Thank you thank you thank you Pat,
for posting this and validating for me that I am not one of the only
advocates for non-consumption around.  When our facility was preparing for
Baby Friendly designation in the early 90's, my RN colleague and I had quite
a job convincing our wonderful midwife staff that our clients wd be just as
happy with their care without gift packs (which we tried to "clean up", but
found that formula freebies always snuck back into), and even minus the
formula issue, what were we teaching our parents-to-be? That they needed all
kinds of PRODUCTS to be good parents.  Our birth center has been gift-pack
free since 1996 and our clients have never complained.
Martha Johnson RN IBCLC
Eugene, OR

> ----------
> From:         Pat Thomas[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent:         Friday, July 30, 1999 6:45 AM
> Subject:      Baby Powder, short rant
>
> I see pregnant women all the time for my job and by the time they are
> ready for their second prenatal visit, they are already receiving
> samples of baby items. They are seen as new consumers.  Many of the
> things sent for infants are not even good for infants, powder in the air
> can be aspirated into the lungs, baby oils and cleansers and wipes and
> scented diapers contain things that many babies are allergic too.
> I go to visit pregnant women and their homes are already starting to
> fill up with expensive and unneccessary baby items, containers of all
> sorts.  I tell moms that they need a car safety seat and a few items of
> clothing and everything else is to make some company rich.  They think I
> am nuts.  I am always being asked about which expensive item would be
> best for their baby, savings bonds are my most frequent suggestions for
> gifts for children under five.  Even the poorest of my families have
> more toys than one child can pick up or play with.
> Live simply so that others may simply live is a great motto, wish I were
> doing better at it myself.
> Pat Thomas PHN<------Consuming more stuff than is reasonable too.
> Winona County Community Health Department
> Winona, Minnesota
>
> >
>

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