Joy Anderson writes from Oz:
> I get the impression
>that hospital practices and staff attitudes here may be above average
>compared to other Western countries. We certainly don't seem to get
>lots of the horror stories like we read about on Lactnet as happening
>still in some hospitals, with regard to attitutes of some staff, etc.
>I apologise if this sounds like a sweeping statement, and I know
>there are some wonderful staff in hospitals in US and UK, etc and
>some woeful ones in Australia, but it is more of an overall cultural
>thing about expectations that mothers will breastfeed.
Interesting, this, Joy. I think in the UK it has very little to do with
cultural expectations that mothers will breastfeed, though. More
significant, I think, is the professional training of midwives and others.
Over the last 15-20 years, in the UK, there has been a growing emphasis on
accountability of practice, supervision, clinical governance and
evidence-based practice. This is partly why bf support in hospital is
better, because there's so much good research about it, and it 'fits in'
beautifully with this newer thinking.
I can honestly say, hand on heart, that nowhere in the UK would 'grape
jelly' be placed on mothers' nipples before bf, or indeed formula, to get
the baby interested (both recently cited on the list). If it was ever done
by an individual HP, I truly think the sky would fall in!
Now, there is plenty of other anti-breastfeeding info (don't get me
started.....), but nothing as crass and truly ignorant as this. We are a
lot smaller and less geographically diverse than both the US and Australia,
so good practice does spread more quickly, really terrible practice gets
wiped out more quickly, and islands of grape jelly can't exist!
Hats off to those of you who have to work with people who think working in
this way is helpful...
Heather Welford Neil
NCT bfc Newcastle upon Tyne UK
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