Hello!

Thank you so much to everyone who responded to my post from yesterday!  Your thoughts were wonderful, and
reinforced what I was already feeling in my heart.

I received a copy of the contract that is signed between the hospital and the company giving the unrestricted
educational grant.  In it there is a clause that the hospital agrees to "acknowledge educational support from
the commercial comapny in program brochures, syllabi, and other program materials."

So I called the hospital and told them that I am unable to accept income from any formula company, and I
definitely do not want my name and a formula company name associated in any way.

I then offered to sponsor the inservice through my business, Gentle Birth Alternatives, and through my
husband's business, Douglas T. Eastman, CLU, ChFC - Northwestern Mutual Life.  And I requested that my Gentle
Birth Alternatives brochure be included in all new mother packets, so that the mothers are aware of options
outside of the local hospital & health dept. (whose LC doesn't work weekends).

The woman who plans the nurses education programs thought this was a great idea.  She said that the hospital
and Gentle Birth Alternatives could be co-providers and that we would ask my husband & his business for a
small unrestricted educational grant to cover the costs of CEUs & CERPs.

I really did not want to pass up this opportunity to have a positive effect on my local hospital, but I also
knew that I couldn't just plan and speak at the in-service for free.  I think that we found a nice middle
ground.

I have agreed to write a "checklist" for the nurses keep in each mother's chart -- to ensure that they
provide accurate, consistent breastfeeding information as they help teach the new mothers about proper
positioning & latch-on techniques.  My in-service will use this checklist as a teaching tool, and then the
nurses will use it with the mothers as their teaching tool.  And I believe that each mother will be sent home
a blank copy so that she can remember the skills she was taught by the staff.

I am also hoping that the hospital will have its new breastfeeding policies & procedures ready to debut for
this in-service, whic will be held in support of World Breastfeeding Week.

Thank you again for words of wisdom, and for listening to me go on  and on.

Warmly,
Andrea

--
Andrea Eastman, MA, CCE
Granville, Ohio
mailto:[log in to unmask]

Gentle Birth Alternatives
http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/8978

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