After reading The Impact of Birth Practices on Breastfeeding, I was 
wondering if this baby has any issues with physical trauma from birth 
practices that make him not want to latch on and suckle (palate or 
throat irritation from suctioning, bruising from vacuum extraction, 
neck/facial trauma from c-section removal, suck issues from long 
epidural, etc.).

Also, birth practices are not BF friendly in most of the USA. WIC moms 
may fall prey to the push to use formula more so than more educated and 
higher income mothers. The hospital BF help is often low skilled and not 
able to help a baby latch on or diagnose such things as tongue tie or 
recessed chin. This discourages probably 90% of moms that I see, both 
rich and poor, but rich moms will often search out better help. I 
constantly deal with ladies who had bad BF help in the hospital and are 
too discouraged to even try for good BF help from WIC. Perhaps WIC moms 
tend to fall back on formula more readily, maybe because they get it 
"free" instead of feeling the big pinch of buying it themselves or 
because "easy" seems best for them as the mother.

The free formula certainly discourages BF but the total picture of what 
goes on in the hospitals, doctor's offices, advertising, and work 
places, in the USA also contribute. Many WIC moms work jobs where they 
do not get rest breaks or be allowed breaks to pump, think Wal-Mart 
cashiers. WIC women who work at fast food places may not even have a 
private place to pump except the rest room. Being a bank teller or 
working at a doctor's office is not BF friendly (no breaks) as someone 
mentioned.

Kathy Eng, BSW, IBCLC

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