Ok, This is my gripe for today. A young mother on the Outer Banks of North
Carolina delivered last August. As a result of family pressures, misinformation
from health care professionals, etc, she pumped and partially breastmilk fed
for a couple of weeks, and then weaned to artificial milk. The baby has
suffered many stomach and digestion problems as his mother tried to find the
artificial milk that he can tolerate. He is now 6 months old, and is a chronic
spitter, suffers from GERD, pain and each feeding is a horrible situation. He
is on the "special formula'. The pharmacy forgot to order his formula and she
tried today to feed him the formula that is available at the grocery store on
the island. The baby violently vomited. She called my daughter to ask about
donor milk. My daughter just called me to ask how fast can donor milk be
arranged. This young mother is on WIC and Medicaid and my gripe is this: the
system pays for the special formula, the antibiotics for infections, the stomach
meds, and will pay for the asthma medications and treatments in a few months
( he is already wheezing), but they will not pay for donor milk from the milk
bank which will help this baby be a healthier baby and child and not
require so much medical treatment over the course of his life.
So I told my daughter that I will help her pay for some milk ( my husband is
going to love that considering I am out of work!), and we will also ask the
church for some help in paying for it. That is IF the pediatrician will even
order the milk and IF the milk bank approves it and IF the milk bank has milk
available.
My daughter would consider an informal milk sharing but she doesn't think
this mother would agree to that, and there is a 2 year difference in the ages
of the babies.
Where are the HMBANA members in discussions with WIC on reinbursements for
donor milk for WIC babies?
I hate to see a baby vomiting up blood, screaming in pain, and fighting
feeds, just because our system will not pay for donor milk. This is totally wrong.
Barbara Whitehead, BS, IBCLC, RLC
eastern NC
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