![](media/image1.pct){width="2.3743055555555554in"
height="0.6597222222222222in"}

# 

# 

# HANDOUT #6A -- Don't Tell Me Breastfeeding is Natural

This skit can be presented with two trainers, WIC staff members, or
experienced peer counselors who have prepared it in advance. In
providing the skit, ask peer counselors to observe and to take notes of
the places where a peer counselor could have intervened to help this
mother before she weaned her baby early.

**Characters**

Ashley Ashley is a WIC peer counselor who contacts WIC clients by
telephone to offer support. She did not, unfortunately, get the name of
the WIC mother in this skit until after the mother had phoned the WIC
clinic for formula. The clerk passed on the mother's name to Ashley for
follow-up.

Jackie A WIC first-time mother who weaned her baby boy, Will,\
after just a couple of weeks of breastfeeding.

Props A baby doll wrapped in a blanket

Two cell phones or play telephones

**SKIT**

Ashley \[On the phone\] Hello, Jackie. My name is Ashley, your WIC
breastfeeding peer counselor. The clerk at the WIC clinic gave\
me your name and said you were breastfeeding.

Jackie \[On the phone\] Breastfeeding? Well, that's the understatement\
of the year. I've had enough of it. Breastfeeding just didn't work for
me.

Ashley Well Jackie, you're obviously a wonderful mother to want to\
give your baby such a good start in life. Can you tell me what\
is going on?

Jackie You really want to know? \[Turn to audience\] You really want\
to know? Well, it's like this.

I had heard that breastfeeding was best, but I hadn't really thought
much about it until the day I got on WIC. My WIC nutritionist told me it
was the best way to feed the baby. The next time I thought about
breastfeeding was when I was at the hospital...in LABOR! Well, this
nurse came over to me right in the middle of a big whopper of a
contraction and said, "Are you going to breastfeed?" I told her "yes"
just so she wouldn't start lecturing me about breastfeeding, and I told
her I just wanted my epidural right now.

I was very excited when Will was born, and thank goodness my whole
family came to support me! Several hours later, we were right in the
middle of watching an exciting episode of "Survivor," when a nurse
brought Will in and said, "Okay, it's time to breastfeed now." She
pulled open my gown and started shoving Will onto my breast. You should
have seen the look on my\
dad's face. Priceless! Talk about a good way to clear the room!

> I was not prepared for how painful breastfeeding would be.\
> Will was barely hanging on and pretty soon he just fell asleep,\
> so thankfully I didn't have to put up with the pain for very long. The
> nurse said not to worry. Breastfeeding was NATURAL and Will would get
> the hang of things later.

Natural? I don't think so! Breastfeeding has been anything\
BUT natural for me.

> After I came home from the hospital, Will just cried ALL the time and
> that made me cry. My mother said I was starving him, and she told me I
> should give him formula. Sure enough, after that first bottle he
> quieted right down! Plus, it gave me some relief from the pain. One
> day I looked down and saw that my nipples had big sores on them. The
> more he sucked, the more my breasts hurt, the more he cried, and the
> more \*I\* started to cry.
>
> My mother kept telling me breastfeeding is foolish. My boyfriend just
> kept saying, "When will things be normal again?"
>
> Today I took Will to the doctor for a check-up. He said\
> Will hadn't gained much weight. I'm afraid my mother is right...maybe
> I AM starving him by trying to breastfeed. My mother never could make
> much milk, and I'm probably just\
> like her. I'm ready to put him on formula now.