The discussion on diet is close to my heart at present since I have been
put on a strict no wheat, sugar, dairy products or yeast diet to try to
shake years of CFS. It is certainly helping. How can we develop a campaign
around healthy food for mothers? My chiro said she was so disgusted with
what her friend was served she took meals into the private hospital to her!
Any suggestions on building awareness of nutrition as major factor not only
in b'feeding but mothers' health?
I used to sit on the Maternity Services Liaison Committee for Oxford in the UK, and just before I left we had started looking at the inadequacy of the food provided for women in the Women's Centre of the John Radcliffe Hospital (ironically the place where Chloe Fisher has her very well respected breastfeeding clinic).
Unfortunately, hospitals usually cater for sick people, and meals are planned accordingly. Unfortunately, pregnant women and nursing mums are not sick (usually), and so the diets from hospitals does not cater for their needs. Remembering that this is a public (NHS) hospital, we were told, when we initiated our research into the issue that the budget for food was 60 pence ($1.80) per person per day !!!! It was advised by the executive that Mums who wanted more food, get people to bring it in for them.
We were beginning to get together a proposal for a better diet by looking for the research to support our arguments for a better diet - including the fact that a poor diet might lead to further health problems, thereby increasing the cost to the NHS. Unfortunately, I left before the matter was resolved, so I don't know how far it got. However, as with all matters involving the public purse, I suspect that the ultimate decider would have been money - and the cost for providing better/ more suitable food would have been too expensive.
Debbie Slater
Perth, WA
