This involves the hospital breastfeeding support group held weekly at Carroll Hospital Center in Westminster, Maryland:
As some of you know, Barbara (the only Lactation Consultant left at CCH) has been closely monitored and managed by an advisory committee of local doctors and administrators at CCH who feel not only should mostly weaned mothers or just weaned mothers be forced out of the CCH Breastfeeding Support Group but mothers who are nursing babies over 12 months of age are now prohibited from attending and receiving support at CCH at the weekly support group. The numbers of nursing moms have dwindled greatly since they started banning moms from attending the support group and the attendance level now is very low - less than 5-10 moms each week on average.
Moms of younger babies explained that having moms of older nursing babies and even moms of nursing toddlers in the group helped encourage them to breastfeed longer and they enjoyed getting peer advice on breastfeeding issues from these other mothers,.as well. Many of us expressed our disappointment and disagreement with the decision to kick mothers out simply because their nursing babies turned 12 months old, but our efforts to request a reconsideration of this new policy have failed. This all began with the decision to have only one LC on staff last January 2007 which led to the "retirement" of Jane two months later. (She did not want to leave. She was indeed forced out.)
Even the AAFP and the AAP recommend babies be breastfed for a minimum of one year. They do not state that breastfeeding should stop at one year and go on to say that breastfeeding continues to offer benefits (supported by medical research) to older babies and toddlers beyond one year of age and older! All breastfeeding mothers need support!
The AAFP recommends that all babies, with rare exceptions, be breastfed and/or receive expressed human milk exclusively for the first six months of life. Breastfeeding should continue with the addition of complementary foods throughout the second half of the first year. Breastfeeding beyond the first year offers considerable benefits to both mother and child, and should continue as long as mutually desired. Family physicians should have the knowledge to promote, protect, and support breastfeeding. (2007)
The AAP recommends that pediatricians and parents should be aware that exclusive breastfeeding is sufficient to support optimal growth and development for approximately the first 6 months of life and provides continuing protection against diarrhea and respiratory tract infection. Breastfeeding should be continued for at least the first year of life and beyond for as long as mutually desired by mother and child. (2005)
The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding for six months and continued breastfeeding for at least 2 years!
Some of us have now formed a new breastfeeding support group that meets weekly on Tuesdays to provide support to mothers of all children of any age seeking breastfeeding support!
We are considering a number of ideas to protest this decision and new hospital policy, including a letter writing campaign and a nurse-in.
Please offer any comments, suggestions, etc...
Thanks,
As some of you know, Barbara (the only Lactation Consultant left at CCH) has been closely monitored and managed by an advisory committee of local doctors and administrators at CCH who feel not only should mostly weaned mothers or just weaned mothers be forced out of the CCH Breastfeeding Support Group but mothers who are nursing babies over 12 months of age are now prohibited from attending and receiving support at CCH at the weekly support group. The numbers of nursing moms have dwindled greatly since they started banning moms from attending the support group and the attendance level now is very low - less than 5-10 moms each week on average.
Moms of younger babies explained that having moms of older nursing babies and even moms of nursing toddlers in the group helped encourage them to breastfeed longer and they enjoyed getting peer advice on breastfeeding issues from these other mothers,.as well. Many of us expressed our disappointment and disagreement with the decision to kick mothers out simply because their nursing babies turned 12 months old, but our efforts to request a reconsideration of this new policy have failed. This all began with the decision to have only one LC on staff last January 2007 which led to the "retirement" of Jane two months later. (She did not want to leave. She was indeed forced out.)
Even the AAFP and the AAP recommend babies be breastfed for a minimum of one year. They do not state that breastfeeding should stop at one year and go on to say that breastfeeding continues to offer benefits (supported by medical research) to older babies and toddlers beyond one year of age and older! All breastfeeding mothers need support!
The AAFP recommends that all babies, with rare exceptions, be breastfed and/or receive expressed human milk exclusively for the first six months of life. Breastfeeding should continue with the addition of complementary foods throughout the second half of the first year. Breastfeeding beyond the first year offers considerable benefits to both mother and child, and should continue as long as mutually desired. Family physicians should have the knowledge to promote, protect, and support breastfeeding. (2007)
The AAP recommends that pediatricians and parents should be aware that exclusive breastfeeding is sufficient to support optimal growth and development for approximately the first 6 months of life and provides continuing protection against diarrhea and respiratory tract infection. Breastfeeding should be continued for at least the first year of life and beyond for as long as mutually desired by mother and child. (2005)
The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding for six months and continued breastfeeding for at least 2 years!
Some of us have now formed a new breastfeeding support group that meets weekly on Tuesdays to provide support to mothers of all children of any age seeking breastfeeding support!
We are considering a number of ideas to protest this decision and new hospital policy, including a letter writing campaign and a nurse-in.
Please offer any comments, suggestions, etc...
Thanks,
