and a must have for moms who need the boost.

Why don't you shut the hell up instead of waisting everybody's time with your empty and bitter judgement?

[Anonymous]

PP again. And where should nursing women go to find friends? Here????? or the Hishhorn museum??? I was happy finding friends there, thank you very much.

You asshole!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think Pat is a great advocate for BFing but a lousy LC. She tends to diagnose new problems instead of solve existing ones, sort of creating the idea that you need to/can quit. I would be interested how long women who say she is great did BF. Not a judgment, just that I think she gives advice that doesn't set you up for long term success. I BF for 2 years and still look back on the $1000 I spent on her and her LCs as a total waste. I EBF only because I did not follow their advice that I could not do it. And I am not the only one with this experience.

I was there at her new moms meeting every single day for 4 months! I never paid a dime and all my issues were resolved just by asking general questions and reading stuff online. We're on month 10 and I intend to BF until month 24.

Wacko. Wow, you need to find some friends, or get a hobby or something.

Wacko my ass you idiot.

I was fighting PPD with no family or friends in the country to support me. The meetings happen once a week and they were what kept me from sinking into a deeper state of depression.

The support and encouragement we share there are priceless and a must have for moms who need the boost.

Why don't you shut the hell up instead of waisting everybody's time with your empty and bitter judgement?

In fairness to the person you are fighting with, she was responding to your statement that you were there "every single day for 4 months." It sounds like you meant every time they were held for 4 months, which was actually once a week. Still probably seems like a lot to some, but you gotta admit that going to the Breastfeeding Center EVERY day for 4 months would be a LITTLE weird, no??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used the two LCs at my pediatrician's office (Reston Town Center Pediatrics) and they were awesome -- awesome!

Yay for Reston Town Center Peds! We also go there and their LCs are fantastic! They (especially Mary) have helped me through 2 babies and I am having twins this summer and I expect to see the LCs there often. They rock!

Agree that the LC's (especially Mary) are lovely. SO calm and encouraging. I hated the pediatricians there though, so we switched. The receptionists were especially rude and awful. This was when my DS was born though (in 2005), so hopefully things have changed!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think Pat is a great advocate for BFing but a lousy LC. She tends to diagnose new problems instead of solve existing ones, sort of creating the idea that you need to/can quit. I would be interested how long women who say she is great did BF. Not a judgment, just that I think she gives advice that doesn't set you up for long term success. I BF for 2 years and still look back on the $1000 I spent on her and her LCs as a total waste. I EBF only because I did not follow their advice that I could not do it. And I am not the only one with this experience.

I was there at her new moms meeting every single day for 4 months! I never paid a dime and all my issues were resolved just by asking general questions and reading stuff online. We're on month 10 and I intend to BF until month 24.

Wacko. Wow, you need to find some friends, or get a hobby or something.

Wacko my ass you idiot.

I was fighting PPD with no family or friends in the country to support me. The meetings happen once a week and they were what kept me from sinking into a deeper state of depression.

The support and encouragement we share there are priceless and a must have for moms who need the boost.

Why don't you shut the hell up instead of waisting everybody's time with your empty and bitter judgement?

In fairness to the person you are fighting with, she was responding to your statement that you were there "every single day for 4 months." It sounds like you meant every time they were held for 4 months, which was actually once a week. Still probably seems like a lot to some, but you gotta admit that going to the Breastfeeding Center EVERY day for 4 months would be a LITTLE weird, no??

Just read on this board moms of little ones with nobody around to help begging for ideas on what to do with their LOs saying they're going insane and bored. You'll see there's nothing weird about it and if you ever went there you'd know that youll always meet the same moms for a few weeks on a row.

What a bunch of unhelpful judgmental women. Yuck!

Do you all get a thrill of kicking those of us who're down begging for help? What a low way of living!

[Anonymous]

Pat told an acquaintence of mine that she could only eat like four foods because she was causing her baby's reflux by eating things like spinach. True story. The woman was eating baked squash and sweet potatoes for every meal. It was the saddest thing ever. That advice is seriously, seriously outdated; almost all of the research suggests that true food sensitivities - where baby is sensitive to a food via mother's breastmilk - are really rare. When they do happen, the culprit is almost always milk, soy / legumes, and occasionally chocolate. But again, this is pretty darn rare. This made this woman's early parenthood experience miserable.

I'm all for doing what you need to do to keep your baby feeling good but I don't believe for an instant that this diet is necessary. I'm angry that Pat recommends this diet. And my friend is not the only one she told to do the diet.

[Anonymous]

OP, I had a good experience with the Georgetown LCs, both in the hospital and afterwards.

I went to Pat as well. In the single private consult with Pat, she processed an incredible amount of information in a short period of time. Her advice was totally specific to my situation, and filled in the gaps that remained from the Georgetown LCs.

I BF for 16 mo. Couldn't have done it without them.

[Anonymous]

I used Pat with my first DD. With my second I opted to use the Northern Virginia Lactation Consultants. I highly recommend Nancy Clark. She also does or has done LC work at Sibley, GW and Georgetown over the past 30 years. I mostly went to NOVA LC because they were more convenient for me than the Breastfeeding Center, but I think I might like Nancy slightly better than Pat, although I found both of them very helpful. Nancy just seemed a little less intimidating to me, but like others said I'm not looking for a new BFF.