As the economy worsens, we are already seeing our breastfeeding rates
starting to slowly slide. (We've been at 90% initiation for years,
it's a very breastfeeding culture, lots of babies still nursing at 6
mos, a year, not unusual at 2 years).
We are seeing more homeless young moms and "couch surfing" -- "I'm
staying on this guy's couch right now....I'm living on this guy's
porch....in the shed...." etc etc. As much as you and I may know that
breastfeeding makes perfect sense if you are homeless, the reality is
that it can be hard to learn how to breastfeed in those first weeks if
you have to learn in front of strangers, and you have to keep the baby
quiet at night for fear of being told to leave.
Around here people give Kool Aid in bottles. That's a noxious brew of
artificial color and sugar - or artificial color and artificial sugar.
We have decided to start bringing baby items to our county. Maternal
Child Health meetings. Including formula. And I stood and stared at
the formula when I went to the Bump and Dent store today....thinking
I'll buy some next week to bring with me to the next meeting.
Certainly I am volunteering to do classes and I've been training
breastfeeding helpers for years. But I think I'm going to buy formula.
Out of the goodness of my heart.
But I am shuddering at what this economy may do to the long-term
health of our community.
Dawn Kersula MA, RN, IBCLC
in gray, windy and dreary southern Vermont

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