Hi all.

I was at a meeting the other day...a meeting of many kinds of professionals
interested in bf. There was no physician present at this particular meeting.
One problem that we were working on was how to give uniform info to ALL
mothers of ALL socioeconom. backgrounds.

The issue was to work on some piece of information, written probably, to
hand out to all mothers in our area to prepare and aid them in bf...to sort
of make information uniform..as part of our problem here is that many people
give many different pieces of info, sometimes conflicting info.

The problem was that we could not think of how to FUND such a written
piece...for wide distribution.  It was implied that no one would, and that
physicians would rather hand out info printed by formula companies since
they didn't have to pay for it.

At this point in the meeting, I brought up the AAP's choice of receiving
several millions of dollars from formula manufacturers. There was an
uncomfortable silence in the room....

This made me angry...why are things that are FREE implicity ok?

I want people to take  ownership for information,...will physicians pay
money for information to be printed, or will hospitals? It makes me mad that
here, as in many hospitals, only a scattered few see a problem with taking
free formula and free formula-sponsored info...with their advertising
scattered all over it.?

My idea would be to charge each in-patient for the formula they use, much as
other patients are charged for the food they eat.  Pretty radical, huh? I
could see more exciting possibilities...(almost typed
possibilitities...freudian..eh? : ) )....how about if people who don't
drink, who don't smoke, who DO breastfeed, or wear motorcycle helmets,
etc... receive a BREAK on their insurance rates..? Why should those who make
GOOD choices pay for those who make poor ones? I am sure that this kind of
extra charge for those poor choices would generate enough income to print
out a roomful of bf instruction sheets..?

Argh.

*crash*...falling off that big soapbox...


Kathleen

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Kathleen B. Bruce RN, BSN, IBCLC
Williston, Vermont USA
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Remember to stop and smell the "roses!"
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