>The states of New York and Massachusetts have perinatal regulations which forbid new breastfeeding
        >mothers from receiving discharge packs containing formula unless requested by the mother or ordered
        >by the physician. Thus the cards that are given to mothers reminding them not to forget to ask for
        >their free gift from the hospital, and the physicians who order that their mothers receive these
        >gifts.

        Marsha, thank you for telling it the way it is. You would not believe how they get around the state
regulations where I live in upstate rural NY . . . or maybe you would!
        As an example, a mother I know was leaving her ped's office after the baby's first check up when the
nurse reminded her to pick up her free formula sample at the front desk. She reminded the nurse the she was
breastfeeding and had no need for ABM. "But it's free!" said the nurse. Again she thanked her and refused the
gift, only to be offered an alternative item, a free emergency first aid kit, which she accepted. When she
arrived home she opened the kit. Inside the box were two packages, one of formula "for emergency use" and the
other of Ped....te in case the baby had an upset stomach (from the formula?!?!) Oh, I think there were also
some small adhesive bandages in there, too.
As for not giving formula samples in hospital - very often the bf mother wants the cute toy or handy dandy
diaper bag that are given to the others. Even if she throws away the ABM, every time she uses the bag or
looks at the toy she is reminded of the "friendly" company who gave her the gift, and she carries their
advertizing material everywhere she goes for others to see. Beware TNSTAAFL! There's No Such Thing As A Free
Lunch!


Norma Ritter, IBCLC, LLLL                "If not now, when? If not us, who?"
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
Date: 12/20/95
Time: 19:25:50