Hi all! Heidi Roibal related the LLL activities here in New Mexico for WBFW. Those dovetailed the NM Breastfeeding Task Force Activities which included our "Just Say No-To Infant Formula Company Gifts" Campaign. This all started when our liaison physician from the NM Pediatric Society stated that he would like to start a project to  do away with hospital gift packs. Thought it would be easy! He was shocked by the initial resistance from the hospital and the physicians with which he had worked for many years. So, the entire task force decided to take on the project for WBFW.
Our project included:
1. A letter by Dr. Fisk to all Pediatricians and Family Practice MD's in the State. 
2. A letter written by the task force to all hospital administrators and women's services directors.
 3. The wearing of buttons that stated "Just Say No: Infant Formula Company Gifts" by all task force members and any HCP who would wear one. 
4. A recall of formula gifts given to mothers. Through TV, radio, and word of mouth women were told they could return those gifts and for doing so were given a cute infant breastfeeding t-shirt. "Gifts"  were dropped in a large decorated trash can located at Growing Life Store(owned by one of our local LC's!) and at the La Leche walk.
5. We mailed back the formula "gifts" with a letter stating why we were doing this---We in NM are committed to getting rid of advertising of formula through HCP and hospitals!

It was quite a week in Albuquerque!! One of our LC's got rid of the gift packs at our University Hospital just before WBFW; Another handed out our buttons and the letters at her hospital and got into quite a bit of trouble with her supervisor. It caused so much of a stir that they have been mandated to have a committee  to discuss the issue. A third hospital is setting up meetings to discuss the issue. Our fourth Albuquerque hospital has not given out discharge packs for several years...They got some nice TV coverage...so we hope that it helped support their efforts. We will hear from other areas of NM at our next meeting.  We mailed 66 pounds of formula back to the perspective companies. Needles to say we are not stopping here. We are all committed to continuing until our goals are met!!
Carol L'Esperance RN, MSN, IBCLC, Albuquerque

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