team effort

i'm all about independence. set your goals, make your plans, stride forward. grow and be challenged. however, today at work, i witnessed teamwork at its prime, giving me an entirely new perspective on this whole "independence" thing.

one of my patients delivered twins. for privacy's sake, we'll call them baby A and baby B. baby A was transferred to the NICU for respiratory problems, while baby B stayed with mama in postpartum. this mama was fully intent on breastfeeding, and did a wonderful job with baby B. but what about baby A? did mama have to trek to another unit between baby B's feedings in order to feed baby A? nope. as a matter of fact, she was able to stay right where she was, assured that baby A was also being breastfed. but how? TEAMWORK!


mama had a domestic partner who induced her own lactation during the pregnancy. in layman's terms: while this mama was pregnant with the twins, the lesbian partner underwent hormonal therapy to produce her own breastmilk so they could both breastfeed.

once i recovered from my initial shock of ever hearing such a thing, i was ecstatic. both mommies breastfeeding! both babies benefitting from the rich juices! a loving couple able to share the joy, stress, and intimacy associated with having the baby at the breast. one big happy family, bonding. teamwork.

for as natural and organic breastfeeding is, this experience gives me hope for the future of what lies ahead in maternal medicine. i am convinced that no one should be robbed of an opportunity to experience some type of teamwork that builds foundations within a family. and let me tell you, some serious foundations were being built here.