----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Linda J. Smith" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, November 25, 2007 8:09 PM
Subject: [LACTNET] The Wrong Question - revisited

The bottom line? You don't have to do it all.  At least not today. Trust
your teammates. If you're up to your elbows in sore nipples, remember that
there are others who are up to their elbows in Code monitoring, training
health professionals, writing new policies and laws, analyzing the economics
of infant feeding, and conducting fundamental research. It's OK to focus on
what you CAN do, because you're not alone. Together we're making a
difference for mothers and babies.

**That is true. And yet, I sometimes find it very hard to keep up my 
motivation, especially when BFHI-organisations offer their personnel 
ABM-producer-sponsored trainings, that seriously undermine good 
breastfeeding policies. Where are we heading, if even the certified 
organisations don't get the point...?! Being BFHI-certified becomes 
something like blackmail and a very authoritarian way of dealing with moms: 
"You can trust us, we're certified!" And in the meantime, the most awful 
things are being said and mothers don't get the head start they ought to 
get, giving birth in and being looked after by BFHI-institutions. And the 
organisation that offers the training, is in the same provincial taskforce I 
am in, for making good 'chain care'-bf policy (chain care meaning that all 
HCW's dealing with mothers have to take care of good follow up and good 
understanding of what the previous one did and the next one will have to do 
and know to really support the mother and her infant); they will not be too 
happy, me noticing and reporting a violation of the Code, considering the 
way they offer the training (with leaflets of the ABM-producer as an 
invitation...). It makes me feel like a traitor, whereas this is the world 
upside down. I'm defending mothers' rights to be well informed and gently 
supported in their wishes to breastfeed. And a certified organisation knows 
what they've promised to (not) do.
Luckily, the foundation that grants certification is very active and 
responsive and needs the violation reports in order to prevent devaluation 
of certifications. They will talk with organisations that do not fulfill the 
BFHI-requirements. Nevertheless, it takes a lot of energy that I would 
rather spend on happier things... It's all in the game; I'm only too glad my 
girls got good chain care... from me! hahaha

Regards,

Marianne Vanderveen,
VBN-volunteer and hoping to pass the IBCLC-exam next year, Netherlands

             ***********************************************

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