SSM Health Dean Medical Group

I've used this Dean clinic & St. Mary's hospital since my first pregnancy in 2012 & have overall had a very understanding & medically accurate experience. However I am not a fan of St. Mary's current lactation consultant due to her black & white tactics, knowledge about unconventional medicines & bad bedside manner. Felt as if she did not care or even try to help myself or my child breastfeed, would just come in & watch her nurse for seriously no more than a minute, told me about the different holds & instructed me on them, then would tell me she was nursing fine & walk out. Did this for two days, seemingly more frustrated every time I called. Asked for nipple shield but she would not provide me with one saying it breaks skin to skin contact even though with my child's condition I kept her in a diaper on my bare chest at all times, which she knew & she walked out before I had time to press the issue. Also asked her if there was a way we could find out if she was getting any milk when nursing, said no not really & left it at that. My baby ended up dropping more than 10% of her birth weight which was unrelated to her underline condition & because of the two issues we requested to go to the NICU in Madison. Arrived in the middle of the night, explained my feeding issues, the nurse said "Oh... Well we can most certainly let u try a nipple shield (which mind u my nipples were covered in sores by this point) here & weigh her before & after she nurses, it isn't an exact number but it gives us an idea" !!!!!! I was ready to drive back to Janesville to tell that lady just how stupid she was... Did end up sending her a card frankly stating the information I learned from the NICU nurses in hopes the next baby doesn't suffer as mine did. And it turned out my sweet girl was tounge tied which is why she had so much trouble latching, which u could also hear when she nursed, they knew what the sound was right away. But the nipple shield made it so she could nurse properly until they clipped her tounge. I feel like a Lactation Consultant should know if not all of these things at least some!!! And also was asked by Dean's ENT... (Cannot remember if it was Dr. King or Dr. Lyon but one of them, he was very old, probably close to retirement, Hopefully!) If I've ever "Had my head checked" because I told him I have a prosthetic eardrum... It is rare but I still did not appreciate the comment. Had it done as a child by the Doctor that invented it in Arkansas, Dr.Dornhoffer ... Ended up just sending him the CT scan of my ear. Like I said other than that I've always liked all the doctors, nurses & specialists that have treated myself, my husband, children & family. Have always been understanding & able to work with our personal situations.