How to Start a Dr. Milkâ Chapter at Your Hospital

How to start a Dr. MILK chapter at your hospital Laurie B Jones, MD, IBCLC – [email protected]

MEMBERSHIP

1. Declare one person as the chapter "boss" coordinator - in academic setting helpful to have one attending boss and one resident boss. This person (probably you!) sends out meeting reminders - looks for pregnant people in doctor's lounge - organizes dates and locations for meeting. Without one central point person - the groups fall apart quickly. 2. Set up meeting dates ahead of time and reserve a room that can have door closed. Post the list of meetings in 6 months intervals on Facebook page or through group email. 3. Invite pregnant, nursing, pumping, and those finished pumping to attend a. Talk to chief residents and Med Ed office if academic program b. Get program directors to excuse residents and count towards attendance c. Use state AAP, AAFP, ACOG, etc. chapters for member lists, newsletters 4. Include med students, residents, priv practice. We have kept doors closed to non-physicians b/c of liability issues and expectations of doctor-patient relationship whether it is intended or not. Also the whole concept of “peer counseling” for Dr. MILK is an environment where a physician mom can let her guard down around others who understand her unique barriers and issues. 5. If you are uncomfortable excluding anyone from your meetings – then create your group as a hospital-wide pumping support group and don’t call it a Dr. MILK group. There are many shared barriers for all working mother and this type of group has tremendous benefits. It’s just not a physician mom pumping support group. 6. Get an IBCLC to attend who has experience with long-term nursing - not just hospital nursing with newborn. Someone who understands Magic Number concepts and working mother concepts. In a perfect world you have an MD/IBCLC who can attend regularly. It is dangerous to have only peer to peer advice without some sort of leader with extra knowledge. 7. Keep some sort of database/spreadsheet/list of members with name, email, specialty, hospital, etc. so that you can play match maker to connect people and to update me with size/scope of your club periodically.

MEETING

1. No agenda - just have everyone introduce them selves at the start. 2. No articles - no topics - just open ended discussions of struggles people are having - achievements and milestones to celebrate - secret places to pump - time saving tips - connect people up within same specialty to talk later privately if they want - get them on the Facebook page. 3. Only article I might bring to every meeting is the "Magic Number" article. Every newbie needs this article - plus the one on paced bottle feeds (Kassing method) and the fact that supply does not go up over time. (Milk Volume Demands Escalate Nancy Mohrbacher). Those 3 articles should be given to every new member. 4. Be clear that everyone is cool with pumping at the meeting, nursing at the meeting, bringing baby, etc. while eating and talking. Multitasking like all of us do every day :) 5. Have a resource list of local IBCLC's if someone really has true low supply and needs to pay for a full consult - rather than peer to peer advice. Physician moms try to fix things themselves sometimes instead of reaching out for professional help. a. On the resource list include pump supply boutiques and shops, pump rental and purchase locations b. Include ENT/dentist/other who do scissor/laser/cautery frenulotomy c. Include adjunctive support: chiropracter (craniosacral therapy), accupunture 6. Make a list of pumping locations in the hospital and clinics and also rotation-specific closest locations if academic program. List whether location has fridge, sink, hospital-grade pumps, how many outlets, privacy expectation, storage areas for tubing.

TIPS FOR SUCCESS

 We meet monthly and that seems to be just right.  Meet even when there are only two people there. Attendance fluctuates wildly.  When you start your meetings - post them on the FB page so we can celebrate your "chapter" and maybe encourage others to do the same at their hospital.  Remind people of the meetings a few days in advance on FB page and tag people who might attend.  If you make your own chapter Facebook page, please add me to your Facebook group as the creator of Dr. MILK – I don’t comment or post (usually) – I just learn a lot from what people post and keeps me in the loop. o Have only one Facebook admin for the page (whoever is group leader) and check every request against physician name typed into Google or healthgrades. You can easily figure out who is a physician that way. State medical board name check is another fast way.  I will email you Dr. MILK logos to use for meeting notices if you want them

TO-DO LIST

 Identify Chapter leader  Find IBCLC  Location  Reserve room  Recruit members  Make signs to post  Make sign-in sheet for meeting  Make copies of 3 critical articles  Set up Facebook group page  Make local lactation resource list  Make pump location resource list  Get the word out