Having too survived Andrew, I all too well remember the morning after when  I 
arrived to work and advised everyone that from that moment on until God knew  
when everyone would be sent home knowing how to breastfeed.  My assignment  
that morning was to tell 12 planning not to breastfeed women that they were  
going home early and yes they would be breastfeeding their babies because there  
was no electric out in the world they knew.  
Shock, denial but eventual compliance was the initial response.  Later  in 
the week when I was working National Guard Unit down at the MetroZoo  
encampment, I had set up next to our triage area a place where I had Moms who  came 
seeking formula sit and drink water and begin to initiate  relactation.  We 
explained to these women that formula would be dispensed  for infants that were 
older.  So babies who were born with 2 to 3 weeks of  disaster, Moms were told to 
put baby to breast every time baby cried. It  was easier to have Mom drink and 
hydrate with the water available than to worry  about the mini disaster of a 
baby developing diarrhea from bad formula.  It  was an experience. I think the 
concept initially rocked the National Guard Med  Team I worked with, but they 
did learn and fully appreciate the effort.   Hopefully, the teams who go into 
La, Ms, Al will take some knowledge with  them.
 
My biggest concern is that the water situation to hydrate these women will  
be so far in the hole so to speak they will not be able to salvage any hope of  
getting women to relactate.  I think they will find that many may need IV  
rehydration just to survive.
 
I ask the biggest question why doesn't Mr. Bush relocate these people to  
some of the military installations that have been closed...it is very obvious  
that this will be a problem of resettlement for an extraordinary amount of  
time.  Winter will be coming.  By using facilities that the federal  government 
already has available but not in use they will have much more space  to resume 
their context of a life.  He needs to reference his Florida Cuban  cronies who 
may have once lived in the Orange Bowl after Mariel boatlift to see  what its 
like living in a sporting facility. 
 
By asking his Dad and Mr. Clinton he only adds a facade to the mess.   Trying 
to develop a sense of normalcy may require these people not only to  relocate 
for indefinite periods of time but totally surrender all of what little  
dignity they had after this mess.  Social Services will be taxed for years  to 
come because the trauma will mark behavior and adaptation in ways we can not  
fathom.  We see it now and wonder how could this be.  Why would this  happen in 
America...it has finally come home to roost so to speak that no place  on this 
planet is beyond the scope of tragedy.  We come  to rally the  world in such 
events, we now need to bring our wagons in to a circle so to speak  and find 
small ways to offer comfort and aid.
If we can't financially offer help, it was mentioned perhaps we can offer  
time to help Red Cross and man a phone bank. Write a letter to Congress to get  
going, come up with solutions that are viable. Turn off our computers and  
lights, carpool and above all don't complain.  In this all about me  society, we 
need to remind ourselves this could have Miami, all of Florida,  anywhere in 
the Southeast US. and as so many of us have said pray.  
Then go to our community emergency boards and demand we have plans to help  
support new families in such times.
 
Sorry for the harping, bad day at bedrock yesterday...many babies and too  
many whiney people who wanted Suites and not enough beds for the this room is  
too small crowd.  TVs blaring with tragedy and all they wanted was a bigger  
room.  I wanted to say I bet 10 of the people up there would give their eye  
teeth to have this spot, but can't do that....must offer concerige  service.
 
Leanne Jewell RNC, IBCLC, LCCE, FACCE
SFl

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