h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi!

For some obscure reason I can't post on your personal space - so I hope this gets through.

If you are still doing your breastfeeding Entry - I can contribute a couple of things.

Firstly - the cardinal rule: NEVER ASK PERMISSION! If you don't, there's no chance of a refusal. (although this woukld be illegal in Scotland anyway)

Secondly - my wife had an absolutely horrendous experience battling against a the hospital to feed our premature twins. Hell, the place had one decent electric pump and one steriliser for the whole of Special Care, ICBU! And only one V-shaped pillow in the entire hospital! They just didn't understand that it is possible to breast feed premature babies. Although some of the staff were decent, we were regarded as an oddity and stereotyped as trendy middle-class trouble makers. Eventually my wife was more-or-less bullied out of it by the consultant Paediatrician (who, incidentally, is something of a TV star).

Anyway - if you're still working on it, I can tell you more.

This was a Glasgow hospital, btw - the place with the lowest breastfeeding rates in Britain (Europe? I think possibly Dublin beats us). They were having a pro-breastfeeding campaign at the time (!!!) which seemed to my eyes aimed at embarassing rather than supporting mothers.

Yes, still working on this . I was just getting ready to write up some more stuff when I saw this. Anything you'd like to add is welcome!