Denise,

Thanks for your response on my concern with all of the bottles I'm seeing on
the pp floor.  Since you and I work in very similiar setting  I am very
interested in what you've said.  The neonatologist that you talked to seems t o
have a good handle on the situation, but a couple of things come to my mind.
First of all, I don't believe (at least in my hospital) that anyone is
measureing pee and poop per 8 hour periods.  I also am not convinced that when
mom has indicated breast & bottle, which I see a lot of, that breast is offered
at each feeding *and* first.  The second question I have is:  Why does it seem
to be cropping up now, that some of these babies are NOT getting enough if
breast is offered as often as it should be and there is colostrum available?
I'd like opinions on this but to venture forth with my own - I believe that the
babies are NOT being put to breast as often as they should be from birth.

I do know that we have, in our area, a real cultural issue to deal with and
changing cultural tides which have been handed down from one generation to the
next is not something that can be easily done.  I am still very new at my
position and though I know that the 2 previous LCs worked very hard to move in
the correct direction, the position has been empty for some time.  Things have
definatley slipped and slowly and quietly I will begin to make the effort to
bring some change for the positive.

It is a long climb down from this soap box, but I'm coming down!  Next-------

Regards,
Yaffa


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        Yaffa Stark, MA, IBCLC    Los Angeles, Calif., USA
        "We must identify and reduce barriers which keep women
       from beginning or continuing to breastfeed their infants."
       C. Everett Koop, M.D., ScD. Former Surgeon General
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