Dear Winnie,

You say "I have been asked to compose a 'Feeding Philosophy' as part of a
corrective action for expressing too much 'passion for breastfeeding' and
'making bottle feeding moms feel guilty' ..."

This sounds like an encounter with the Thought Police!  Or maybe a political
re-education process reminiscent of the Chinese Cultural Revolution.

Is this supposed to be *your* personal philosophy statement, or a philosophy
statement for your LC department?

If it's the latter, then maybe it would be helpful to think along the lines
of making mission and vision statements...and perhaps even modeling your
statement to match or mimic the M&V statements of your institution. When our
Southern NJ Bf Coalition worked on mission and vision statements, our focus
was on improving the health of the community---and who could argue with that?

If it's the former---that they want a personal philosophy statement from you
to *correct* your past expressions of 'passion for breastfeeding'---I really
wonder whether an employer has the right to ask any employee for such a
thing. I understand that you've chosen to make the decision to hunker down
and hang on until retirement, and I certainly respect that decision. But is
there no one at your institution to be supportive on the side of an
employee's personal integrity?

And where is the administrative clout at your hospital to discipline any
staff member who sabotages a patient's decision to breastfeed? That kind of
support for an LC's professional practice is lacking in so many hospitals!
The hospital administration creates an LC position or department, even lets
the LC write the breastfeeding policy, and then allows nurses to follow their
own "personal philosophies" that say nursing babies need to be supplemented,
one bottle won't hurt, that mother doesn't really want to breastfeed
anyway...ad nauseam.

You have my sympathy and empathy, and my anger toward your bosses.

Chris

Chris Mulford, RN, IBCLC
working for WIC in New Jersey
Co-coordinator, WABA Women & Work Task Force





I know they
are hoping I will come up with something that is "equal" in
promoting both, but those of you who know me know I won't go there.
I intend to start with a statement about the normalcy and
superiority of breastfeeding (maybe not in those words, but to that
effect).  Since I know that will go over "like a lead balloon", I
intend to cite that that is the philosophy/position of various
medical professions.  I have the AAP statement and the AAFP one, but
need to know where I can find the latest AWHONN one.  Does anyone
know if ACOG has a statement supporting breastfeeding as the
preferrred choice?  If so, where I can  obtain a copy?  (To those of
you outside the US, these initials may not mean anything-they are
the pediatrician, family practice MD, women's health nurse and
obstetrician organizations.)  I know there are great statements,
etc. available from ILCA, WABA, ABM etc., but I think you can see
that in this situation, they won't carry much weight with those who
will read it.

Thanks so much for the support and information I have recieved from
this group.  Without it I would really be lost.

Winnie




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