My reaction to the Infant Nutrition Institute is as follows:


When I was in the hospital three months ago after my son Tzvi's birth, I
was offered those free ABM samples, I outrightly  refused.

Then I had another experience:
A nurse told me:
"Shouldn't  you give him some formula, he's hungry"

I answered  "The more he breastfeeds the sooner the mother's milk comes in"

Nurse: "Yes, but he's hungry now"

Me: "He doesn't  look hungry to me; he looks like he wants to go back to
sleep"

Nurse looked me over quizzically for a few seconds, "Hey, how long did you
breastfeed your last kid?"

Me: "Oh, two and a half years."

This nurse decided to stay the hell away from me; unfortunately, she did
not stay away from my baby and when we had to bring the babies back for the
doctor's check-ups  that evening someone gave him a bottle.  This bottle
had the result of:

My baby refusing the breast quite suddenly by behavioral shutdown
My son not wanting to Bf, and becoming increasingly jaundiced as a result.
Consequently, the doctor became convinced I was a no-bender breastfeeding
freak AND I had to travel back and forth to the hospital FIVE DAYS in a row
when I should have been RESTING.
This nurse not only deeply disturbed my breastfeeding equilibrium with MY
son, but caused me loss of much NEEDED rest, and caused the baby a HEALTH
RISK.

In the end I had to pump and give him EBm until he was strong enough to
breastfeed (four days) while I worried if he'd ever go back to
breastfeeding properly.

My fury:  This nurse put my baby at extreme risk because she didn't  care
to respect my wishes that my baby not be fed formula, even though I was an
obviously experienced mother.  It was also posted on the bassinet "Mother's
milk ONLY" Heck, I even told her "I am a breastfeeding counselor"
Coupled by the fact that she didn't write the bottle  down on the chart,
which is a super violation of protocol in that hospital.  A doctor admitted
to me that if I had a witness I could bring up criminal charges.

I never felt more violated in my entire life, and if I had had proof I
would have sued the hospital's pants off.


When my baby was a month old I was also offered the free samples at the
well-baby clinic.  The next time I saw the doctor, I asked him "Why are you
giving out free samples of formula in your clinic?"

He said "What!  That's absurd."

I then proferred those free samples, and he was quite shocked.

Seems his nurses had really smuggled them in behind his back.


My conversation with my well-baby nurse:

"You aren't supposed to be giving out formula in well-baby clinics"

"That rule doesn't count anymore they changed it."

"Oh really, the WHO Code has been rescinded?"

"Anyway, we asked them to send the samples to us to help the mothers."

"To help them?  Why don't you send  them to an LC instead if you  want to
HELP them?"
(I was too shocked to come up with a better answer for this one."



What was the formula company's answer  to the problem?

"If you don't want the free samples,lady, then don't take them."

"But they're not supposed to be given out for free."

"So don't take them."

"NO ONE is supposed to be taking them.  NO ONE is supposed to be offering
them either."

"Look, if you don't want the samples don't take them."

"You are not supposed to be giving out free formula samples.  It is a
BLATANT violation of the WHO Code"

"The  WHO Code?  What's that?"

"It's an International agreement to keep companies like your's from giving
out free samples of Artificial Milk."

"But why do you care?  If you don't want the samples, so don't take them.
We write on everything that mother's milk is best..."

Back to ground one...


This went on for 15 minutes, on their phone bill.

ARGH!!!


And now my recent client whose family bantered her and told her her milk is
no good and we've been working for two weeks already to help her relactate.

To this woman who got that pump from the ABM company: She should threaten
to blow the press on them.  She should do something, STAND UP AND SCREAM,
PROCLAIM: " You are using pumps to VIOLATE Women's rights.  Baby's rights."

When formula companies make these gadgets, supply these samples they are
not playing fairly.  When they get nurses convinced that they're better
than God's formula, then we have mothers and babies being violated.

I felt raped.  I felt angry.  I cried for days.  And I am quasi Bf
literate.

I had to spend lots of money going back and forth to the hospital. Money I
couldn't afford to spend.  I also had to buy a breastpump, which I hadn't
intended to buy and really couldn't afford either, and that cost an arm and
a leg. Not to mention the bottle with the special orthodontic nipple that I
had to buy, which cost ....
(The doctor cringed when I said I was going to finger feed, and threatened
to
hospitalize the baby...)

What about all those women out there who know too little?

Yes,  I'll step down from my soap box now.
I am tired and disgusted of Societel sanctioned rape of women.

ABM samples are nothing less than attempted rape.  ABM pumps and formula
samples together are attempted gang rape.


Nofia Altman