I know I've already sent one post in response to the Wisconsin Association of
Lactation Consultants' "no-infant" policy at their conferences, but this
issue continues to bother me. Does the lactation consultant association
mentioned profess endorsement of the Innocenti Declaration to promote,
support and protect breastfeeding? (Note the ID doesn't refer to the
promotion, support and protection of "lactation" but of the interactive
process of mother and baby resulting in exclusive "breastfeeding" for 4-6
months and a continuation of breastfeeding with appropriate addition of other
foods p.r.n.up to 2 years or beyond.)

A "no infant" policy for an association of lactation consultants seems
hypocritical. How can such a policy be compatible with promoting
breastfeeding? How can it be compatible with breastfeeding support when it
would be a source of potential breastfeeding difficulties, such as maternal
plugged ducts, mastitis and decreased production due to missed
feedings/pumpings related to session attendance and such as infant "nursing
strike"? How much likelier is this infant to be unnecessarily exposed to an
artificial baby milk and bottle teats? If a participant chooses to bring her
baby by hiring a sitter to watch the infant during sessions, think of an
infant's emotions associated with finding himself with a less-familiar person
in a strange environment and what of the hardship of additional expense to
the participant who chooses this?

Compatible with protecting breastfeeding? Don't make me laugh. Such policies
are in blatent disregard of protecting breastfeeding, and I don't consider
the setting up of a pleasant pumping room, which may protect lactation, as a
substitute. I also think a separate room, while better than a strict "no
baby" policy, is unnecesarily discriminatory of the participant that also is
part of a breastfeeding dyad.

Talk about your feminist issues!

I also notice baby noises more the older I get, but isn't that too bad.
Lactation consultants stand to lose a lot more than a bit of noise when "no
baby" policies are created. If we, of all health professionals, aren't the
ones to say say through our actions (not just a bunch of apparently
meaningless words) that babies belong with their mothers and should be able
to breastfeed anywhere the mother and baby happen to be when baby cues to
feed, who the heck will?

The post about this policy has me so upset I keep dipping into a box of
Famous Amos mini-chocolate chip cookies, and now the ding-dang box is empty!
It's also led me to insert a new condition in my "speaker contract"
template--that as a presenter I expect compliance with the Innocenti
Declaration re: the "allowance" of quiet babies with mothers at the
conference. Between that and the cookies, I'm starting to feel a little
better.

Karen (Kerkhoff Gromada)

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