I just wanted to share with this group what has happened at my hospital  
around World Breastfeeding Week.
I had called our dietary department a few months ago about setting up a  
display for WBW.  They thought that would be great.  There is a  hallway into the 
cafeteria, which is for staff and visitors, and there is a  table with 
nutrition info on it.
I decided with some of the other lactation team members to make a poster  
board that would include the posters from the ILCA kit (one in English and one  
in Spanish).  In the center of this tri-fold board I placed one of the Ad  
Council posters with the ice cream sundaes.  At the top was World  Breastfeeding 
Week.
After 5 days, I got a call from the nutrition department asking me to  remove 
my poster because they received some complaints.  They did not "feel  this 
was an appropriate place" for this material but I could move it down the  hall 
to the lobby of this floor.  When I called him back he said the  comments were 
about the ice cream poster but he could not give me any  specifics.  I pointed 
out that the whole display was very related to  nutrition and for all those 
who came into the cafeteria.  I also pointed  out who designed the poster and 
he understood but wanted it moved.  Now,  this is Monday when we talked so I 
moved it down the hall.
Today I got a call at work from a staff person from another department  
letting me know she is a mother of 2 and breastfeed her children but she found  the 
display in very poor taste.  I asked her what she was talking about and  she 
said the ice cream sundaes.  I asked her if she read the poster and she  said 
no.  I explained who designed it and what it said.  I also  pointed out that 
the Ad Council makes their ads so they grab attention.   She still wasn't 
getting it.  I gave some other examples of images used in  ads such as cars but she 
still complained that it was offensive.  I finally  said to her "this is just 
a picture of ice cream."
 
Later today one of the staff I work with told me the poster was gone and  
sure enough someone stole it.  
People are really a sad lot sometimes.
One of the staff I work with said I should have bare breast next  time!
Hope others are having a better WBW.
Ann Perry, RN IBCLC
Boston, MA

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