Hi all,
I don't have a clue as to what is going on with bfing in Israel today.  For
that we'll have to wait for Judy Knopf to answer but when my baby was born in
Beer Sheva Israel 23 years ago all mothers in that hospital were expected to
bfeed.  They never asked you, just brought the baby (no rooming in) in to be
fed.  Those few who dared had to make requests for bottles.  HOWEVER - with-in
short order after discharge most of the moms had switched to bottle feeding.  I
had some interesting times with the Well Baby Clinic that each mom and baby
were required to attend regularily.  They INSISTED on baby getting solids from
early on.  This was my 4th bfing kid and even back then I was a rebel, being
sure that I knew what was best.  When they told me I'd better feed my baby
soldids, or else! I quit going to the clinic.  Two weeks later, when I had not
shown up a public health nurse was downstairs in my garden quite loudly calling
my name.  They said I'd BETTER bring this baby (whose baby?) back to the clinic
or I'd be in lots of trouble.  O.K. I returned to them, lied and told them I
was following their instructions to feed solids and allowed them to weigh my
baby.  They kept insisting how right they'd been by pointing to his wonderful
weight gain.  My baby Lev (which is Hebrew for *heart*) never got a bite of
solids in his mouth til he was 7 1/2 months old and by then he was far more
interested in what we were eating then in mushed up baby stuff.  I sure hope
things have changed in Israel, or at least in Beer Sheva today.

Yaffa Stark, MA, IBCLC