I work as the breastfeeding coordinator for WIC in Savannah, GA. I teach a short snippet of breastfeeding as part of the secondary nutrition education that is required of all of our participants. In this mini class, I talk mostly about the benefits of breastfeeding and also include the hazards of artificial feeding. For women that are interested in breastfeeding or sitting on the fence--I offer a monthly Breastfeeding Basics Workshop. I use the workshop to teach about empowerment. We talk about what might happen in the hospital. How to make sure their wishes are followed and how they are in control of their health care. I also explain that ABM companies are not the long arms of their doctors, that they are simply companies that are looking to make a profit. I explain that hospitals hand out ABM and certain brand diapers simultaneously---that it does not mean that that product is endorsed by the medical community at large. I tell them the basics about breastfeeding--not very much technical info. but they do have the breastfeeding hotline number to call for help. I let them know that the ONLY function that I perform is to help them breastfeed. I do not teach ANYTHING about how to artificially feed a baby. If they need this information, the nutritionist gives it to them one on one. I always kid them that bottle feeding is much too technical for me. I am constantly amazed at how these mothers feel that they are at the mercy of their doctors, especially the moms that are on Medicaid. Tonight a mom called me to let me know that a nurse at the hospital had told her that they needed to check her baby's swallow with a "sip or two" of water from a bottle. The mom told the nurse--my baby is breastfeeding--check her swallow there!! I am soo proud of these women and sometimes... I even love my job, too :) Pam Holland, IBCLC