Hello lactnetters,
Thought I would send a little report about my job in N.E. Mississippi (s.e. 
USA) since Hurricane Katrina and how things compare to New Orleans on the 
breastfeeding front. I am happy to say that I am working part time starting 
up a breastfeeding program at a hospital that does about 1000 births per 
year. The breastfeeding initiation rates are 40% average, 30-48% was the 
range by month over the last 11 months. The rates drop from there at 
hospital discharge which is only about 24 hrs for vag birth and 2-3 days for 
c/s birth. so we have a huge amount of work to do. In New Orleans, my rates 
were steady at about 47-50% over last 2 yrs.
The new program consists of myself (soon to train a nurse interested in 
becoming LC to help me) seeing all breastfeeding moms, and doing f/u calls 
to start. I am weeding through the written info and discarding or 
re-inventing where needed.
The maternity dept seem to do a good job of keeping moms/babies together 
within the constraints of a separate pp/nsy model. Babies seem to stay with 
mom for 1-2 hrs, they usually do get in a good feed. A nsy nurse goes to the 
birthing area and gives the vit k and eye prophylaxis and does the vital 
statistics after a time and then leaves mom/baby together again for awhile.
I see alot more rooming in and babies NOT in the nursery so much. I also 
note that mothers tend to be more mobile and self-sufficient, not sure if 
that is the hospital culture and expectation or the culture of rural 
Mississippi. For example, moms come into the nsy to view the digital baby 
photos and pick one, and they come in for their dsicharge teaching. They are 
up and about much much more than in N.O.
I've  seen much less c/s births, havent' gotten an answer as to what the 
actual rates are, and I see much less obesity although I see that Miss. has 
high obesity rates. These are just observations not statistical analyses.  
We have one electric pump for moms to use. A large percentage of moms are 
low income on the state Medicaid and WIC program (USA low income health 
programs) which seems more cooperative and easy to access services for bf 
than New Orleans was.
Nursing admin is planning to work with me to perhaps get some grant funding 
to expand this program to a f/u clinic and hopefully some good nurses 
training and resources. If you have any ideas about grant funding let me 
know.  The medical staff seem quite supportive of bf, there are several 
family practice docs, a couple pediatricians. Very sick babies and level 3 
babies are shipped out.

So I feel like I'm in a more supportive environment now but still I miss 
home.
Laurie Wheeler, IBCLC, MN, RN

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