[cjr]

I am really proud of my best friend. She's a doc in a Montana hospital. She is very proud of me and what I'm doing for Carter. She was telling me that her hospital is the only hospital in Montana that is "baby friendly", and one of the only 32 in all of the US. This means that they do not support formula companies or encourage formula feeding. They do not hand out samples and if a woman chooses to ff then she must bring it herself. They advocate bf'ing with a bag full of bf'ing items. They also hand out this wonderful pamphlet (well, more like a mini book) which has great infor and tips. It answers every question imaginable. They are having a ceremony and recieving an award next month. The amazing thing is, it's just a small hospital in a small town.

I just thought I would share.

 

[Rainbow]

neither of my hospital births- different states- had formula in the bag. One in a mroe progressive area, one in a not so preogressive area.
I got 2 cans in teh mail with each child though

 

[Geofizz]

My SIL is a maternity nurse. She explained to me that a lot of this is financial. It's costly to a hospital to have the "baby friendly" certification. First they have to give up the $$ they get for handing out the formula, and then they actually have to pay to have the baby friendly certification.

I'm not excusing it at all, but it's hard for a hospital to not hand out the formula.

My hospital was also very progressive, giving me great help with initiating breastfeeding. A nurse gave me the "breastfeeding success bag" while stating very clearly why the formula companies give them out. She said that if I wanted to succeed (and we were having problems at that point...) we should ditch the formula asap.

 

[jasperab]

With my first I was in two different hosptials and now with my second in another one and none of them ever pushed, mentioned or handed out formula. In all of them it was assumed that I would breastfeed and got all the help and support that went along with that. Both my doctors, old one and new one both also never mentioned formula and were/are very breastfeeding supportive, infact the attitude I have encountered has been that breastfeeding is the norm.Now all these hospitals were in small towns so I am not sure if that makes a difference.

 

[Bethkm]

The hospital that I worked at up till DS was born went "Baby Friendly" soon after I left. No more free formula, families must pay for the formula they use while there. It does cost the hospital money and piss off the formula companies but it translates into great PR for the hospital!

 

[be11ydancer]

My hospital claims to be very supportive of breastfeeding too. But of course you get the formula in the Enfamil brand diaper bag. Then, there's never an LC around when you really need one. And finally, you have to work very hard to keep baby in your room with you. If you let them take baby to the nursery, they will inevitably give baby a bottle. I didn't know this with my first daughter. With my second though, I had to put a sign on her bassinet that said "NO PACIFIERS, NO BOTTLES". I also kept her in my room most of the time. Oh well. Hopefully, no hospital at all next time.

 

[Rainbow]

both hospitals I was at gave us teh formula bags with assorted stuff- but the samples of formula had been taken out. Maybe my midwife just KNEW me?

 

[mamaofthree]

The hospital I use to work at had a formula bag and a breast feeding bag. BUT in both bags was formula. So if the mom was bfing I took the formula out of the bag and put in more nursing pads and Lancino (sp...). It would drive me up a wall. This is suppose to be the BFing bag!!!!

:

H

 

[P-chan]

I had a similar experience! At my prenatal checkups my doctor talked to me about breastfeeding. In the hospital, I did not receive any formula and I did receive a lot of support to make BFing work, along with phone numbers for support after I got home.

We just went to Little P's 12-month check-up and the little informational booklet they gave us on 1-year-olds reinforced that nursing beyond a year is beneficial for both mama and baby.

 

[rupiezum]

http://www.babyfriendlyusa.org/

(Just in case anyone wanted to see the site for themselves)

I also just want to point out that Boston Medical Center is Baby Friendly. They primarily serve a poorer clientele (can't lay my hands on the figures right now, but it's a very high percentage who are receiving public assistance). If *they* can manage to become baby friendly and ditch the free formula, well then, what's the excuse for other hospitals in the Boston area who are in much less precarious positions financially? Food for thought!

 

[Geofizz]

THERE ARE ONLY 42 ?!?!?

Out of all the hospitals and birth centers in this country, there are only 42 that have the baby friendly certification. To me, the fact that so few hospitals and birth centers have done this certification is indicative of the fact that it's nearly impossible to get out from under the formula racket. The fact that 1 private hospital (very highly rated nationally, with over $57 million in grants each year, and makes a profit) that serves a poorer clientele manages to attain this doesn't really convince me.

I'm not saying that hospitals shouldn't go baby friendly, but I think there are so few that it's pretty telling about the state of things. A lot more hospitals have a the staff that is knowledgable about the issues of giving out formula to breastfeeding moms and do their best to work behind the scenes.

(Reading the FAQ page, I wonder if it may be also an issue of the fact that it requires the training of staff that aren't employees of the hospital, i.e. the doctors. This could just be that it's a logistical nightmare.)

 

[P-chan]

The hospital I used is not on the baby-friendly list, but other nearby hospitals in the same medical group are.

One of my family friends is a VP in this medical group, and she has told me that they see breastfeeding as an important preventative measure. Because bf'ing infants have fewer medical problems throughout their childhoods/lives, it becomes a system-wide cost-saving measure to promote nursing.

 

[pumpkinhead]

They're not allowed to give out formula samples in Canadian hospitals (in compliance with WHO code) unless you request it. Some still do this, I'm sure, but it's supposedly illegal.

 

[nikirj]

My mom is a lactation consultant at one of the baby-friendly hospitals. I delivered there and never heard a word about formula - never even mentioned. The dr. didn't think twice about handing me the baby straight out of me, no toweling or checking or anything, and letting me breastfeed before they weighed or did full checks or anything. I don't know exactly what the criteria are (my mom does - she is responsible for coordinating the programs etc. and making sure the hospital keeps its status) but she did say that people complained all the time about not getting those 'cute bags' that everyone else gets - the formula companies wouldn't let them take out the formula samples, so they just stopped accepting the 'gifts' entirely. BTW - this is a Kaiser hospital, strange, no?

I did get one of those "breastfeeding bags" after my first was born. I was apalled how much stuff I had to throw away - formula coupons, formula samples, WHO ARE THEY KIDDING!!! It was ridiculous!!

What I don't understand is how it could possibly raise the cost of operating the hospital. I'm thinking, in the long run, it probably lowers the cost, right?

Sad, sad, sad - the criteria aren't all that difficult to meet, really. So few places bother, though.

 

[abranger]

I had my DD at Boston Medical Center BECAUSE it is a baby freindly hospital and you are so right....If a public hospital can do it why can't luxury baby factories like B&W and BI

Amy