I found the article ‘Baby Friendly Hospitals…” in the Washington Post on September 11^th true and interesting.  As a psychotherapist I see the importance of building confidence in new mothers and helping them have respected choices.  Hospitals such as VHC and Fairfax Hospital may have good intentions in their zealous approaches but their staff, especially their lactation specialists, needs to learn how not to bully and create undo pressure for new moms.  They need to stop creating guilt and let new moms make a choice and have a voice.

“Baby-Friendly Policies” Washington Post (Sept. 11, 2014).

Sandy Malawer is the Director of the Family Therapy Center of McLean and counsels new and expecting parents.