I returned yesterday from Belize, Central America where I attended my son's
wedding to a Belizean girl.  It was a beautiful wedding (16 people in the
wedding party alone!).  However, wedding was to start at 3:00 pm and the
video photographer did not show up till 3:30 and bride until 3:40.  I was
fuming (quietly) as to their irresponsibility, but later found out that it
is Belizean custom for the bride to keep the groom waiting.  Had my son & I
known, we could have been a little more comfortable for 40 minutes.

As I mentioned in an earlier posting that Bailey Engineering (Nurture III)
and Medela had donated some pumps for me to give away.  I gave some pumps to
a missionary friend in Cayo (near Guatemala border) to give to a midwife
nearby.  He said that two months before I came they searched the country to
try to find a breastpump for a mother who needed one and finally found a
handpump at an adventist hospital.

With Nestle formula costing about $30 a can, you can imagine the importance
of being able to nurse.

I called the Ministry of Health about providing the pumps to midwives, and I
was told by a worker (in Belmopan) that I should take them to Belize City
hospital and they would see about distribution.  However, when I told a
relative of my new daugher-in-law,  she said "Oh no, don't do that, we will
never get any of them." (she worked at the Belmopan hospital).  I would have
probably given some to Belize City but I had another glitch in that my
luggage was misdirected for two days and I did not get the pumps until
Friday afternoon at 4:00 pm, so I gave 3 electric pumps to the Belmopan
Hospital and 2 to the missionary, as well as sharing the Medela hand pumps.

In visiting with the head nurse in Belmopan (who had already gone for the
day, but came back to get the pumps), I was so impressed at their level of
committment to breastfeeding.  She said that she and 4 other nurses took the
Unicef 20 hr bf course about 4 years ago and they had a committee that
worked on bf promotion.  In fact, the breastfeeding coord. (whom I did not
get to meet) had just moved to Belmopan from Belize City to try to do more
with bf management and promotion.  The head nurse, Mrs. Palacios, said women
do not go home from the hospital until they are adequately nursing.  Boy
could we learn something from them!   You wouldn't believe the primitive
nature of this hospital.  It was very apparent that socialized medicine had
not shared a lot with them by way of resources.  However, they did have a
beautiful Medela Classic Pump, but no parts to go with it!  What a thrill to
have arrived with the parts that could be used with it.  In fact, there was
a young women in the hospital, whose baby had been born by c-section at 32
weeks gestation and sadly had died.  The mother was extremely engorged.  I
hooked the pump up and got a picture of her pumping to relieve some of the
engorgement.  I asked the nurses if they had heard of cabbage leaves and
they had not.  It was fun to listen to them give her istruction in using
cabbage leaves when she got home.

I asked what she knew about the Nestle boycott.  She informed me that Nestle
was not welcome in their hospital and they informed them to KEEP their milk
and not to be sending them even samples as their mothers ALL will
breastfeed!!  Furthermore, if a doctor even suggests taking baby off
formula, he has to confront their breastfeeding committee on why it is
necessary!

I also gave them some Medela tear sheets on sore nipple mgmt and
engorgement, as well as some of Pam Wiggins "Why Should I nurse my baby" in
English & Spanish.  They were so grateful for the literature.  Their entire
library consisted of one book "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding" in
paperback.  I would love to be able to BLESS THESE PEOPLE WITH SOME
LITERATURE. Since they are mostly a English Speaking country, I'll bet that
many of you out there have things you could donate by way of books.  If you
want to you can send them directly to Belmopan hospital, Attn: Christine
Palacio, Cayo District, Belmopan, C.A. or send to me and I will have them
delivered.  My address is: Georgia Harris, 407 West Dry St., San Saba, TX 76877.

Sorry, for the length of this letter, but it was difficult to condense it.