I think we need to go back to what caused birth activism in the late 60s and early 70s. (Keep in mind that I was born in 1967 so I'm having to rely upon the memories of those wise women before me as I was at my mother's breast being nurtured at the time : ) Consumer Activism I think we see more of this today but we have a long way to go baby. Those of you who live in the Southern United States where I grew up can probably attest to many practitioners promoting the "Don't worry honey, we'll take care of everything for you" type of attitude. It exists to some extent here in the Midwest but not like I have seen in Georgia, Louisiana and Texas. I agree with Lisa that education of the consumer is the key to success. They need to understand, for example, why labor epidurals are not a panacea as so many women (and their care providers) believe. They need to know what is wrong with the delivery room routines in our hospitals and that they don't have to put up with it. Write a birth plan, discuss it with your doctor or midwife-early! If he or she doesn't support it, find someone else! If more women would do this, I think some HCPs would see the errors in their ways. When it comes to promoting and supporting breastfeeding, I agree with Kathleen A. that we need to tell our clients who are very pleased with our care to write a short note to our hospital CEO. In these days of downsizing and budget cuts, I think even the hospital CEO would like to hear something positive every now and then! Take it one step further-they need to let the community know also. Writing a letter to the editor of the newspaper is a good place to start. On the other side, if they are unhappy with the breastfeeding practice at a hospital, they also need to let someone know. We've already read stories on this list about how just one letter from a ticked off mom got the free formula garbage out of the nursery. Maurenne Griese, RNC, BSN, CCE, CBE Birth and Breastfeeding Resources http://www.childbirth.org/bbfr Manhattan, KS USA [log in to unmask]