We are down to the wire on a vital bill that would support new mothers and improve the health of the next generation of Californians. Senate Bill 402, which would require all perinatal hospitals in California to implement the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, needs your support to make it through the Senate Appropriations Committee and get to the Senate floor.
Contact the bill’s sponsor, Senator Kevin de León, and Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg to tell them today that this bill is a high priority for you and your community. This might be your last chance – if SB 402 does not pass out of the Senate Appropriations Committee this Thursday, May 23, the bill will be done for this legislative session.
All California mothers and babies deserve equal opportunities to breastfeed. SB 402 would ensure that every perinatal hospital in California provides mothers and babies with a baseline level of support for breastfeeding that meets the standard of care recommended by virtually all governmental, academic, and health organizations.
In our latest blog post, William L. Haar explores the impact of hospital policies on maternal and child health and equity. He writes:
What a difference a hospital can make.
Four years ago, my wife gave birth to our first child. She went to the hospital planning to breastfeed, but found that she had to fight against the tide to achieve her goals. Our nurses were mostly kind, but lacked any training to support her as she struggled with soreness and a difficult latch. Hospital administrators congratulated her with “gifts” of formula samples, which sat on the table discouraging her as she struggled on her own to feed our baby “the au naturel way,” as one nurse described it with an eye roll. Even rooming in was a challenge, as the hospital had policies against the mother sleeping with the baby.
Read the rest at our California Blog.