ProMoM Inc. - Promoting the awareness and acceptance of breastfeeding.

The 3 Minute Activist
Bringing Home Baby (November 18, 2005).

Encourage the Discovery Network, on its show "Bringing Home Baby", to offer expert advice regarding breastfeeding (and other babycare issues) and present breastfeeding in a realistic and positive light.

Participating is easy, just fill in your name and email address and add anything to the letter that you'd like, and press the submit button at the bottom.

Name:
Email:
Subject:

Discovery Networks, I find the content of many of your Discovery Network television shows very informative and generally entertaining. From medical documentaries to the reality type shows, there is truly something for everyone. But, I am concerned by the way breastfeeding is portrayed in most of the episodes of Bringing Home Baby. It seems that a majority of the families who intend to breastfeed are turning to bottles in the first few hours home due to the misleading guidance of doctors and nurses who seem to lack education in the area of breastfeeding. For example, recent episodes showed a mother having trouble breastfeeding being immediately told to formula feed, and another mother being told that her colostrum is not adequate nutrition for her newborn baby. Though both situations are not unheard of, they are very rare, and yet nothing was said to note that, generally, breastfeeding problems can be solved without formula, and that colostrum is entirely adequate for most newborns. (See, e.g. http://www.parentingweb.com/lounge/newman/nm_myths3.htm, http://my.webmd.com/content/article/87/99608.htm and http://www.lalecheleague.org/FAQ/enough.html) My plea to Discovery Networks is to provide top notch experts to parents that are being featured on your television shows. Let them get help from the best so that they will have success in providing the very best start to their new baby's life. At the same time you will be educating millions of expectant and new parents throughout your viewing audience. The expert help doesn't have to be limited to breastfeeding. It can include car seat technicians and other baby care specialists. When parents are fumbling with knowing how to secure their baby in the car safety seat, someone can demonstrate proper technique so that everyone can benefit from seeing that you do need to tightly secure the harness and properly adjust the chest plate. (http://www.aap.org/family/carseatguide.htm) I know that Discovery Networks is intending to educate its audiences in an entertaining way. I hope you see this as an opportunity to do just that. Thank You
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The 3 Minute Activist Bringing Home Baby (November 18, 2005).

The 3 Minute Activist
Bringing Home Baby (November 18, 2005).