*rant* "Nurse" at office answering questions.

Here's an update. I complained to my doctor and stressed the liability part of it. Who knows if anything will change.

While I was there, I asked for Miriam to be weighed, since she's 6 weeks old and I was curious. (She's almost 14 lbs and was 8 lb 9 oz at birth, so I'm thrilled.)

When they went to weigh her, they pulled out a piece of paper to line the scale with, and what did it have written all over it??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

ENFAMIL. It was a freakin' advertisement for a formula company!!!

Those of you who know me from my posts know that I had a total cow. I complained to the doc (boy, was SHE happy to see me! ) and to the clinic manager. The doc had a great response (she was very unthrilled to hear about the scale liners), but the clinic manager had some real gems.

She justified the decision for a couple of reasons:

1. It was free, so they HAVE to use it. *ahem* If you had free stuff from Phillip Morris, would you HAVE to use that, too?

2. Even though some women nurse, and the clinics supports breastfeeding, some women just CAN'T nurse. Well, no duh, lady, but that doesn't mean you should give free formula advertising when the research says that doing so lowers breastfeeding rates.

Really, her comment is about guilt. They don't want to make women feel guilty for not breastfeeding. Fine, don't. But don't sabotage the healthier choice, either. As a health care clinic, make your stand strong and unambiguous. Just because some moms can't or don't want to doesn't mean you remain "neutral". Have lactation consultants that you can call, have a mother-to-mother nursing group that meets at the clinic, have the #'s of LLL leaders women can call. And then maybe (*gasp*) you'll see your BFing rates rise.

Oh, and you know what burns my hide, too? They put out the stupid formula papers, but had NO breastfeeding/nursing promotion posters up. Nada. (That was justified on the basis that the clinic is "new". Oh puh-leeze. It's been open since 2003.) In fact, the doc I met with said she and another doc tried to put out some BF pamphlets, and they mysteriously disappeared.

I'm writing a letter to the head of the clinic (the pediatrician who is not really so BF friendly), and CCing it to the Dean of the medical school. I'm also going to offer to give a class on breastfeeding promotion, and will offer free posters as well. Anything to help change the attitudes floating around the clinic. My husband, who's a med school student, is going to contact the OB-GYN and Pediatric clubs on campus and enlist their help.

Thanks for letting me vent, everyone. The situation is making me nuts. Still, there's possibility for change, and that warms the cockles of my heart. (Even though it may take guerilla tactics to do so. )

Alison

Oh, and if they choose to not change anything at the clinic, I will let them know that any chance I get, I'll make sure that every nursing mother I know should NOT take their children to that clinic. Sometimes appealing to the financial side is the only route you have.

Hopefully this will not be the case. I want to see the clinic succeed. But it needs to follow the osteopathic model of promoting health and preventing disease, not just treating illness. (Though as a clinic, they certainly stand to make more money from formula fed babies, since they generally suffer from more illness and have a higher # of doctor visits, according to the research.)

*whew* Ok, I'm done.

Alison