On Doulas.com article

and
 
NY TIMES article

There are articles and bloggers posting about it all over the net but I'm feeling all the hate and judgement of her more than anything although some support her. It's proven to be just another mother to judge. Even in the natural birth and doula community, people seem to be judging her intentions and 'how dare she use the birth of her child to get paid', 'it is a sacred event', and shame on her for saying labor and birth were the 'worst pain she ever experienced', etc. Who cares! She had her baby how and where she wanted to, and I think neither positive nor negative about it really. Another way to birth and HER choice. But, that's my simple view. It reminds me a little of the criticism the The Feminist Breeder got for live streaming the birth of her second VBAC and first homebirthed child earlier this year. Which I enjoyed thoroughly ;)

I've been working on a blog for a while now about creative ways to pay for a doula or a homebirth, and I think I might just add this to the list, LOL! ;) Be light, ladies. Mamas need to support each other's informed choices, regardless of if we agree with them or not. I am neither condemning her nor giving her any kind of extra special pat on the back. I mean, nothing that any other birthing goddess doesn't deserve, yk? Peace.

 Ok. It got REALLY complicated because we're talking LOTS of different 'averages'. However, for a baby who is avg weight and gaining along the 50%tile as 'avg', for a standard brand name formula, non hypoallergenic, no WIC, etc - It costs $824 for the first 6 mos. This is JUST for the cost of the actual formula. This does not include the added costs one can expect when artificially feeding a baby such as more medical bills and more missed work for mothers employed outside of the home due to a baby being ill more often, seriously, and longer in duration. This also does not include bottles, nipples, bottle cleaning tools, dryers, sterilizers, to go storage containers, warmers, etc. Again, there are SO many variables...if I had more time, I'd blog about it in more details on how the cost is effected.

Did you watch "The Business of Being Born"? Inspired by it?  Many benefited from this groundbreaking film that took a glimpse into birth in America. 

Well, there is hopefully "More" coming in the fall of 2011!  And DOULA's are going to be showcased, which is especially exciting for me and many other birth advocates.  I can't wait to see all the things they are covering in the next 4 DVD's. Please help support Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein's new project.  See below.  Every dollar

So, today during a consult I was asked about my stats.  It is common for me to be asked how many births I've been to, how many at hospitals vs. birth centers vs. home, or how many at a particular hospital, etc.  But, this expecting father today was specifically curious as to how many of my clients had unmedicated births.  I am surprised actually that more people do not ask that now that I think about it.  I remember wanting to know the same of my childbirth educator/doula when pregnant with my first, too.  And I'm now also curious if other doulas know those kinds of statistics off the top of their head.  I, personally, had to make a guesstimate.  I guessed 70% roughly have birthed their babies without medication.  I think this is something I should maybe know at least for consult purposes, but not be focused on in any way, though.  To be honest, I am a statistics/research gal.  I like to see numbers.  I like to analyze them especially.  I see numbers and want to know WHY.  I do not like to assume anything...but I do like to question them and use information I may be privy to in order to see behind the numbers.  I think I'm pretty fair in my assessments, too. I've read so much birth related evidence-based research and explanations from Henci Goer at this point that I know what kinds of questions to ask of the studies to see what facts we're really dealing with.  

However, in discussing my client's birth stats, I would never want them to enter my mind as being important or telling.  Here's why.
Number one reason:  What is MOST important to me AND them is whether or not they had a positive birthing experiece.  Ya know?  This is not about if drugs in labor are good or bad, generally speaking, this is about each specific woman being happy vs. traumatized on the day of her child's birth.  I want them to feel as good as possible about their labor and birth.  I want them to feel supported, empowered, and loved... and that they were able to make informed decisions. 
Reason #2: My clients give birth in every different setting possible.  I've said it before a hundred times and I'll say it again.  Where you CHOOSE to birth your baby matters. It DOES affect your labor and birth.  Period.
Reason #3: My clients are all different people.  My clients have been first time mothers to fifth time mothers, VBACers, low risk, some with medical conditions, some with supportive care providers, some not, some with supportive partners and some completely alone, some that for whatever the reason could not freely move based on restrictions in the hospital, some who didn't have access to drugs, some with malpositioned babies, some with long exhausting labors, some with labors that struggled to progress, some with fast labors, I could go on and on - but you get the point. 

My clients all have stories.  I know those stories, I know their labors, I know their circumstances, and I know that whether or not they got medication during labor only tells one piece of the story.  Whether or not it was necessary is not something I EVER know.  And whether or not it was a reason for their labor experience being either positive OR negative, I will NEVER truly know.  It is just one piece.  One decision.  Yes, maybe it is a huge one, but behind each of my clients' decisions is a story.  I do not view any as 'better' than another based on this decision on pain medication, or as any of my client's as failing to labor naturally because they chose medication.  It is SO individual.  Labor is unpredictable.  Do I believe MOST women are ABLE to do it without medication if they really want to?  Yes.  Does it sometimes take the combination of a comfortable laboring and birthing environment matched with the right support and the labor not being complicated by factors or interventions that may cause dystocia or more intervention?  Absolutely.  And do sometimes women set themselves up with the perfect recipe for a great unmedicated normal birth and it still go another way?  Absolutely.  Do some women doubt their abilities to manage without medication and leave all options open without a 'birth plan', etc and then birth their babies easily without much assistance from anyone or anything?  Absolutely.  I know one thing, though - Having a doula matters.  We DO make a difference.  Yes, overall we lessen the need for epidural pain relief.  Not a guarantee, though, as nothing is.  Ya know what difference we almost always make?  Whether or not the mom feels good about her birth-day.  And that IS important.

That being said, is it still all that interesting to know what percentage of my client's labored without the famous epidural?  Hmmm....

I serve such a diverse population with varying situations and perspectives on medicine, interventions, and birth beliefs as well as varying hospital practices influencing my client's labor experiences. I think it would be interesting just to see what my small numbers say and if my guesstimate was close or not.

Check back later after I do some calculations.  :) :) :) 

Originally I posted the calculations and some more stats in the comment section and then changed my mind about posting them publicly. I fear that people will focus on it as being important.  And it's really not.  Every client and every situation is individual.  I'd prefer to not calculate again, actually, and probably never will.  I learned that I'm a good enough guesser if any potential client ever really wants an answer from me again.  :)

I'd love to hear feedback from other doulas on this topic, too. 

About: MATERNAL MORTALITY IN THE US: A HUMAN RIGHTS FAILURE

http://www.arhp.org/publications-and-resources/contraception-journal/march-2011

I know I'm passionate about birth and everything surrounding it.  It is emotional for me.  And I'm glad actually.  I am proud of the work I do with women and for women.  I really care about women and babies.  It is not something to be handed over to medical technology as a condition (most of the time). So this kind of update just infuriates me and makes me even more vocal.  I respect informed choice.  Truly informed choice.  And good prenatal care. I cannot respect the current state of maternal health care in any way.  I do, however, feel that change is coming.  Because of these maternal and infant mortality statistics and US pride, yes, AND because of people like me, yes.  I am proud of the support, education, and advocacy I provide women. Doulas and other birth professionals and advocates are out there everyday letting women know their options and that there is MORE TO KNOW than they are being told.  We are helping to guide them through their pregnancies and stay with them during their entire labor.  That alone is making a difference!  But, every woman deserves that, not just ones who can pay.  Midwives and doulas are being requested more and more.  Women are taking more independent childbirth classes and opting to have care and births outside of hospitals.  They are asking for more nutrition counseling, yoga classes, chiropractors, and water exercise classes.  Insurances are reimbursing more now for alternative out of hospital care, education, and therapies. AND, I must say, too, that SOME hospitals are taking steps in the right directions.  Yes, maybe accreditation pressures is a push they need, but they are trying to implement changes in some places regarding birth and baby care - I see it when I attend births at different locations.  Praise to them, too!  And shame on those who are banning birth plans, doulas, and VBAC's and those that don't encourage skin to skin time immediately following birth.  Improvements are coming because of the demand for it, though.  But we have lots of work to do!  I must discuss why it is so sickening to me to see our maternal and infant mortality rates so poor. Don't get me started on the disparities those face who are on medicaid.  I've been through a pregnancy on it.  I know firsthand!  And lucky for me I was who I was and I knew health and I knew my options!  Oh, AND I figured out a way to eventually pay my midwife since she was not covered by medical assistance. Lucky for me, right?  That's me - someone who is health, pregnancy, and birth informed and involved.  What about all the other women on medicaid? 

SOOO......Not only does the US (with all of our money and technology) fall 50th in line after 49 other countries for our maternal mortality, but we have THE HIGHEST infant mortality rate among developed nations (18). THE highest! Please read this article and see the research yourself on maternal mortality, and be informed as a woman or someone who loves one. Yes, it applies to you or someone you love. As our cesarean rate continues to increase, so do our maternal deaths.  Even more so if you are a woman of color - 4 TIMES more likely to die during birth than white women.  And no, don't even go there anyone - It is NOT because women of color have higher prevalence of disease!  Treatment and care is NOT equal!  Please recognize the disparities, and acknowledge the truth in that.

"In contrast to many countries where women lack access to life-saving medical interventions, women and infants are often exposed to more procedures than are medically necessary or beneficial. This overuse of medical procedures increases injuries as well as costs. Indeed, we are unaware of any study indicating that the 56% increase in the rate of surgical births from 1996 to 200827 as improved outcomes. However, there are data to show that the overuse of medical procedures has increased both infant28 and maternal morbidity.11, 29"

ALL women need to protect themselves with information and share it with the women we love. Do not trust you are safe because you 'really like your doctor' and you know 'he/she wouldn't ever make choices for you that could be harmful'.  Be an informed party in all decision making.  Get the information you need from other sources in addition to what you get at your office appointments and ASK QUESTIONS.  Demand better choices, chances, and cut your risks down - take an independent childbirth class and hire a doula, learn about proper nutrition during pregnancy, the importance of healthy living, and how to make that all happen so you can prevent hypertensive disorders and interventions that can both lead to riskier births then and later.  

"Because all medical interventions carry risks, their use in situations when they are not demonstrated to offer benefits exposes women to risks that are unwarranted. For example, overuse of induction of labor and of cesarean sections, and lack of access to vaginal births after cesarean sections, all can lead to higher incidences of postpartum infection and higher rates of hysterectomies.30, 31"

And also, we need to stop making excuses when moms do die during childbirth and afterwards.  I'm tired of hearing all the reasons it wasn't related to the 'actual' birth or that there was nothing that they could have done.   Prevention, as far back as we can get prior to pregnancy or early on, is #1.  Cut down on unwanted pregnancies.  Educate our teens on the responsibility not only of having a baby but of gestating!  And hospitals need to learn how to better support women who want to birth without medication or those who want to move freely for a good bit of labor instead of being in bed hooked to a monitor the entire time (continuous monitoring has not been proven to improve outcomes for moms or babies and in fact IS directly related to increasing the risk of cesarean), decreasing surgical births (even more risky as the number of cesareans a mother has), and REAL post partum CARE where someone is checking on mom's uterus and her overall well being - no, not just to document on their checklists, but to actually spend some time sitting with a mom who just had a baby and get a good sense for how she's feeling.

"It is a human tragedy when a woman dies giving birth; her death forever changes her community and family for all future generations. It is both a tragedy and a human rights failure when a woman dies needlessly of preventable causes in a country that lacks the political will to have prevented her death."

The way we are treated and cared for prenatally needs to CHANGE!  More routine procedures prenatally and in the labor room lead to more interventions and technology. More interventions and technology = more deaths.  PERIOD. 

Thank you Ina May for all the work you are doing to bring awareness to the public and to the obstetrical community on what we can all be doing to save mothers, and of course for remembering those lost with the Safe Motherhood Quilt Project.

For more information visit the Healthy Mothers Healthy Birth Summit page.

Let's all try this together for the next 3 weeks (how long it takes to adopt a habit), whether you are doing it for prenatal reasons or not! I'm going to focus on the importance of dark leafy greens for pregnancy in this blog post, though.  Feedback on what worked best for you is appreciated!  Pass on the goodness to others...

Making green smoothies are a super easy and fun way to get some of the very important nutrients into your pregnant body for you and your baby. Yes, you can cook dark leafy greens, but you should know that just 10-15 minutes of cooking kale, for instance, destroys more than half of the water soluble vitamins, such as vit. C. Smoothies are a delicious way to preserve and consume the raw nutrients. This is also a great (secret) way of increasing your bio-available protein which is one of the most important parts of growing a healthy (and smart) baby and staying categorized as a low risk pregnancy.

Vary the use of spinach, kale, chard, bok choy, and mixed southern greens (collards, mustards, turnip tops - tip: sold already chopped and bagged together at Trader Joe's) blended with your choice of fresh or frozen fruit - blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, pineapple, mango, papaya, and the favorite go to staple - bananas.  Add some water and maybe a splash of apple juice for extra sweetness if needed. Yummo way to grow a healthy baby and feel full of energy each day! People are always surprised how easy this (less than 5 min) and how good it tastes!  With some experimentation, you'll figure out how to make the amount you'd like so that you can keep some in the fridge for the week.  It is best to have small cups of this throughout the day, that is, if you can help from drinking a large glass down all at once. The more you consume dark leafy greens, the more you crave and enjoy them!  The better your digestive system works, too!  Say goodbye to constipation in pregnancy with this addition to your mornings!  Your body will thank you now and forever...and if you keep up this healthy habit through breastfeeding as well, your baby will already love the flavor of leafy greens - how cool is that???

Varying the greens and fruits is important because if you do so, you will be sure to include all of the following vitamins and minerals into your diet that every pregnant mom needs (And for those wondering "Don't I get this stuff from my prenatal vitamin?"  NO, They cannot come close to replacing the real thing.): 

Vitamins: A, B (folic acid), C, K
Minerals: Iron, Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, Phosphorus, Zinc

Also, when you consume certain vitamins at the same time as certain minerals, you increase absorbability and usability - such as partners like Vitamin C and Iron, both found in dark leafy greens, especially raw.  Another pregnancy plus!

And carotenoids!  These are naturally occuring pigments that when consumed from fruit and veggie sources, are linked to people being much healthier and dramatically lowering mortality and the number of chronic illnesses. 

Can't go wrong with increasing the inclusion of raw dark leafy greens into your diet, pregnant or not - but for a pregnant mama - a MUST! :)  - Green smoothies aid in the prevention of increasingly common problems occuring in pregnancies in addition to "morning" sickness such as pre-eclampsia, anemia, GD, HELLP, and placental abruptions. Feeding our placenta is a very important job.  When these problems creep up, often in the mid to late third trimester, women frequently must be medically induced which in turn leads to higher risk of problems for mom and baby including but definitely not limited to: cesarean section, premature birth, and breastfeeding problems.

I'd imagine throwing in some parsley and other healthy herbs for pregnancy such as dandelion, nettles, red raspberry leafs, would be fantastic, but I need to find more information on how to's and such...any thoughts my herbal friends?  I know some of those could be considered diuretic in certain amounts and forms...

Any other tips?  Please share in the comments below! 

Resources:
The Dr. Brewer Pregnancy Diet
The Bradley Method of Natural Childbirth book and my specific class (2006)
Birth Arts International Doula Training (2009)
Midwifery Today Conference session on Nutrition with Elizabeth Davis (2010)
The Complete Book of Pregnancy and Childbirth by Sheila Kitzinger
Herbal for the Childbearing Year by Susan Weed
http://www.thehealthycookingcoach.com/2010/10/got-kale.html
The Pregnancy Book, by William Sears, MD, Martha Sears, RN, and Linda Holt, MD
http://www.smoothie-handbook.com/how-much-should-i-vary-greens-in-green-smoothies.html

~ Lori

We either trust birth, or we fear it. For those of us who trust birth, we feel more like bystanders or sometimes guardians of the birth process. I am a calm and encouraging energy for my clients. For those who fear it, they manage it. Step by step. If it is under their control, then they think they can better predict, better anticipate the next step of management and the next and the next, all the way up until a baby is born, one way or another and even after. Sometimes never wondering what would have happened if they had 'done' nothing and just let it be. Initiating some sort of control at some point, usually followed by further necessary control and intervention, and ending in a completely 'managed' process is so typical in our hospitals today. Mothers may not know any different because this has become birth as we know it in America - we hear the stories from our friends and coworkers.  Managed birth is so fear based.  And quite honestly, the midwives, doctors, or nurses working there in the hospitals may not know different either. But, truth is...birth usually works. By usually, I don't mean 60-70%...I mean USUALLY - like almost always!  Management is almost always unnecessary, yet I see the opposite happening. It is the norm instead. Which creates this atmosphere of fear. I can smell it in the air, I can see it on their faces and in their actions and I can hear it in their words. They are so accustomed to managing each step, they don't even think to do 'nothing'.  Sometimes my job is to replace that fear in the atmosphere with trust and calm.  You know who is often times the calmest?  Mom. She is wondering what all the fuss is about.  Yes, it is the most crazy intense feeling in the world to be pushing a baby out of her vagina, but at the births I attend - mom is listening to her body just as we've talked about prenatally and during labor.  As I glance around the room, I see fear and impatience underneath those trying to seem cool and collected and in control. I can sense discomfort from everyone who is supposed to be the most experienced with childbirth, and then watch this instinctively calm mom who is birthing her baby intuitively. Yet, she is still vulnerable because birth is simply intense...physically and emotionally.  How bizarre that she is usually the one trusting her body more than anyone, right?  Well, maybe not.  I mean, these people living in those moments of fear, impatience, and discomfort are sort of accustomed to these over managed births that do tend to lead to more problems with birth and baby. Yes,  interventions and management do CAUSE things to go wrong which often lead to more interventions and management.  See how this becomes the norm for them?  It is COMMON, but NOT NORMAL.  That is a difference to be understood. Being overcautious is NOT always good, especially when talking about birth.  Our bodies are amazing.  They know what to do.  Yes, birth is hard. Yes, babies go through a lot in the process.  And, yes, that is normal - could we please try to let moms know that???  Are interventions needed sometimes?  Yes, I am no dummy.  All interventions can be useful sometimes.  If we keep being overcautious and overtreating/managing things that come up in pregnancy and birth that can 'possibly' 'maybe' affect a small percentage of women, we are heading towards a culture or a world that eventually will not birth babies vaginally anymore at all.  In fact, let's just imagine that for a second. Ok, now that is something to fear for the future of humankind.

Instead, I'd like to trust. I do trust birth.  The more births I attend, the more I trust.  Most of the births I attend are natural, unmedicated births so yes, I do trust!  When do I sometimes fear?  When interventions and management completely take over the process and the environment changes from one of trust to fear.  I want to take that out of the atmosphere for women. I want to prevent that air of fear in their birthing space. My recipe is this: Prenatal education, nutritional counseling, labor and birth preparation, support for mothers throughout the entire process (ah-hem...doulas!), and caring/trusting care providers in a setting where mom is most comfortable. Wah-lah.  Trust needs to start appearing more in hospitals...it cannot just be the gift that homebirth and some birth center's provide.  This needs to be available for all women.

I have another thought that I often ponder.  What if hospital staff attend some non hospital births sometime?  I think it should be a part of their training - no matter who they are. How much difference that would make if all nurses, doctors, and midwives saw the normalcy of it all enough times to cause them to reflect on their own practices in the hospitals?  It seems to be getting worse rather than better.  How else can we create trust again? 

Some days I am just plain thankful for the great ones. Today just happens to be the last day of the year and I happen to be especially thankful for them. My first full year of attending births as a doula - wow!  Yes, great ones. Care providers, I mean.  I do a lot of wishing the other ones didn't exist.  But they still do.  Big sigh. I guess it just makes the work I do much easier when I have a birth every once in a while with a great care provider. Someone who has (usually) had a chance to get to know the woman I am supporting, knows her hopes and fears, knows how to communicate with her (this includes listening), BELIEVES in her, asks her opinion and thoughts in any kind of situation where a recommendation might be in order, knows labor and birth without intervention, knows when some intervention might be beneficial, and can confidently make an important call if need be for safety reasons.  These happen to be the same care providers that appreciate my presence at the birth and know how we all work together as a team and it unfolds so naturally and perfectly for the laboring mom.  Honestly, there are not a lot of them out there, but besides the ones I know personally and continue to refer my clients to if I see a switch is on the horizon, I do get a few surprises now and then.   I feel lucky to know at least one or more in each type of birth setting - home, birth center, hospital.  My hope for the new year is to encounter more care providers that I respect.  I just want my clients to be treated with respect, treated like human beings, like the smart women that they are.  Just to be clear...that is in a big way based on honesty - NO lies or manipulation and NO misleading or omitting information to get consent for things like induction.  And normalizing long labors instead of acting like it means something is wrong or that she deserves to be saved!  Especially the early stage!  Instead of making a woman feel like her body is failing her by not dilating quickly enough and admitting her too early with plans to augment her labor, the great ones will normalize it.  Yes, even though it might be a better/easier situation for the care provider if things moved faster.  My clients are grown up and intelligent women, completely capable of understanding information if given all of it.  Completely capable of participating in a discussion about what might be the best option for HER care. 
I end the year with thanks for my own midwife and some other midwives I love to attend births with because of the great care they provide women.  Hugs to you!!!  <3  I hope to meet more like them in the coming year.  Looking forward to a year of wonderful births shared with the great ones and some new lovely clients taking advantage of their great care. <3

In the Philadelphia area and want to know the great care providers???  Don't hesitate to send me an email.

So I came across this blog, The Joy of This, where the author, Joy, posted a blog about this Art Exhibit by Amanda Greavette.  I became inspired to write my own reflections after viewing, so I asked the artist and she was happy to hear my thoughts and have me post her work.

In awe. Just in awe.  When I viewed these photos of paintings (scroll down) by an artist Amanda Greavette today, a familiar feeling rushed over me.  It's that feeling I get  when next to or in front of a laboring woman and suddenly time slows down and I connect to what she is going through really deeply. I am in awe of her strength, her focus, her determination, and her ability to let go and do the work nature intended no matter how tired and/or frustrated she is.  Then the moment passes and I'm left with my thoughts about what I always feel so honored to witness.  It is so intimate, so special, so so REAL.  It doesn't get any more real.  To be a trusted person next to her is not something I take for granted.  Sometimes I say things like, "wow, you're so strong" or "you are really doing some amazing work".  And I genuinely mean it with all of my heart!  Each time!  Laboring women are impressive. I watch women when they are in the hardest place they've ever been before.  I watch them cry.  I watch them moan.  I watch them try to remain focused and lose it.  I watch them roar. I watch them catch their breath and relax again.  I watch them stick it out.  I watch them battle through.  I watch them ride the waves.  I watch them regain confidence.  Then, I watch them overcome.  And I watch them meet their baby. What they overcome can be different, every woman's journey is her own. There are no failures even if there are disappointments. It is always a transformative event that words cannot describe. These paintings depict many birth moments more beautifully and accurately than I've ever seen in art before.  The positions you see are what women do to birth their babies when they are free and able to. The expressions on these women's faces are so true and perfectly captured.  You can hear their sounds and feel their emotion and their POWER, almost as if you are in the paintings with them. 

You must read the artist's statement below.  Great insight. Enjoy viewing everybody!  I want to hear your thoughts, too, so please comment!

Oh, and I really really hope this artist decides to make prints.  If so, I will have an office full of them one day. I hope you are touched by one or all of them as I was. 

I asked the artist's permission to share these on my site and she agreed and would love to hear even more feedback as it will help her make the decision on whether or not to make and sell prints - so here is all of her info as promised of course:

Artist: Amanda Greavette
Email: rose_arc@hotmail.com
Website: www.amandagreavette.com
The Birth Project blog: www.amandagreavette.blogspot.com

Greavette’s statement:  "I’m interested in how women navigate the dramatic process of childbearing and how it shapes and changes their identity. I aim to create work that is provocative, beautiful and heavy with emotion and symbol. The paintings represent an intensely personal but simultaneously universal and ageless experience. Much beauty and drama is lived through a woman’s body, in ways that can be both empowering and debilitating. The pieces I make have a narrative that unfolds according to the viewers’ own experiences, but also represent aspects of the larger story of women’s history. I hope women can see their own stories mimicked in the paintings, as well as emotions, beliefs and experiences they may not be able to express or fully explain."

Photographs of paintings on this page ©Amanda Greavette. Titles given when available.

Her work will be showing in Toronto, Canada.

“Living in the Body” November 4-14 Gallery 1313 1313 Queen Street West.
Toronto Gallery Hours: Wed-Sun 1-6pm

http://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/data/reportcard.htm

Read the link above for further info and explanations of the map above, which is just one small piece of the results.

Nothing about the map surprises me whatsoever.  You can literally SEE the perspectives (based on either education, socio-economic status, or just lifestyle/culture) within a geographical region. I can place a clear reason for the colors of the map being what they are in each area. Interesting ...how it all groups together isn't it?
Oregon and Montana are the only two states that have more than 50% of babies being exclusively breastfed at 3 mos!  We have to start demanding more baby friendly hospitals in PA!  Especially in the surrounding Philadelphia area!  And then we'll see our breastfeeding rates go up.  Let's demand support for these mothers and babies!!! Here is what it takes for a hospital to be considered baby friendly - http://www.babyfriendlyusa.org/eng/10steps.html

To see the list of all the hospitals and birth centers who have made the grade - http://www.babyfriendlyusa.org/eng/03.html - It is not a coincidence that these states with many of these hospitals have higher breastfeeding rates.  Come on PA, get with the program!  Our moms want to breastfeed, too!  They're just not given good information or a good chance when forced to stay within our hospitals who preach support and give the opposite - recipes for failure.  If a hospital truly supports and encourages breastfeeding, they should be refusing to accept formula advertising bags, bottles, samples, etc, as well. And at the least, not offer to a mom who wants to breastfeed.  We have to work hard to battle the hard core marketing teams and salespeople working for the formula companies - they are slimy and persistent  with their advertising to docs, hospitals, and moms.  We are just 'lactivists' with no financial ba

I find it interesting that I hesitated publishing this post over a month ago for some reason.   I think I felt I had something more to add but not the time to put my thoughts into it fully.  But now I know why.  It was because something locally was about to happen and I was going to want to rant about that at the end of this post! :)

A local health system just recently laid off all their lactation consultants, divided among four Philadelphia area birthing hospitals. One of the hospital's (call it hospital A) higher ups spoke up against this action and was able to keep theirs at that particular location. Another hospital (B) ended up keeping theirs as well after the IBCLC actually lobbied for her own position.  Hospital C lost their very well known and experienced IBCLC after going years without one at all and then seeing BFing rates go up with her hire in the past few years.  And then, my biggest complaint from the hospital that so many women LOVE - hospital D. They lost both of their lactation consultants, one of which ran a weekly breastfeeding support group. The other also served the L&D floor as a bereavement counselor. Right from a hospital that has always claimed and probably will continue to claim to be 'breastfeeding friendly' (even though I also happen to know they also routinely recommend babies being sent to the nursery and routinely give pacifiers, too.)  Both of which are NOT a BFing supportive practice if you didn't already know or if you didn't read the suggestions on the site listed above. I can't understand boasting about Lactation services one day and then quietly letting go your entire lactation support team, leaving moms high and dry, and hope no one notices?  Without even telling OB patients this prior to their deliveries? And when a mom does ask, she is told that the nurses on staff have had training on helping moms get off to a good start.  Really?  Because they are aware of a few 'positions' to have a mom try with her babe?  It is insulting to compare the support of a busy shift nurse with that of IBCLC's. Their knowledge of moms and babies, skills training, and job experience is so contrasting.  Do I need to revisit the 'babies being separated from mom' again, that those same nurses are also trained on so that moms can 'sleep better'? Oh. Rant. Sad for all.  Now, we're back to another problem that drives me bizerko in this area - the more informed and privileged moms will hire their own LC's after returning home and probably be just fine in the end. The less informed (not knowing better) will be relying on the hospital to help them successfully breastfeed.  Some will be fine, but many will give up without correct information and support and seeing free formula show up at their house when BFing has become difficult in those first weeks. The less privileged will also be another group giving up more frequently because they might not be able to afford to pay out of pocket for a private LC yet they can easily acquire free formula through a state run program. Hopefully I'll be back at some point with an update that all our letters and advocacy worked and they were hired back at the two remaining hospitals. But in the meantime, I am making it known to all I know that these hospitals and this HEALTH system clearly does not place high value on breastfeeding, mothers, or babies. It causes many to question what they DO value.  If you want to call or write a letter, please contact me and I'll gladly supply you with the necessary information or you can check out my facebook page and scroll down to my post about this over a week ago.