Hi Jane Bradshaw (I'm form Virginia too -do you remember me?)

When I went to visit one of my LLL moms (mums)here in the hospital after her
baby was born I decied to visit the hospital gift shop.  Imagine how I felt
when I saw that there were bottles and formula for sale there!  At the next
ALCA (Australian Lactation Consultant Association) meeting I asked the LCs
there what this was all about.  I thought that this hospital was trying to
be baby friendly.  What I was told was this;  this particular hospital does
NOT supply formula.  If a mother is going to bottle feed, she must provide
her own bottles and formula.  The bottle feeding mothers are given extra
attention and instruction on how to properly prepare and feed their babies
formula.  No, this instruction is not to encourage the bottle feeding, but
becasue these babies are considered to be at risk and it is important for
their mother to be taught how to feed them as safely as possible in light of
the fact that the baby isn't getting breastmilk.

I also heard of one teen mother who was discharged AMA (against medical
advice) becasue she refused to breastfeed her baby.  She was considered to
be going against medical advice!

There is of coures a lot of room for improvement in every country, but here
in Australia the struggle doesn't seem to be convincing mothers to
breastfeed.  In the States it seemed that I was spending a lot of time
trying to teach the advantages- like I was trying to "sell" something!

Nancy Sherwood LLLL, IBCLC- Perth, Australia