Today I had another installment in my continuing saga to harmonize the
info put out by the varying segments of our health department.  (Don't
ask how the dialogue with the nutrition department is going.)

Today I ran into someone from the dental department doing a display for
children at one of our local Parent/child resource centers. She sees my
name tag and lights up. She said she had been contacted by one of our
nurses and was looking forward to working with us.   So I jumped right
in said yes updating the handouts would be great.  "What?!" she says.
"I thought we were going to be giving your staff a presentation. What
don't you like about our handouts?" OOPS.  I realize I have blundered
and try to point out the most obvious problems like "Babies can have as
much plain water to drink as they want"  I try to explain why this is a
problem.  Nutritionally etc.  Don't want mum feeding babies under 6
months water.  "But they CAN have as much water as they want" she says.
Not under 6 months, I say.

And she came up with her trump card "Then how come they give babies
water in the hospital?!!"   I literally jumped up and down, stamped my
feet and said because they're wrong!"

It got worse from there.  She said water would be better than juice or
coke like some mothers put in the bottles.  OK, can't argue with that
but we still don't want them giving anything unnecessary. Very
distrusting attitude toward parents.  She seemed to think they are all
idiots.

And although she supports breastfeeding she says, she thinks all babies
need their gums brushed after every feeding from day 1 after birth.
Gosh, do you think they have tested amniotic fluid to see if the sugar
levels are sufficient to warrant prenatal fetal gum swabbing?

So then she tells me that she knows of MANY breastfeeding women who
nurse their babies for 2-3 years without feeding them ANY food at all
and points to the dental carries picture and says THAT'S what happens. I
tried to explain that I know many people who have breastfeed for many
years but very few don't give any other food.

I realized by then that this conversation was a lost cause.

AAAAHHHHGGG!!

So much for making any changes in the dental handouts. But I will keep
you posted.

Janet Vandenberg RN, BScN, IBCLC
Public Health Nurse
Newmarket, Ontario, Canada

             ***********************************************
The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html