In the News - Hospitals do poorly on breast-feeding support

I saw the article, Hospitals do poorly on breast-feeding support, and it reminded me of when Willow was born and how the hospital gave us supplements for her, just in case. And, in my case, we needed it.

In this day and age, when breastfeeding is at a high point in recent history according to this report, "Most U.S. hospitals don't do very well when it comes to promoting breast-feeding, according to the first national report to look at the issue. The average hospital scored 63 out of 100, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.

"States in New England and on the West Coast scored highest, and the South did the worst. Vermont and New Hampshire topped the list, tied with a score of 81. Arkansas had the poorest score, 48.

"But practices unfriendly to breast-feeding were common throughout the country, the survey found.

"About a quarter of hospitals reported giving formula or some other supplement to more than half of their healthy, full-term newborns. The practice was common even when mothers were able and willing to breast-feed, Deborah Dee, a CDC epidemiologist said.

"Of hospitals who gave supplements, 30 percent gave sugar water and 15 percent gave water."

Let me just but in here and say that I am so very grateful that the hospital I gave birth in gave us a free sample of formula. I fully intended to breastfeed and did not buy formula as a back up. My milk didn't come in until day 5 after Willow was born and she was hysterically hungry when we got home from the hospital. While the CDC may not think that giving away these samples is a good thing, I have to respectfully disagree. I DO agree that sugar water and water are HUGE no-no's for newborn babies and I would be angry if my baby was given those but as far as I know she was not since she was in the room with me the whole time.

Back to the article...

"Breast-feeding is considered beneficial to both mothers and their babies. Breast milk contains antibodies that can protect newborns from infections, and studies have found breast-fed babies are less likely to become overweight that those fed with formula.

"But breast-feeding can be frustrating for new mothers because of nipple pain or the misperception that they're not producing enough milk. It's crucial that moms get proper breast-feeding advice and encouragement those first few days after birth, said Dr. Sheela Geraghty, a lactation expert at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

"It's wonderful that hospitals and birth centers are being examined because if moms aren't helped right there, where are they going to be helped?" Geraghty said.

"The research was based on questionnaires filled out last year by about 2,700 U.S. maternity hospitals and birth centers. Hospitals were scored on supportive efforts, like offering breast-feeding tips and keeping the mother and the infant together. They also were evaluated on practices detrimental to breast-feeding, including supplemental feedings or including infant formula samples in gift packs for mothers."

I should also state that I was given every opportunity to get help with breastfeeding from my hospital. And if we refused the "gift bags" they didn't say a word. And, like I said, in my case it was a God Sent because we needed it. And I still gave my daughter breast milk for the first 6 months of her life.