I have been lurking for many weeks now and have a few comments and a
question.
I am enjoying the information I am obtaining on Lactnet.  My name is
Pamela
(Pam) Hendrix, RN, IBCLC, ICCE (I am totally computer illiterate).  I
tried
to subscribe to Lactnet via aol but could not, maybe because our tcp(?)
is MediaOne?? So my husband's name is probably appearing on this post.
I have no clue!  If you want to mail me via e-mail please address it to
[log in to unmask]

I have been an IBCLC for 4 years now (an RN for 15 years-mostly
maternity
and labor and delivery, the past several years focused on teaching) and
am learning
by the moment! I was not a long term breast feeder (so regretful of my
ignorance!)
but because of seeing Kitty Franz while in nursing school and following
Joan Lunden
on Good Morning America I did nurse to 6 mo with Elizabeth (16) and
Matthew (13).
None of my friends nursed more than a few weeks or not at all.  As I
became wiser
I realized how foolish I had been and wanted to share information with
parents.
It  has been wonderful at my Nursing Moms Group to see babies turning
into toddlers
and even tandem nursing from time to time!  It is nice to get a call
from a mom, who
took classes from me, who just wants to make sure nursing her 18mo or 2
1/2 year
old is okay, since the Ped has said why do you want to nurse a
teenager?!  The Drs.
on this site seem like fairy tale Docs!  I love reading everything they
have to post!
I have been known to wake a sleepy teen by laughing so hard reading Dr.
Jacks
comments, late at night!

The past few weeks have been crazy.  One Dr. telling a mom to stop
breastfeeding
since he felt the baby wasn't gaining fast enough (luckily she called
and the baby is
nearly a month and is doing great!).  Another Dr. telling a mom (of a
sleepy,
nubain on board from labor, baby) NEVER to nurse more than two hours,
EVER,
and certainly not more than 15 minutes since her nipples would get sore
and the
baby would then be using mom as a pacifier!  Then there have been Drs.
telling
moms to supplement because there weren't enough voids in the first 24
hrs (only 2-3!).
Another mom called because her Dr. told her the baby HAD to have a
bottle at least
once a day or he would never take one and afterall she was going back to
work part
time at 6 mo.  Thank goodness she called!

On the other hand some GREAT news is happening at our hospital.  I am so
thrilled.
We are a multi-hospital system here in south Fla.  Our *main* hospital
opened a
Lactation Center just under a year ago.  I have been fortunate enough to
have
worked under a very experienced LC  there.  She has been my mentor and I
thank her!!!
Now I have been hired at our smaller hospital (over 3,000 births/year)
to open another
Lactation Center.  I have worked here for several years, two days a week
at the bedside.
I was fuming as yet another abm rep. was on the unit and was in the
process of writing a
note to our nurse manager regarding the baby friendly initiative,etc.
Verbally it was
discussed in the past.  Low and behold (before I composed and submitted
my letter)
in my e-mail at work was a message to everyone informing us that no
longer would
sales reps be allowed on the floors to pass out *stuff* and sell their
product!  YEAH!  This
is now a policy at both hospitals! And to top it off we are using our
monies from our
classes we teach to buy the staff a canvas tote bag with our logo and
:*Breast fed
Babies are Healthier Babies*  inscribed on it. Some one pinch me!   As
soon as we
get the center up and running I will start our Breast Feeding Task force
committee.
I am already seeing names on the list I have posted.  Even one of the
ARNPs from
NICU is considering being on the committee.  I have to figure out a way
to bring in
a Dr. or two!

My question is this:  We have heard nothing about JACHO wanting a
tracking system
for formula.  If you have more info on how I can look into this please
email me ([log in to unmask]).  It makes sense to me, but they are looking
at me cross-eyed
at the hospital.

Hope to meet some of you in Orlando!  I'll go back to lurking, sorry for
the long post.
Thanks for the motivation and information!
Pam Hendrix, RN, IBCLC, ICCE