I'm emerging from lurkdom due to major discouragement this evening...our
annual conference presented by the "big hospital" with the NICU from the
city traveled to our little burg and educated us; nursing staff,
pediatricians, family practice docs, ob docs.

With a couple of emphatic statements, the neonatologist just decreased
our county's breastfeeding population by at least 25-30%!!!  She stated
that women who smoke absolutely are not to breastfeed their infants.
Now.. we have a large number of moms from the lower end of the
socioeconomic scale, and many, many people smoke cigarettes in this part
of Oregon.

I do educate mothers on the effects of nicotine, that it passes through
their milk to their babies-and that they should smoke outside, never
around the baby, wear an overshirt to smoke, wash hands before picking
up baby, etc.  Of course, they are encouraged to quit as well, or cut
down.

I'm disappointed because I didn't confront her regarding the detrimental
effects of formula and the fact that I'm certain she has no reference
that states formula is superior to nicotine-tainted breastmilk...and
too, that these babies belong to their parents, they are not the
property of the hospital..We do our best to teach, and parents make
choices. I'm rambling, I'm feeling a bit defeated, I don't want to go to
work tomorrow.....

Thanks for listening.  Katherine Abdun-Nur RN IBCLC  (hospital-based LC
all alone in Grants Pass, OR)