Hi Netters;

Just got back from a breastfeeding conference for WIC and Utah BF Coalition
meeting. Shortly after the meeting had started, the fire alarms went off, a
voice over the intercom calmly invited us to exit the building, and to stand
away from the doors. It turned out to be a bomb scare. Two large county
buildings were evacuated, and our lovely meeting turned into Plan B. Jan
Heins and her staff pulled it off beautifully, and we had a wonderful
conference after all. We did go back to the county building for lunch and
the remainder of the conference. It was a great, eventful day.

About the lawsuit topic. I will try to be brief, and stick to the point.
This is a very emotional subject for our family. Three years ago, two armed
sheriff deputies arrived at our door, and took possession of our then seven
year old daughter. They refused to tell us why they were taking her, where
they were taking her, what was to happen to her while she was away from us,
when we would see her again, and what we had to do next to get back home. We
watched them drive away with our precious girl. Our daughter was kept
overnight in foster care in another city from where we live.  We found out
the next day after hiring a bold attorney, that someone had made an
anonymous phone call to accuse my husband of molesting our daughter in
public. She mistook a father's affectionate hug in the church foyer.

The powers that be claim immunity. They also refused to change their policy.
Their self-made practice was against any other governmental protocol
regarding in-home abuse. We labored over whether to file a law suit against
the county. After trying every way we knew possible to make it different
without a suit, I filed. We lost in federal court last summer, and filed an
appeal. We are still waiting to hear the judgement from tenth district court
in Denver.

In the meantime, our daughter, who will be eleven next month, suffers from
separation anxiety. She is now in therapy. In the years before her legal
obduction by the authorities, I had teachers tell me repeatedly that our
daughter was 'a rock' and very independent. She had been a high needs baby
who nursed often and for several years. When she came home from foster care,
18 hours after she had been picked up by the sheriff deputies, she asked to
nurse many times during the following week.

It is indeed a sad thing that our country has turned into a suit-happy
people. I am not proud that I am in the statistics. However, our family
believes that we can be a vehicle for changing the system regarding this
issue. If it takes a law suit to wake up deaf ears to the hazards of
breastfeeding babies receiving formula during their postpartum hospital
stay, or administered hormonal contraceptives for breastfeeding mothers
without informed consent, then let it be seriously considered.

Thanks, and sorry if this took too much space, or perhaps was unrelated to
Lactnet's breastfeeding issues.

Joya Bezette
LLLL, Student LC
Utah