Epidurals and bfing

On Dec 11, 12:23 pm, wrote:
Found this on the BBC world service website this morning.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6161727.stm

(What really struck me was the comment that 93% of the women in the
study started out breastfeeding, and at 6 months over 50% were still
nursing! American women should do so well!)

I was discussing this with a colleague, and I said, "I did just fine
with my natural childbirth - I WISH I had had an epidural for the first
few weeks of breastfeeding!!!" It was way worse, IMHO. Worth it, but
worse.

Amy

PS - If you really loved me you would mail me some of the baklava ice
cream from the Greek place on Kirkwood... Trojan Horse, I think. I am
SO craving it. I got my Harvest Grain & Nut Pancakes from IHOP fix
on Sunday, but the baklava ice cream is elusive.

On 2006-12-12 05:38:13 +0800, "Caledonia" said:


cjra wrote:
Cheryl wrote:

I think you're right. As someone from Sydney who first gave birth two
years later I would have to say that the 93% figure is probably only
correct for those who had a 4-7 day hospital stay and were not from a
non-English speaking background. Most Australian hospitals do not
offer formula to babies and often they ask you to provide your own if
you are choosing to formula feed from birth.

Wow! Interesting concept. Far cry from most states (all but MA I think)
here who allow free samples of formula. I think in principle, that's a
great idea, but how do they deal with those low income folks? Here
that'd be people who rely on WIC for their formula. I know one should
argue BF is free, and therefore even more reason to BF if you're low
income, but there are other issues such as working at a low paid job
with no time for pumping breaks (some moms only take a few weeks
leave). And while I'm all about encouraging BF, that seems to *force*
BF to those who can't afford formula or simply don't plan ahead to
bring it with them. The BF advocate in me says one thing, but that
provide-for-all public health advocate knows the reality is very
different.

I think it would work best if you're in a healthcare system where
you're expected to bring your own diapers, sanitary pads, and general
foodstuffs. If not, it seems somewhat off-kilter from the all-inclusive
(for 24-48 hours) Mom & Baby bill, if that makes sense.
Caledonia

In most (if not all) public hospitals in Australia, consumables are
provoded by the patient. Definitely breast pads, sanitary pads,
formula, bottles, teats, clothes, disposable nappies. Provided is
linen, baby linen (cloth nappies & pins, wraps, blankets, tshirts),
breast pump pieces / pumps... We do have sanitary pads obviously, but
women are given two or three pads if they did not bring their own,
giving them time to organise someone to bring them in.

These women are (usually) not sick, so the onus is really on them to
provide for themselves. We are there to give them a clean bed, food,
and lots of support and care. Women know they are going to bleed
postpartum, so really, it's something they should be providing for
themselves.

They are getting completely free care and medications, so I think they
can bring their own pads. We shouldn't be paying for them to feed
their babies formula if it is just pure choice. We provide
formula/bottles/fingerfeeding tubes etc for medical reasons.

Hope that clears it up a bit for you!

Jo

--
Woman, Wife, Mother, Midwife

Notchalk wrote:
On 2006-12-12 05:38:13 +0800, "Caledonia" said:


cjra wrote:
Cheryl wrote:

I think you're right. As someone from Sydney who first gave birth two
years later I would have to say that the 93% figure is probably only
correct for those who had a 4-7 day hospital stay and were not from a
non-English speaking background. Most Australian hospitals do not
offer formula to babies and often they ask you to provide your own if
you are choosing to formula feed from birth.

Wow! Interesting concept. Far cry from most states (all but MA I think)
here who allow free samples of formula. I think in principle, that's a
great idea, but how do they deal with those low income folks? Here
that'd be people who rely on WIC for their formula. I know one should
argue BF is free, and therefore even more reason to BF if you're low
income, but there are other issues such as working at a low paid job
with no time for pumping breaks (some moms only take a few weeks
leave). And while I'm all about encouraging BF, that seems to *force*
BF to those who can't afford formula or simply don't plan ahead to
bring it with them. The BF advocate in me says one thing, but that
provide-for-all public health advocate knows the reality is very
different.

I think it would work best if you're in a healthcare system where
you're expected to bring your own diapers, sanitary pads, and general
foodstuffs. If not, it seems somewhat off-kilter from the all-inclusive
(for 24-48 hours) Mom & Baby bill, if that makes sense.
Caledonia

In most (if not all) public hospitals in Australia, consumables are
provoded by the patient. Definitely breast pads, sanitary pads,
formula, bottles, teats, clothes, disposable nappies. Provided is
linen, baby linen (cloth nappies & pins, wraps, blankets, tshirts),
breast pump pieces / pumps... We do have sanitary pads obviously, but
women are given two or three pads if they did not bring their own,
giving them time to organise someone to bring them in.

These women are (usually) not sick, so the onus is really on them to
provide for themselves. We are there to give them a clean bed, food,
and lots of support and care. Women know they are going to bleed
postpartum, so really, it's something they should be providing for
themselves.

They are getting completely free care and medications, so I think they
can bring their own pads. We shouldn't be paying for them to feed
their babies formula if it is just pure choice. We provide
formula/bottles/fingerfeeding tubes etc for medical reasons.


Hmm. How free is free? Who pays for it? The state I gather? Which means
each person who pays taxes is paying, so it's not really free. Unless
by 'these women' you're referring only to impoverished ones. I'm all
for a single payer system, but that's because I think health care
should be available to all. However I have a hard time expecting a
patient to come fully prepared with all supplies they may need. What of
the woman who goes into pre-term labor? Of the planned homebirth that
has an emergency transfer? What of the mother who *doesn't* have anyone
to call on to bring that stuff in? I think all that stuff *is* included
in health care (tho I will argue that in most cases a birth need not
occur in a hospital, but also not everyone has home environments
conducive to safe childbirth). Do you have to provide your own food
too? (that was the case in Thailand)

What happens if they don't bring formula, because they intend to BF,
but the baby can't latch or has some other condition incompatible with
nursing? Or she has complications post c-section and isn't available to
nurse? I'll assume you do have all the resources to help a woman nurse,
and I believe most can, but there do exist a few out there who can't
and they don't usually know til they try. I realize that number is
small, and I'm glad your hospitals really encourage BF, but what
happens to those people who don't have the resources? What if the kid
goes to NICU, do they have to provide their own diapers there? Who
keeps track of what each parent brings? Even in daycares in the US,
many just supply all those things (food, diapers, wipes) because it's
much simpler than trying to keep track of who has what.

Notchalk wrote:
On 2006-12-12 10:48:27 +0800, "cjra" said:


Notchalk wrote:

In most (if not all) public hospitals in Australia, consumables are
provoded by the patient. Definitely breast pads, sanitary pads,
formula, bottles, teats, clothes, disposable nappies. Provided is
linen, baby linen (cloth nappies & pins, wraps, blankets, tshirts),
breast pump pieces / pumps... We do have sanitary pads obviously, but
women are given two or three pads if they did not bring their own,
giving them time to organise someone to bring them in.

These women are (usually) not sick, so the onus is really on them to
provide for themselves. We are there to give them a clean bed, food,
and lots of support and care. Women know they are going to bleed
postpartum, so really, it's something they should be providing for
themselves.

They are getting completely free care and medications, so I think they
can bring their own pads. We shouldn't be paying for them to feed
their babies formula if it is just pure choice. We provide
formula/bottles/fingerfeeding tubes etc for medical reasons.


Hmm. How free is free?
No cost. Free.

It's not really free if it's paid by taxes. It's just not
fee-for-service at the time of service. But that's semantics.

I'm all
for a single payer system, but that's because I think health care
should be available to all. However I have a hard time expecting a
patient to come fully prepared with all supplies they may need.

Ah, that's the different - you see them as patients. And you probably
see Midwives as nurses, too?

My only direct experience with midwives were the CPMs whom I saw for
pre natal care and attended my homebirth (and basically attended to me
once I transferred to hospital). They weren't nurses. So no, I don't
see midwives as nurses at all. I work in public health, and work with
medical professionals on a daily basis. I just haven't interacted with
nurse-midwives at all.

Once someone is admitted to hospital, yeah, I see them as a patient. I
will argue that many women don't need to be admitted to hospital to
have a baby, but once there, they are not in the familiar surroundings
of home and don't have everything on hand. It sounds like a woman has
to come with a pretty big suitcase to hospital just to give birth. I
guess it works, but sounds like a major hassle.


(that sounded sarcastic, but it's not
meant to be). We as Midwives are there to care for and support women
antenatally, in labour, and post natally. Unless there is a medical
reason (postnatally) for them to be in hospital, I don't consider them
a patient.

Then why are they in hospital?

What of
the woman who goes into pre-term labor? Of the planned homebirth that
has an emergency transfer?

Those instances are different - they are patients, then. However they
know they are pregnant (usually), so they know basically that they
might need to go to hospital eentually. I'd say they would have
gotten nappies for the baby, clothes, other supplies for the home, so
why not sanitary pads, too?

Sure. I had all that stuff at home. In the 10 mins or so when we
decided to call the ambulance and transport to hospital, we sure as
hell didn't have time to pack that stuff. And in the 36 hrs after DD's
birth, wondering if she was going to survive, the *last* thing DH would
have been able to do was go home and pack it all. Even when DH did get
a chance to go home, honestly he was rather distraught and basically
went to make sure the cat was inside, and fed and get his car. We don't
live near family. While we have friends around, no one had a key to our
house. In any case, what happens in those first hours, even if DH could
go home and pack everything, I bled thru quite a few sanitary pads in
the first 12 hours (beginning at 10pm). Now, I was at least prepared at
home, but I didn't get all my supplies til 36 weeks. What happens to
the woman who goes into labor at 30 weeks?


What of the mother who *doesn't* have anyone
to call on to bring that stuff in?

As I said, we do have pads, etc. We have everything available that a
woman in hospital with a new baby would need ( apart from breastmilk).
However it's not up to the taxpaers to provide sanitary pads to someone
who is able to buy them, and knows she needs them.

Do care providers give a list to pg women during the antenatal visits
then?


I'll assume you do have all the resources to help a woman nurse,
and I believe most can, but there do exist a few out there who can't
and they don't usually know til they try. I realize that number is
small, and I'm glad your hospitals really encourage BF, but what
happens to those people who don't have the resources?

Do you mean what if they can't afford formula and can't breastfeed?
There are programs, social workers, etc who can organise something for
them. While in hospital they can use the hospital's resources until
something else is organised for when they go home.

Well yes, that's what I mean. So there *are* hospital resources
available? That's where I'm concerned. I work with a low income
population (and in fact, tho a private hospital, the hospital where DD
was ultimately delivered serves a large indigent population, esp for
L&D and NICU).


What if the kid
goes to NICU, do they have to provide their own diapers there?

Then the child becomes a patient - NICU has their own funding for
everything a baby might need.


Who
keeps track of what each parent brings?

I am assuming you are refering to the NICU babies here? Each baby has
their own section in the nursery, and each parent might bring in
clothes, etc for the baby to wear. Each parent takes them home to wash
themselves. Nappies and formula if necessary is provided by the
nursery.

Interesting. The hospital where DD was would never have allowed that.
They wash everything once there. They are too accustomed to dealing
with an indigent population - people who don't have ready access to
laundry facilities, for example - that they don't really 'trust' what
parents bring into NICU. Maybe OTT, but I can fully see the need for
it.

And frankly, with my kid in NICU, the last thing I wanted to do - or
had time for - was laundry, and I *do* have a machine in my house. The
most time I spent at home was to sleep about 5 hrs or pump. If I had to
go to the laundromat, no way could I have done that!

I guess it works for you, but it does seem like it could be a hardship
for the sorts of people I'm used to dealing with.

Even in daycares in the US,
many just supply all those things (food, diapers, wipes) because it's
much simpler than trying to keep track of who has what.

That's weird! The twice I put Will into a creche at the gym,
everything he brought had his name on it - even HE had a nametag on his
back! No, I don't think daycares should provide those useable
things for the children in their care.

I take all my own supplies, but my babysitter would supply food, not
diapers. I don't know how common this is across the states, but the
diapers and food supply is the norm in my town. I can see why - much
more convenient for the daycare to not have to keep track of
everything. But you also pay for it in the cost of childcare. The
centers in my area work on a sliding scale. So while subsidized
somewhat, tax payer contribution is minimal. Honestly, one of the
things I liked about those centers was knowing that as a higher than
the local avg income earner, I'd be helping out my poorer neighbors
indirectly (by paying more and thus subsidizing their costs). In the
end we went with a private in home provider that doesn't do sliding
scale, but for other reasons.

On 2006-12-12 10:48:27 +0800, "cjra" said:


Notchalk wrote:

In most (if not all) public hospitals in Australia, consumables are
provoded by the patient. Definitely breast pads, sanitary pads,
formula, bottles, teats, clothes, disposable nappies. Provided is
linen, baby linen (cloth nappies & pins, wraps, blankets, tshirts),
breast pump pieces / pumps... We do have sanitary pads obviously, but
women are given two or three pads if they did not bring their own,
giving them time to organise someone to bring them in.

These women are (usually) not sick, so the onus is really on them to
provide for themselves. We are there to give them a clean bed, food,
and lots of support and care. Women know they are going to bleed
postpartum, so really, it's something they should be providing for
themselves.

They are getting completely free care and medications, so I think they
can bring their own pads. We shouldn't be paying for them to feed
their babies formula if it is just pure choice. We provide
formula/bottles/fingerfeeding tubes etc for medical reasons.


Hmm. How free is free?
No cost. Free. They pay for their petrol to get to the hospital, if
they need extras like breast pump hire it's $10 per week, plus $45 for
the pump pieces. If they need a nipple shield, it's $5. If they need
more pads, there is a pharmacy down stairs.

Who pays for it? The state I gather?

Everyone who earns enough money to pay taxes pays for Medicare.
Medicare is a federal thing.

Which means
each person who pays taxes is paying, so it's not really free.

Each person who pays taxes pays a different level of Medicare levy.
Lower income earners pay far less than those in the upper income
bracket.

Unless
by 'these women' you're referring only to impoverished ones.

The "these women" I was refering to are women who come in to hospital
to have their babies, not just the impoverished ones
..
I'm all
for a single payer system, but that's because I think health care
should be available to all. However I have a hard time expecting a
patient to come fully prepared with all supplies they may need.

Ah, that's the different - you see them as patients. And you probably
see Midwives as nurses, too? (that sounded sarcastic, but it's not
meant to be). We as Midwives are there to care for and support women
antenatally, in labour, and post natally. Unless there is a medical
reason (postnatally) for them to be in hospital, I don't consider them
a patient.

What of
the woman who goes into pre-term labor? Of the planned homebirth that
has an emergency transfer?

Those instances are different - they are patients, then. However they
know they are pregnant (usually), so they know basically that they
might need to go to hospital eventually. I'd say they would have
gotten nappies for the baby, clothes, other supplies for the home, so
why not sanitary pads, too?

What of the mother who *doesn't* have anyone
to call on to bring that stuff in?

As I said, we do have pads, etc. We have everything available that a
woman in hospital with a new baby would need ( apart from breastmilk).
However it's not up to the taxpaers to provide sanitary pads to someone
who is able to buy them, and knows she needs them.

I think all that stuff *is* included
in health care (tho I will argue that in most cases a birth need not
occur in a hospital, but also not everyone has home environments
conducive to safe childbirth). Do you have to provide your own food
too? (that was the case in Thailand)

Nope, food was in the 'things the hospital supplies' category.


What happens if they don't bring formula, because they intend to BF,
but the baby can't latch or has some other condition incompatible with
nursing?

That comes under the medical necessity for formula use. If it becomes
apparent that breastfeeding isn't going to happen, they are told that
they need to bring their own feeding supplies in from then on. If it's
just 'getting you through' stage, then they just use the hosptial's
formula.


Or she has complications post c-section and isn't available to
nurse?

Same as above - medical necessity.

I'll assume you do have all the resources to help a woman nurse,
and I believe most can, but there do exist a few out there who can't
and they don't usually know til they try. I realize that number is
small, and I'm glad your hospitals really encourage BF, but what
happens to those people who don't have the resources?

Do you mean what if they can't afford formula and can't breastfeed?
There are programs, social workers, etc who can organise something for
them. While in hospital they can use the hospital's resources until
something else is organised for when they go home.

What if the kid
goes to NICU, do they have to provide their own diapers there?

Then the child becomes a patient - NICU has their own funding for
everything a baby might need.


Who
keeps track of what each parent brings?

I am assuming you are refering to the NICU babies here? Each baby has
their own section in the nursery, and each parent might bring in
clothes, etc for the baby to wear. Each parent takes them home to wash
themselves. Nappies and formula if necessary is provided by the
nursery.

Even in daycares in the US,
many just supply all those things (food, diapers, wipes) because it's
much simpler than trying to keep track of who has what.

That's weird! The twice I put Will into a creche at the gym,
everything he brought had his name on it - even HE had a nametag on his
back! No, I don't think daycares should provide those useable
things for the children in their care.

Jo


--
Woman, Wife, Mother, Midwife

In article om,
"cjra" wrote:

Most Australian hospitals do not
offer formula to babies and often they ask you to provide your own if
you are choosing to formula feed from birth.

Wow! Interesting concept. Far cry from most states (all but MA I think)
here who allow free samples of formula. I think in principle, that's a
great idea, but how do they deal with those low income folks? Here
that'd be people who rely on WIC for their formula.

Er, we don't *have* WIC. Parents on benefits would pay for their own formula
out of that, just as they would after discharge.

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"Parenthood is like the modern stone washing process for denim jeans. You may
start out crisp, neat and tough, but you end up pale, limp and wrinkled."
Kerry Cue

(that sounded sarcastic, but it's not
meant to be). We as Midwives are there to care for and support women
antenatally, in labour, and post natally. Unless there is a medical
reason (postnatally) for them to be in hospital, I don't consider them
a patient.

Then why are they in hospital?

I sure felt like a patient for the vast majority of the 48hrs I spent in
hospital after DS was born and that was a straight forward vaginal delivery,
I had a bad reaction to syntometrine and I really felt like sh*t. I think
postnatal wards in the UK have a similar mantra to the one Jo is describing,
which meant as I was technically well, I had to get my own food from where
is was served, which meant I didn't eat. I'm very much not convinced of
treating this group of women as well women, with shorter and shorter
discharges, the well ones have mostly got up and walked out.

Sure. I had all that stuff at home. In the 10 mins or so when we
decided to call the ambulance and transport to hospital, we sure as
hell didn't have time to pack that stuff. And in the 36 hrs after DD's
birth, wondering if she was going to survive, the *last* thing DH would
have been able to do was go home and pack it all. Even when DH did get
a chance to go home, honestly he was rather distraught and basically
went to make sure the cat was inside, and fed and get his car. We don't
live near family. While we have friends around, no one had a key to our
house. In any case, what happens in those first hours, even if DH could
go home and pack everything, I bled thru quite a few sanitary pads in
the first 12 hours (beginning at 10pm). Now, I was at least prepared at
home, but I didn't get all my supplies til 36 weeks. What happens to
the woman who goes into labor at 30 weeks?

I also only bought supplies around 36 weeks, nappies and pads in the same
shopping trip. There was a trolley that came round the ward and you'd be
able to buy more, but you could easily miss it. When it comes to the crunch
though, everything is there, you just have to ask for it, I've done the
emergency admission to hospital thing without a single item on me and
nighty, dressing gown, towels, basic toiletries were swiftly found. That's a
difference between the UK and US too, you wear your own clothes all the
time, except when getting gowned for theatre.


As I said, we do have pads, etc. We have everything available that a
woman in hospital with a new baby would need ( apart from breastmilk).
However it's not up to the taxpaers to provide sanitary pads to someone
who is able to buy them, and knows she needs them.

I'm not sure where you draw the line, I mean the women knows she's going to
give birth, should the tax payer have to pay for that? why is the line at
the point of providing sanitary towels? I'm not saying women shouldn't, it
just seems quite arbitrary and I'd certainly rather get my own personally
chosen sanitary towel out of a bag, than have them on hand and getting germy
in the bathroom.

Interesting. The hospital where DD was would never have allowed that.
They wash everything once there. They are too accustomed to dealing
with an indigent population - people who don't have ready access to
laundry facilities, for example - that they don't really 'trust' what
parents bring into NICU. Maybe OTT, but I can fully see the need for
it.

I can't with any certainty say what would be done in the UK, I get the
impression that you'd be discouraged from bringing in your own clothes for
the baby as they would risk getting mixed up with other babies clothes, but
that may be a false impression.

Even in daycares in the US,
many just supply all those things (food, diapers, wipes) because it's
much simpler than trying to keep track of who has what.

That's weird! The twice I put Will into a creche at the gym,
everything he brought had his name on it - even HE had a nametag on his
back! No, I don't think daycares should provide those useable
things for the children in their care.

I rather suspect this is something that varies wildly the world over, some
places I've had to provide every single item clearly labelled, both UK and
here, what suits me better is if routine food is provided, having to pack a
lunch or a snack every day would be a big drag (but I can see if you had a
kid with allergies or whatever, it would be more reassuring) and that was
what our childminder back in the UK did, but I know others who didn't. Now,
in the US, for the gym we take everything, but that's irregular childcare
and that's find, but Ada is in daycare 2 days a week and they provide
everything, they use reusable nappies, so if you want your kid in
disposables you provide them. I assume we pay more to have it this way, but
the prices are comparable with other local daycares, which I don't know
exactly what they provide.

Cheers

Anne

In article . com,
"cjra" wrote:

Hmm. How free is free?
No cost. Free.

It's not really free if it's paid by taxes. It's just not
fee-for-service at the time of service. But that's semantics.

Yes it is. Please tell us to whom you are explaining the bleeding obvious.

(that sounded sarcastic, but it's not
meant to be). We as Midwives are there to care for and support women
antenatally, in labour, and post natally. Unless there is a medical
reason (postnatally) for them to be in hospital, I don't consider them
a patient.

Then why are they in hospital?

Just In Case. The reasonthat most people don't have home births is "in case
something goes wrong". While the mother and baby are in hospital, a lot of
preventative health stuff goes on: Guthrie tests, immunisations, newborn
hearing, a general paediatric checkup, and we have social workers, midwives,
LCs and physiotherapists to provide advice to the mother.

As I said, we do have pads, etc. We have everything available that a
woman in hospital with a new baby would need ( apart from breastmilk).
However it's not up to the taxpaers to provide sanitary pads to someone
who is able to buy them, and knows she needs them.

Do care providers give a list to pg women during the antenatal visits
then?

Yes. And each hospital has a slightly different policy on consumables, too.
Both hospitals I went to provided nappies and sanitary pads, and cute
teeny-weeny flannelette hospital gowns for the babies. The pads provided were
enormous, and probably a healthy woman would start using her preferred
supplies a.s.a.p.

I guess it works for you, but it does seem like it could be a hardship
for the sorts of people I'm used to dealing with.

Every system has its weak and strong points. Our poor people have different
problems in our system. Certain aspects of medical care are much easier to
access, and others more difficult. Public dental surgery in NSW has enormous
queues, for example.

I take all my own supplies, but my babysitter would supply food, not
diapers. I don't know how common this is across the states, but the
diapers and food supply is the norm in my town. I can see why - much
more convenient for the daycare to not have to keep track of
everything. But you also pay for it in the cost of childcare.

And also in that it requires more of the carers in terms of vigilance for
allergens and taboo foods. If parents bring in food, you can have less
extensive kitchen facilities. I've used day cares where food is provided and
where we were only asked to bring in fruit. Both are fine, just different. I
am not sure about nappies. They were provided at the first centre I used
(food was not) but I don't know about the others. Our last day care centre
had a halal kitchen and provided all but fresh fruit. We brought in the fruit
and it was presented nicely to the kids on platters, so they could choose what
they ate.

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"Parenthood is like the modern stone washing process for denim jeans. You may
start out crisp, neat and tough, but you end up pale, limp and wrinkled."
Kerry Cue

In article ,
"Anne Rogers" wrote:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6161727.stm

(What really struck me was the comment that 93% of the women in the
study started out breastfeeding, and at 6 months over 50% were still
nursing! American women should do so well!)

I also saw this, it raised an eyebrow as the figures seemed "wrong", it
appears the actual study was in Austrailia, so off I went to find the
figures, for 2003 (the study appears to be based on mums who gave birth in
1997), initiation was 87% and at 4-5mths 48%, both several points lower than
in the study, so you have to wonder how representative the study is.

Going from memory, and remembering that unfortunately the Australian stats in
this area are incomplete, it seems that BFing initiation rates in NSW are
above 90% but fall to about 40% within six months. However, this isn't just
people switching to or comping with artificial breast milk. It is also due to
early introduction of solids, which is widespread and -- surprisingly --
unrelated to the SES/educational level/ethnic background of the mother.

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"Parenthood is like the modern stone washing process for denim jeans. You may
start out crisp, neat and tough, but you end up pale, limp and wrinkled."
Kerry Cue

In article .com,
"Cheryl" wrote:

I think you're right. As someone from Sydney who first gave birth two
years later I would have to say that the 93% figure is probably only
correct for those who had a 4-7 day hospital stay and were not from a
non-English speaking background.

Ethnic background doesn't seem to make much difference. The last set of stats
I saw (a few years back) indicated that OS-born women had slightly higher
BFing rates than Australian-born, but I am not sure the difference was
statistically significant.

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"Parenthood is like the modern stone washing process for denim jeans. You may
start out crisp, neat and tough, but you end up pale, limp and wrinkled."
Kerry Cue