Ideas for getting HCP to support BF..

[Bookworm?]

Our county Breastfeeding Promotion Task Force needs a new project and I think doctors around here could use a bit of education/reminders about how to support breastfeeding and why it is important. We've tossed around a few ideas including inviting HCP to a luncheon, talking with them one on one, sending literature. None of these really seems like the magic bullet to me. I've been doing a little research and trying to find what other communities have done. I haven't found much. We broached the topic of becoming baby friendly with the local hospital and they were less than enthusiastic about it. I've also considered a ban the bags campaign. The hospital has already cut back on what they give but I know they could do better.
We are a very small community with only one hospital for the whole county. I would really like to work on a project that we can see a difference being made even if it is just a change in doctors attitudes.
Does anyone have any ideas? Anything you have done in your community that has made a difference? Any ideas or resources would be appreciated.

[meganmarie]

Okay this isn't something I've done, but just something that came to mind reading your post.

What about a listening tour? Do a round of interviews, ask some doctors/ nurses/ hospital managers to spend 30 min each with you, and ask them to tell you what THEY think would be valuable?
Some questions might be:
do you believe there is room for improvement in our community's health care system in supporting women to bf? why or why not?
what do you think the biggest obstacles are today? what could help improve local bfing rates, in your opinion?
do you think some health care providers are more supportive of bf than others? how might we work to change that?
is there anything we could do to help you as a health care provider most in helping women succeed at bf'ing?
(If you have specific ideas, you could then ask for their reactions to them)

If you could act on whatever suggestions you get...you can tell the HCPs that the ideas come directly from other dr's/nurses. Hopefully they will feel more ownership, and hopefully the actions will be more on target. They might even help you implement whatever it is.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

[Bookworm?]

That's good. I had considered meeting with some of them individually. Asking them what they think is a very good way to win them over and hopefully make some real change. Thank you.

[mama24-7]

I agree about meeting w/ them to get their ideas. You could also ask them something like "what does it mean to you to be supportive of breastfeeding?" I think many HCPs probably think they're being supportive but really aren't.

GOod luck with this project! I wish I had time/energy for that sort of thing!

Sus