Mother’s Own Milk, a breastfeeding advocacy group in Nelson, BC, is eagerly working on a campaign to make doctors’ offices breastfeeding-friendly. Group members, in conjunction with INFACT Canada, have developed criteria for the recognition of Breastfeeding Friendly Health Facilities which include:

>A welcoming atmosphere for breastfeeding women

>Accurate information about the benefits of

breastfeeding and the risks of formula

>Referrals to breastfeeding experts

>No samples or advertisements of formula or baby foods

 Physicians who agree to these criteria will have their offices inspected by local group members and then will be awarded a certificate of recognition by Mother’s Own Milk and INFACT.

Several doctors in Nelson have already expressed interest in the program. The first stumbling block experienced by the group was a doctor who distributes free copies of the Canadian parenting magazine Today’s Parent in her office. Today’s Parent is notorious for being full of formula advertising including coupon inserts for free formula samples. However, this physician felt that the other information included in the magazine was of benefit to her patients and while she is a strong breastfeeding advocate she did not want to discontinue distribution of the magazine. Mother’s Own Milk came up with the solution of pasting a warning sticker on the cover of each magazine.

And that’s not all. Mother’s Own Milk, which is an active Nestle boycott group, informs women about giving to and receiving from the breastmilk bank in Vancouver, advocates for individual women’s rights to breastfeed in public and at work, and much more.

For more information on breastfeeding friendly physicians, check out the group’s website at ca.geocities.com/mothersownmilk.  

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