What can we DO?

[sophmama]

Ok - I'm kind of pissed off here. I've been surfing the web for a pediatrician and ran into this website with a nice big pic of a baby with a bottle on it (won't be going there). Then later on I was on Harvard's Family medicine something...? site and found this nice article, but it ended with a complete inaccurate statement about needing to ff after 6 months for all bf babies. http://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/Da...ases.201.shtml in the article on Good News for Breast-Fed Babies.
I went on the promom.org site and noticed they've had very little activity since I posted over a month ago.

What I'm wondering, is what can we do that will have some impact on all these things. It seems like the healthcare industry is still largely inept about the whole bf topic. Formula is advertized everywhere. NIP is almost non-existent. What are some ways we can really make a dent in the problem?

Some ideas I had (but don't know how to implement), include a national place you can notify when physicians / corporations say/do anti-bf things or give out false medical info on the topic. I'd like to have some kind of form letter or something that any mom can type in the name & specifics and send out to any physician or corporation on the topic.

I'd like to see MSN clip art include more than 2 pics of nursing vs. the kabillion bottle pics they have.

I love the promom.org 3-minute activist route, but I feel like it's needed for a million situations. KWIM??

I'd like to have a place where I can "turn in" doctors and corporations for violations against the "Healthy People 2010" goals and against breastfeeding specifically.

I feel kind of overwhelmed in the sea of non-natural parenting in general. I feel like most of the time the only thing we can do when we get berated by a physician about extended bf and co-sleeping, etc., is console eachother? KWIM? I know it's asking a lot and it's going to be years & this stuff has come a long way. I just feel so out-numbered.

Anyone else feel this way?? Anyone have any ideas for busy moms?

-Becky

[Greaseball]

The World Health Organization recommends only breast milk for the first four to six months, and recommends that breast-feeding (in combination with formula) continue until 2 years of age. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breast milk alone until 6 months, and breast-feeding plus formula until 12 months old.

Yeah, I'd like to see where they say this.

[Ilovelife]

Originally Posted by Greaseball

Yeah, I'd like to see where they say this.

[Victorian]

Wtf?

[sovereignqueen]

It seems like the WHO needs to come down hard on the US, especially in regards to ff violations (we did sign it, right?). I wonder who needs to be written to to make that happen...

[3girlsmommy]

I don't think we did sign it. I mean why would we when so much of what we do is controlled by money and formula = money

[jeca]

huh? how can they say to bf anf ff after 6 months then say bf exclusivly for the first 12 in one paragraph. Someone did not do a very good job on this article.

[Milakais]

That's just rediculous. Who writes this stuff?

I just tried to email the webmaster to correct the article, but the address bounced. I'm trying the cutomer service address now...

[Kleine Hexe]

Proably some misinformed intern wrote this badly written article. The article seems thrown together and is a poor example of writing.

[bec]

It should be noted that this is an article from 2001. There have been many more studies since then about the benefits of breastfeeding.

The AAP's current statement is:

Exclusive breastfeeding is ideal nutrition and sufficient to support optimal growth and development for approximately the first 6 months after birth.100 Infants weaned before 12 months of age should not receive cow's milk feedings but should receive iron-fortified infant formula.101 Gradual introduction of iron-enriched solid foods in the second half of the first year should complement the breast milk diet.102,103 It is recommended that breastfeeding continue for at least 12 months, and thereafter for as long as mutually desired.

Bec

[Janice in Canada]

Some ideas I had (but don't know how to implement), include a national place you can notify when physicians / corporations say/do anti-bf things or give out false medical info on the topic. I'd like to have some kind of form letter or something that any mom can type in the name & specifics and send out to any physician or corporation on the topic.

I'd like to have a place where I can "turn in" doctors and corporations for violations against the "Healthy People 2010" goals and against breastfeeding specifically.

There used to a website that did this, sort of.

moms4milk.org. It fell apart a few years ago. The owner was also the owner of Militant Breastfeeding Cult. It was run by a few volunteer moms. I was a member, sort of. Firemom was involved too, I think.

They collected research, and moms could "turn in" their doctors, a business, whatever, and Moms4Milk would write the letter and send it to the doctor, business, etc on their behalf, and the mom could stay anonymous.

This could be a specific advocacy project, - its own website - or connected to another advocacy website.

I think its an excellant idea - I saw your post on Promom, Becky. please pm me your email address, and I'll send you my newsletters about writing letters, and some other things I've wrote about this. i agree that moms need it have it simple to do this, and some feel better when its anonymous.

Janice
[e-mail]

[JaneS]

Great idea about turning in doctors. This really needs to happen!

I was actually going to post about this a while ago when, for the 800th time on another board, I answered a post from a mom who was given completely wrong bf'ing advice. And you just know that for every one mom that seeks a solution, there are thousands that just do whatever the dr. says.

It literally makes me sick to my stomach.

If there is a website that needs help with this, or anyone thinking of starting their own, I'd be willing to help. I'm a web programmer.