Dear Lactneters,
In response to Chayn's post re: breast shells and what they call nipple formers (nipple shields) in Israel - I spent some time in Israel last year working with two students who were doing the BSC research project.  I was in the rest home that Chayn now works in several times, though she was not working there then.  I also was at the other rest home, which is  considerably larger than where Chayn is.  The situation in terms of breastfeeding in these homes is almost not to be believed.  The homes are for women who, for the most part, have very large families and they go there to recuperate from the hospital before heading home.  In effect the idea is a wonderful one, BUT they are run by old timers who believe they know what's best for everyone and everything.  And they certainly don't like being corrected about breastfeeding practices.  When I first got there I thought I would spend as much time as possible trying to re-teach and explain why it is best not to use the gadgets and why babies need to be breastfed at night, as well as during the day.  The night-time feedings are handled in the nursery as that is where the babies sleep and the running commentary is that the mothers are there to rest, eat well so they can then go home to the rest of the family.  By the time I left, I realized that I was not going to change the way they did things but I did the best I could to teach my students how to begin making some changes.  During a recent phone conversation with one of them, it seems that now, more than one year later everything is status quo.  Perhaps I will be going back again soon and I will try to find a different approach to slowly make some changes.  

Yaffa Stark, MA, IBCLC
Los Angeles, CA

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