Casey Clubb identifies a problem many of us working in institutions are still struggling with when she writes:

"Currently, I think most inpatient infant feeding plans tend to focus on every 2-3hr feeds, with the idea of consolidating all the aspects relating to nourishment (breastfeeding, supplementation, pumping/hand expression) into a period of time, such as 45 minutes, and then repeat in a little over 2hrs.  Whether this is the best way forward or not, I am not certain, but it is the framework within which I am hoping to reduce/minimize the use of formula."

The most apparent problem is the use of a clock to determine when feeding will take place and how long it will last, something we have ample evidence to refute.  We know for certain it is NOT the best way forward and I for one sometimes despair of ever progressing past this ingrained way of thinking about feeding babies.  I can also say for sure that trying to work within that framework and simultaneously reduce the use of formula is a recipe for burnout unless you have GREAT peer support for yourself and probably a padded, soundproof cell at your workplace so you can go scream when you need to, which will be often.

The less apparent problem is the consequence of a perception that 'nourishment' can be isolated from 'caring' or 'parenting' or even just 'existing'.  The baby is viewed as some kind of device requiring a form of service (filling fuel tank, cleaning of windshield, etc) at predictable intervals, and the intervals are characterized by the LACK OF NEED FOR SERVICE during which the baby is expected not to have any needs that must be met by others.  This is not the way of the baby or indeed of the older child or the adult human being.  We all need fairly continuous interaction with those around us and babies instinctively resist being left alone since proximity to carer has been a necessity for survival for millennia.  Yes, it's a shock to discover that there were a lot of things nobody told you and it's too late to turn back because the baby is born and it's yours.  But it is nearly as surprising to discover how many parents can mobilize on the spot to meet the challenge and even enjoy it as they discover the primal pleasure of getting to know the new person on the scene - provided they get supportive guidance along the way.   

Being placed in isolation is used as a severe form of punishment in prisons, surpassed only by active torture.  But somehow when it is applied to infants, it is not only accepted, it is acclaimed and striven for.  What on earth are we thinking of? 

Really we should be wondering how so many parents manage  both to see what their children need and to provide it, when so much of what we do and how we live reinforces such maladaptive approaches!

Rachel Myr
glad she is a listmother and doesn't have a daily quota of three posts in
Kristiansand, Norway

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