Jacquie, I am the breastfeeding educator in a hospital maternity unit in
Australia, and battle these same problems. I have tried three different
solutions, with some success. Firstly, I designed big colourful
posters "Truths and Lies about Breastfeeding" using down to earth
language, and decorated by my two small daughters, so lots of primary
colours and kids drawings, they are up on the wall of the waiting area in
the ward, opposite the chairs, for the captive audience - and I often see
people reading them.
The second thing is we have 'nanna care' volunteers, these are
grandmothers who come in and help out with the new mums, if they require
assistance that we as midwives can no longer give, now we are required to
be so task orientated,such as settling and bathing. I got these ladies on
side, taught them heaps of practical and current stuff about
breastfeeding, and I often see them chatting to family members saying 'I
wish I knew all this when I was trying to breastfeed'.
The last is I empower the mums in my postnatal breastfeeding class to be
able to say to family and friends, 'no that isn't correct, we now know
better', I suggest that they say 'you probably painted my cot with a lead
based paint, but you wouldn't want me to do that', 'they used to build
houses out of asbestos, but you would sack any builder who offered to do
that for you now'. And also the handy reply to ' well I did it and your
alright' - 'well not everyone that smokes gets lung cancer, but I'm sure
you don't want me putting a cigarette in the baby's mouth!'

Margaret Wendt RN RM and studying hard for July 26

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