I attended a special class for pregnant women.  Some were 32 weeks
pregnant; others only 11-12 weeks pregnant.  I mentioned the Chicago Hope
show coming up and asked them what was wrong with the statement that a
breastfeeding baby died of dehydration.  Those women were so smart!
Several sat right up and said, "how could he die of dehydration if he was
breastfeeding?!"  We then discussed the real problem and what they might do
if they were unsure their baby was getting milk.... a great segue into cues
babies give and so on.

Then one of the women mentioned a news article about two women in NY state
who were arrested for child abuse/neglect when their breastfeeding babies
were not gaining weight.  She went on (angrily) to note that the women were
women of color, low income, had asked for help and not received it, and the
like.

A great segue into where to get help and NOT to ever take no for an answer
if mother has questions.
Also, how sad that these mothers' problems were not correctly identified as
LACK of hlep rather than that breastfeeding was at fault.

Does anyone in LACTNUTLAND have the specifics on this NY situation? I
recall reading something about this, but my recall is quite dim at the
moment. Pleae advise privately.

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"We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly
disguised as impossible situations."
Kathleen G. Auerbach,PhD, IBCLC (Ferndale, WA USA) [log in to unmask]
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