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Subject:
From:
Katherine Catone <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Fri, 2 Jan 1998 17:11:27 -0800
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This is a long term interest of mine, having been active duty AF & chose
to get out to be at home & bf, etc 22 yrs ago, and having led LLL groups
on military bases around the world since then.
  As far as I know there is NO service wide policy of any kind.  It
really varies from base to base & even hospital to hospital.  Actually it
varies at each hospital depending on the opinions of the personnel
assigned to each hospital.  I've seen a base hospital go from positive
birth & bf friendly to very unfriendly in a short period of time.  One
real plus is when the hospital has midwives & an active Family Practice
clinic where the docs attend the delivery of their own patients.  At our
last base ( we are out of the AF community now), one of the local
midwives had me come and do a consult on the ob ward before she would
release the patients because baby was not bf well.  They also called me
in to see a mother of a cleft lip baby.  And at that base one of the
family practice docs came to LLL meetings, and another family practice
doc's wife came to my private LC practice with her slow wt gain baby.

One way to get in is to volunteer to do an inservice for the OB nursing
staff on BF, you can provide accurate info, and get a read on what the
climate for BF is.  A friend of mine is currently working pt at an AF
hospital in AZ, she sees mothers on the ward, and also sees all BF moms &
babes for a 1 wk appt in the peds clinic.  Her original funding came from
somewhere else, but currently she is currently funded by Wellness Funds.
 The AF - and I assume the Navy & Army as well have finally realized that
preventative programs & non smoking groups, etc helps keep numbers down
in their clinics.  So if we can get BF in at other bases in this way!
I think we would need a contact in DoD, and I'm not sure if that is where
we would find a link for all the services Medical Procedures or not.
   A few years ago, I wrote a letter to the Sec. of AF -  which was
ignored- about an AF recruiting ad touting the medical benefits showing a
young Airman picking up his wife & new baby from the hosp and as the
nurse was wheeling the mom & babe out, mom was bottlefeeding the baby!

I also might mention  that I've worked with a number of Active Duty
breastfeeding mothers who kept breastfeeding through amazing
circumstances.  Including TDY's (Temporary Duty - away from their base),
being 'out in the field' during wargames, etc.  I'm sure we've all seen
examples of just what is possible when a mother is determined.  Most of
these mothers breastfed long term as well.

Kathe Catone

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