Dear Lactnet Friends: How is the rest of our community doing watching the US go through its struggles? Thank you for your patience and tolerance. The point that no one seems to have addressed yet is that formula has been ubiquitous in US hospitals. Consequently, concerted effort has to be made to make hospital staff conscious about formula use. An easy way to increase awareness, and document for Joint Commission evaluation purposes, is to put formula in a system where it is controlled and counted. As a hospital staff nurse, I handed out formula bottles with no thought at all. I'd learned to do this as a student nurse; I was never taught one thing about breastfeeding. It wasn't until I read Gabrielle Palmer's Politics of Breastfeeding in 1986 or 87 that my eyes were opened. Making change is always a shock. I don't like change. To use an example that isn't related to infant feeding, resistance to change makes learning to figure skate very difficult. I get comfortable with one set of moves, and then to advance, I have to push past my comfort zone. Changing the culture so that breastfeeding is the default position is more difficult. It's NOT about keeping formula feeding mothers from feeding their babies. It IS about staff helping mothers to realize that formula comes with health risks. Industry has kept that information from the public, just as industry kept the truth about tobacco hidden from the public. Industry wants to sell product. They are competing against public health. Hurray for Bloomberg. warmly, -- Nikki Lee RN, BSN, Mother of 2, MS, IBCLC, CCE, CIMI, ANLC, CKC craniosacral therapy practitioner www.breastfeedingalwaysbest.com https://www.facebook.com/nikkileehealth *********************************************** Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html To reach list owners: [log in to unmask] Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask] COMMANDS: 1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail 2. To start it again: set lactnet mail 3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet 4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome