Lactation consultants quit over formula flap

by Roger Sinasohn (Subscribe to Roger Sinasohn's posts) Jun 27th 2008 5:02PM

Categories: Newborns, Babies, Eating & Nutrition, Mealtime

Breastfeeding ain't easy. While it's clearly the best choice, in general, for a baby's nutritional needs, it can be difficult. That's why it's so important for doctors and hospitals to encourage and support new mothers in breastfeeding and why access to an experienced lactation consultant is critical in those first hours and days after giving birth.

Unfortunately, a lot of women in Canada don't breastfeed their babies and now there will be two less lactation consultants for the women giving birth at Burnaby hospital outside Vancouver, British Columbia. Consultants Renee Hefti-Graham and Linda Good resigned after the Nestle Corporation organized a presentation -- featuring cocktails and dinner -- at the local Hilton hotel. The presentation was to be about baby nutrition and formula which violates the World Health Organization's 981 International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes.

The two consultants quit after their manager said the guidelines from the WHO on the promotion of breastfeeding by hospitals were just "propaganda" and would not denounce the presentation. "We just didn't feel supported," said Hefti-Graham. All moms should be given as much support, training, and encouragement as they need to help them breastfeed if they can. That a hospital would participate in an event like the Nestle presentation that clearly violates the WHO marketing code is a very sad state of affairs. Hopefully, they can changes to be more in line with the WHO and the needs of the babies they deliver.

Source

Comments (8)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Wendy Mac 6-27-2008 @ 10:48PM

A lactation consultant should be available at every birthing center and hospital to every mother who requests one.

I just found out that while I can request one at my upcoming delivery, I have no guarantees that one will be available.

Kudos to these consultants for caring so much about making breastfeeding available to those who wish to be supported!

The Mommy Blawger 6-28-2008 @ 3:18AM

Has Canada "signed-on" to the WHO code?

terese 7-02-2008 @ 9:52PM

Canada has signed on to the WHO code and actually has higher breastfeeding rates than the US.

Jennypen 6-28-2008 @ 5:01AM

They shouldn't have to "sign on" to it. It's a recommended guideline, not the law. It's something you should feel bad about.

I admire their tenacity in walking out, but this just makes things worse for mothers at the hospital, not better! Now they will have less support, and have left the department in charge of someone who thinks that breastfeeding promotion was "propaganda". This is a sad day for that hospital. Potential mums, go to a different one! Or better yet, find those two consultants, get them to start up a Baby Cafe, et voila! ^_^

Carrie 6-28-2008 @ 7:55AM

Kudos to these two for standing up for what's right!

The words "breastfeeding ain't easy"... I would have chosen to say "breastfeeding isn't always easy". Because for some moms, it IS easy.

As a woman who has nursed 4 babies and has been breastfeeding for 11 years (straight! gulp!), some of my babies were totally effortless. Only one was a challenge - my first. That experience is not unique. I've worked with hundreds of moms as a breastfeeding counselor and find that for every mom who finds breastfeeding "hard", there are two who found it no harder than anything else, and some found it downright easy.

The cultural obsession we seem to have with the difficulty of a normal biological function seems to create a self fulfilling prophecy. Moms think it's "hard" so they get in their own way and cause problems for themselves.

Women in some countries (who don't have news, blogs, and the internet to mess with their heads) laugh at our breastfeeding "difficulties"!

http://www.SexyNursingBra.com

Kellie 6-28-2008 @ 10:20AM

I agree about the "breastfeeding isn't easy" comment. It was hard with my first and I've been nursing my second and it's a piece of cake.

I support these women in wanting to stand up for what is right. My concern in them quiting is that there will be more woman not getting the help they need and in turn, babies not being nursed. If the women want to nurse and don't have help, well, then, that sucks.

Jenni 6-28-2008 @ 11:02AM

And what exactly was accomplished by them quiting? Probably the exact opposite of what they stand for

Less breatfeeding help doesn't equal more breastfed babies...it equals more frustrated mom's and then more formula fed babies.

Stand up for your beliefs, yes. But this accomplished nothing and maybe even made it worse.

Linda Good 6-28-2008 @ 10:00PM

I am one of the lactation consultants who resigned from Burnaby Hospital. In response to the concern that quitting did not help any mothers and babies I would like to comment that it was indeed a difficult decision precisely because of our concern for those moms and babes. We are still continuing our work though at the Royal Columbian Hospital and in private practice. There are unfortunately not enough LCs and many misinformed health professionals and most hospitals do not take this problem seriously. We hoped to make this issue public to empower women to demand better breastfeeding support. A senior administrator in the Fraser Health Authority sent Renee and myself a note saying that we had accomplished more in the past few days than what she had been trying to accomplish in the past 20 years. We feel badly for the Burnaby mom's but hope that all moms will end up getting the kind of support that they need.

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