HELP! I am involved in the fight of my life. I'm the Patient Care Coordinator of the nursery in a small community hospital.

Formula reps have always visited the nursery, left gifts, etc., but thanks to being on this list, I have stopped this practice, or should I say - trying to stop this practice.

The formula rep whose company holds the WIC contract in our state (our clientele are 50% WIC and BFing rates are very low for this group, but that's another story) states that she needs to check our formula stock and discharge kits. I know you all dislike discharge kits, but you have to understand that my hospital has been giving them out since the beginning on time, and I am trying to change things slowly and gradually. The rep, of course, just wants to keep her foot in the door and to show her face on our unit.

When I told her we were taking the can of powdered ABM out of the BF discharge packs (remember gradual change) and NO she could not check our stock, she went straight to the only private Peds office in town and asked them to hand out her BF discharge packs. I'm not sure at this point what the Peds intend to do, but I do know their office looks like one big advertisement for Si*****!

BTW, a lot of the RN's at my hospital (especially one very vocal one) would go ballistic if we stopped giving out the formula DC packs.

I would also like to convince the Peds of the harmful messages they are conveying by having formula advertisements all over their office. I intend to purchase some BF art for them to put up since one of the Docs said the reason they use formula stuff is because its free. I'll see if it works both ways.

P.S. Does anyone have a catchy name for a Telephone Peer Support system I am starting soon? Can't use Bosom Buddies as a local breast cancer survivors group has this name already.