Ruth:  About best practice.  If Florida is interested in the "Gold
Standard" then in addition to all of the 10 Steps and having every
hospital MOTHER and Baby Friendly  there would need to be the 11th Step,
that  Mary Kroeger, a midwife who worked at Wellstart wrote about in
relationship to supportive practices at childbirth, since what happens
at childbirth affects bf initiation and duration profoundly.  You can
get a copy of the reference from Wellstart, I think, by emailing  Monica
King at  <[log in to unmask]>.  She can probably get you the titles of
the references you seek as well for each point you want support on.  It
will take a few days, however, because the librarian works only
part-time.

LLLI should be able to get you lists of references from their
documentation center for each one of these points.  Betty Crase, are you
out there?  There is probably cost involved, however.

There ought to be childbirth and parenting education included in both
primary and secondary school curricula.  There should be budgeting for a
task force to write curricula for this and to do some pilot teaching of
the new curricula.

Step 3, which discusses prenatal information to mothers, would need to
include requirements for discussion groups, childbirth preparation at
all prenatal clinics, required interviews with lactation consultants
prenatally.

All hospitals would need to have a lactation consultant on staff (New
York already has this law, I think) and all mothers would need a phone
call, and, if necessary, a home visit by lactation consultant or trained
doulas during the first week postpartum.  I have a friend who is a nurse
in Miami, Florida who works for a home health care provider and she says
that they have information that almost all health services provided in
the home are more economical -- so a home visit would sound like a good
idea.  Email me privately <[log in to unmask]> if you want her phone
number.  She is not on email yet.

Also, Florida will need to legislate advertising, ban all formula
promotion to consumers, get rid of free formula in hospitals, change the
 gift packs, etc.

The state would need to legislate support for bf in the workplace if not
able or willing to legislate paid maternity leaves for at least first
six months. Inclusion of ILO recommended paid nursing breaks (total one
hour daily) in any workplace with over 20 or 30 female employees, would
be a good start -- or onsite day care.

These are just some initial ideas. Sorry that I can't give you
references, but I'm still trying to organize my books.