Ruth: About best practice. If Florida is interested in the "Gold Standard" then in addition to all of the 10 Steps and having every hospital MOTHER and Baby Friendly there would need to be the 11th Step, that Mary Kroeger, a midwife who worked at Wellstart wrote about in relationship to supportive practices at childbirth, since what happens at childbirth affects bf initiation and duration profoundly. You can get a copy of the reference from Wellstart, I think, by emailing Monica King at <[log in to unmask]>. She can probably get you the titles of the references you seek as well for each point you want support on. It will take a few days, however, because the librarian works only part-time. LLLI should be able to get you lists of references from their documentation center for each one of these points. Betty Crase, are you out there? There is probably cost involved, however. There ought to be childbirth and parenting education included in both primary and secondary school curricula. There should be budgeting for a task force to write curricula for this and to do some pilot teaching of the new curricula. Step 3, which discusses prenatal information to mothers, would need to include requirements for discussion groups, childbirth preparation at all prenatal clinics, required interviews with lactation consultants prenatally. All hospitals would need to have a lactation consultant on staff (New York already has this law, I think) and all mothers would need a phone call, and, if necessary, a home visit by lactation consultant or trained doulas during the first week postpartum. I have a friend who is a nurse in Miami, Florida who works for a home health care provider and she says that they have information that almost all health services provided in the home are more economical -- so a home visit would sound like a good idea. Email me privately <[log in to unmask]> if you want her phone number. She is not on email yet. Also, Florida will need to legislate advertising, ban all formula promotion to consumers, get rid of free formula in hospitals, change the gift packs, etc. The state would need to legislate support for bf in the workplace if not able or willing to legislate paid maternity leaves for at least first six months. Inclusion of ILO recommended paid nursing breaks (total one hour daily) in any workplace with over 20 or 30 female employees, would be a good start -- or onsite day care. These are just some initial ideas. Sorry that I can't give you references, but I'm still trying to organize my books.