"One concern I have heard
voiced about this project is that it may encourage many more women to try
BF, but if they are not aware of their resources for BF help, the project
may backfire." Cindy Turner-Maffei

This is a major concern that I have about promotions without education and
change in practice, including the exciting Pediatric journal article that is
forthcoming.  On one hand I am overjoyed that they are going to get the word
out to peds that breastfeeding matters, and matters a lot. On the other
hand, feeding "habits" and basic infant care recommendations sabatoge
successful breastfeeding at every turn.  The hospitals start it. Then the
peds (and popular media) tell the mother that the baby MUST sleep alone,
mother MUST not feed in bed, ten minutes a side is plenty, mother must not
be "tied" down for every feeding, pacifiers are desirable, her milk doesn't
have "enough" iron, vit D, flouride, etc, a bottle now and then won't hurt,
don't feed more often than every__ hours, your nipples just have to toughen
up...
you all know all of this.

The problems are CREATED then the same HCPs don't know how to resolve the
probs but often won't refer. There just aren't enough LCs or LLLLs to
correct all of the messed-up breastfeeding couples. And the mothers feel
that THEY have failed.

Of course, maybe if enough HCPs get frustrated trying to facilitate
breastfeeding they will begin to look at what went wrong to begin with and
make themselves informed.  Will we ever study what is going RIGHT in order
to prevent things going WRONG?

Patricia Gima, IBCLC
Milwaukee, WI.