Midwife Licensure Exam Midwifery Pharmacology & Newborn Procedures — Maternal & Child Nutrition Counseling (Midwife-led)Memory Anchors

Memory aid

Imagine a pregnant Ate Nena at the BHS. She holds a big green 'SIXTY' peso bill (60 mg iron) and a tiny '400-gram' bag of rice (400 mcg folic acid). She takes both ONCE every morning with her calamansi juice (Vitamin C for absorption). The cashier at the BHS desk stamps her health book: 'DAILY — ALL PREGNANCY + 3 MONTHS AFTER.' Ate Nena smiles because her baby will not have spina bifida.

Why it works

The vivid Philippine peso bill image (60) and the familiar bag of rice (400) create distinct, emotionally tagged visuals. The narrative places the dose in context (BHS, prenatal care, postpartum), reinforcing both the number and the duration.

Example usage

Exam question: 'What is the standard IFA supplement for a pregnant woman?' → Picture Ate Nena → 60 mg iron + 400 mcg folic acid, once daily.

Recall trigger

Think of Ate Nena at the BHS holding a 60-peso bill and a 400-gram rice bag.

Memory aid

Think of the neural tube like a ZIPPER on a baby's spine. The zipper closes in the first 28 days of pregnancy — often before the mother even knows she is pregnant. Folic acid is the 'zipper lubricant.' If the lubricant is not there from the START, the zipper gets stuck (spina bifida or anencephaly). You cannot fix a stuck zipper from the middle — you must grease it before zipping. So: Folate BEFORE you even know the baby's there!

Why it works

The zipper analogy creates a powerful mechanical image. Filipino students are familiar with zippers and understand that lubrication must be applied before use, not after problems appear. The timing concept (before conception) is embedded in the mechanics of the analogy.

Example usage

When asked why folic acid is given preconceptionally → 'The spine zips shut in week 4 — the folate lubricant must be there already.'

Recall trigger

Think of a zipper on the baby's spine.

Memory aid

Remember: 'P-A-W' — Pregnant women Avoid high-dose Vit A, Waits for Postpartum (200,000 IU). Think of a pregnant woman putting up her PAW like a stop sign when the Vitamin A capsule comes near, but after delivery she holds out her hand and accepts the 200,000 IU dose. P = Pregnant = PAUSE (stop), A = After delivery = ACCEPT, W = Within early postpartum (first 4 weeks).

Why it works

The acronym PAW gives a clear sequence (stop during pregnancy, give after), and the visual of a raised paw/hand is a universal 'stop' gesture that is easy to picture. The number 200,000 is linked to 'accepting' postpartum.

Example usage

Question: 'When can you give 200,000 IU Vitamin A?' → PAW → Postpartum only, within early postpartum period.

Recall trigger

Think PAW — pregnant paw stop, postpartum hand accepts 200,000 IU.

Memory aid

Use the '1-2-6' RULE: 1 = baby under 1 year (6–11 months) gets the 1-hundred-thousand (100,000 IU) dose. 2 = child 1–5 years gets the 2-hundred-thousand (200,000 IU) dose every 2 × a year (every 6 months). Chant it: 'Under-one gets one-hundred; one-to-five gets two-hundred, twice a year!' The Garantisadong Pambata rounds happen in APRIL and OCTOBER — think A-O, or 'Always On schedule.'

Why it works

Chunking the numbers into a rhythmic chant (under-one, one-to-five) creates a sing-song memory hook. Filipino health workers are already familiar with Garantisadong Pambata, so linking the dose to a known national program strengthens the recall.

Example usage

Question on a 9-month-old child's Vitamin A dose → Under 1 year → 100,000 IU.

Recall trigger

Say 'Under-one gets one-hundred; one-to-five gets two-hundred, twice a year!'

Memory aid

EBF = 'Every Baby's Food for SIX' — Exclusive Breastfeeding for 6 months. Then the '6-2 RULE': Start at 6 (complementary food), Stop exclusive at 6, Continue breastfeeding to 2. Visualize a clock face: the hands point to 6 o'clock (start complementary food) and 2 o'clock (stop breastfeeding). Even in summer (HOT), NO water — breast milk is 88% water already! Mothers who give water are like adding water to Jollibee gravy — it just dilutes the good stuff.

Why it works

The clock image gives a spatial anchor for the numbers 6 and 2. The Jollibee gravy analogy uses a culturally familiar and humorous reference to reinforce why water is unnecessary, making the 'no water' rule memorable through mild absurdity.

Example usage

Question: 'A mother asks if she can give water to her 3-month-old in hot weather.' → Breast milk is 88% water, exclusive BF = no water, recall the Jollibee gravy → answer: No, breast milk alone is sufficient.

Recall trigger

Visualize a clock at 6 and 2, then think 'no water in the Jollibee gravy.'

Memory aid

Remember: 'Milk Room Ten' — Milk Code (EO 51), Rooming-In (RA 7600), Ten-thousand-twenty-eight (RA 10028). Or use a house analogy: The MILK carton is inside the ROOM of your house, and the house number is TEN-TWENTY-EIGHT. EO 51 = the milk carton (no advertising formula). RA 7600 = the room (baby stays with mom). RA 10028 = the whole house (lactation stations, breaks, promotion everywhere).

Why it works

The 'Milk Room Ten' phrase is a compact verbal anchor that sequences all three laws. The house analogy creates a spatial memory (carton inside room inside house) that mirrors the laws' escalating scope.

Example usage

Question: 'Which law requires lactation stations in workplaces?' → 'Ten' → RA 10028.

Recall trigger

Think 'Milk Room Ten' — Milk, Room, 10028.

Memory aid

Use the acronym 'AMLC' — Areola (more above), Mouth wide, Lip everted, Chin touching. Pronounce it like 'AMLAK' (a play on the Filipino word for owner/property). Say: 'The baby OWNS the breast — Areola shows above, Mouth wide open, Lip turned out, Chin on the breast.' A baby with a bad latch is like a tenant who barely knocks at the door — only a little in the mouth. A baby with AMLAC is the OWNER — fully in, fully committed.

Why it works

The AMLC acronym is phonetically catchy, and the 'owner vs. tenant' analogy uses a familiar Filipino social concept (land ownership) to distinguish full attachment (good latch) from superficial attachment (poor latch).

Example usage

Question: 'Which finding indicates correct breastfeeding attachment?' → AMLAC → more areola above, mouth wide, lip everted, chin touching.

Recall trigger

Think 'AMLAC — the baby owns the breast.'

Memory aid

Imagine Baby Juan as a shy jeepney passenger. For a good ride (good feeding): 1) He sits STRAIGHT (head and body in line — not twisted). 2) He sits CLOSE to the driver/mother (not far in the back). 3) His WHOLE BODY is on the seat (fully supported, legs not dangling). 4) He faces FORWARD toward the destination (facing breast, nose toward nipple). A baby twisted sideways, far from mom, or dangling is like a passenger about to fall off the jeepney — poor position = poor latch = sore nipples.

Why it works

The jeepney is an iconic Filipino image. Mapping each positioning rule to a passenger safety principle creates a logical, culturally resonant story that covers all four points in sequence.

Example usage

Asked to demonstrate correct positioning → Recall jeepney → Straight, Close, Whole body supported, Facing the breast.

Recall trigger

Think of Baby Juan riding a jeepney safely.

Memory aid

Chant the 'LAM Three-Beat Rule': 'Six below, / Breastfeed so, / No blood flow — / LAM can go!' — Under 6 months (Six below), Exclusively breastfeeding (Breastfeed so), No menstruation (No blood flow) = LAM is effective (LAM can go!). If ANY ONE condition is broken, LAM fails — like a three-legged stool: remove one leg and it falls.

Why it works

The four-line rhyme has a strong rhythmic beat that makes it easy to sing mentally during the exam. The three-legged stool analogy reinforces that ALL three conditions must be met simultaneously.

Example usage

Question: 'A woman is exclusively breastfeeding her 5-month-old and her period has returned. Is LAM effective?' → 'No blood flow' condition broken → LAM NOT effective.

Recall trigger

Chant 'Six below, breastfeed so, no blood flow — LAM can go!'

Memory aid

Use the 'Meal Ladder': Start at 6 months on the SECOND RUNG (2 meals). At 8 months, add one rung (now 3 meals). At 9 months, climb to the THIRD RUNG (3–4 meals) and add SNACK STEPS (1–2 snacks). Think of a toddler climbing a ladder: at 6 months they can barely reach rung 2; by 9–23 months they are almost at the top (4 meals + snacks). The ladder keeps going up as the child grows — more rungs, more food, more variety.

Why it works

The progressive ladder image maps perfectly to the progressive increase in feeding frequency. Each age milestone is a new rung, making the sequence easy to recall in order.

Example usage

Question: 'How many meals per day for a 10-month-old?' → Rung 3–4 + snacks → 3–4 meals + 1–2 snacks.

Recall trigger

Picture a toddler climbing a meal ladder — 6 months = rung 2, 9 months = rung 3–4 + snacks.

Memory aid

The growth chart is like a PALENGKE RICE PRICE BOARD. When the price goes UP — good harvest (child is growing well). When the price STAYS FLAT for weeks — problem (no growth, possible malnutrition). When the price DROPS — crisis (child is losing weight). You do not wait for the price to crash before you act — a flat line is already a RED FLAG. One low price (one low weight) is less alarming than a price that was high and is now going flat or dropping.

Why it works

Filipino students are familiar with market price boards. Mapping growth trajectory to price changes makes the concept of trend vs. single data point immediately intuitive and culturally familiar.

Example usage

Question: 'A child's weight has not changed in two months. What does this indicate?' → Flat price board → faltering growth → counsel on feeding and consider referral.

Recall trigger

Think of the palengke rice price board — flat or falling = problem.

Memory aid

Visualize the MUAC tape as a red-yellow-green traffic light wrapped around a child's upper arm. GREEN = normal (above 12.5 cm), YELLOW = moderate acute malnutrition (11.5–12.4 cm), RED = severe acute malnutrition (below 11.5 cm). When you see RED (below 11.5), STOP and REFER — just like a red traffic light. Add bilateral puffy feet (edema = kwashiorkor) as another automatic RED light. RED = Refer, no detour.

Why it works

Traffic light colors are universal and deeply ingrained. Mapping the MUAC threshold to a color-coded system makes the cut-off number (11.5 cm) memorable and the action (refer at red) automatic.

Example usage

Question: 'What MUAC measurement indicates severe acute malnutrition in a 6–59-month-old child?' → Red traffic light → below 11.5 cm → refer.

Recall trigger

Visualize the MUAC tape as a traffic light on the arm — RED is below 11.5 cm, REFER.

Memory aid

Imagine trying to drink from a water bottle but only biting the very TIP of the cap instead of wrapping your lips around the neck. After a few tries, you hurt your lips! That is what happens with a poor latch — baby only gets the nipple tip, not the areola, causing friction and pain. The solution is NEVER to stop breastfeeding — it is to FIX THE LATCH. Also, a drop of hindmilk on the nipple after feeding is like applying coconut oil — soothing and healing.

Why it works

The water bottle analogy is simple and physical — students can feel the discomfort of biting a bottle cap, creating an empathy-based memory for why poor attachment causes pain. The coconut oil reference is culturally familiar as a home remedy.

Example usage

Question: 'A breastfeeding mother complains of sore nipples. What is the most likely cause?' → Biting the tip → poor latch/attachment.

Recall trigger

Think of biting the tip of a water bottle cap.

Memory aid

There is a barangay legend of 'Lola Gatas' who always told mothers to throw away the 'dirty yellow milk.' One generation later, the children who received colostrum had fewer ear infections, diarrhea, and pneumonia than those who did not. The BHW finally explained: that thick YELLOW GOLD milk is not dirty — it is nature's first vaccine. 'Huwag itapon ang ginto!' (Don't throw away the gold!) The yellowish color comes from beta-carotene — it is liquid gold for immunity.

Why it works

The mini-legend uses a familiar Filipino barangay storytelling format with a plot twist (yellow = valuable, not dirty). The Filipino phrase 'Huwag itapon ang ginto' creates an emotionally charged verbal anchor. The gold metaphor makes the value of colostrum unmistakable.

Example usage

Question: 'A mother says she wants to discard the first milk because it looks yellow and dirty. What should the midwife advise?' → Liquid gold, first immunization → never discard colostrum.

Recall trigger

Think 'Huwag itapon ang ginto — the yellow milk is liquid gold!'

Memory aid

Think of iron as a VIP guest (vitamin) trying to enter the body's party (bloodstream). Vitamin C is the BOUNCER who lets the VIP in through the front door (enhances absorption). Tea and coffee are the bouncers who BLOCK the entrance and turn the VIP away (reduce absorption). The 'black stool' party aftermath? That is just the iron leaving some of itself behind — totally normal, like dark food coloring in party drinks. Counsel Ate Nena: Take iron with calamansi juice, NOT with coffee!

Why it works

The party/bouncer analogy makes the competing interactions (enhance vs. inhibit) vivid and oppositely clear. The calamansi reference is practical and culturally specific to Filipino dietary habits.

Example usage

Question: 'What advice about iron supplement intake improves absorption?' → VIP bouncer → take with Vitamin C-rich food like calamansi.

Recall trigger

Vitamin C = bouncer who lets iron in; Tea/coffee = bouncers who block iron.

Memory aid

Rhyme it: 'ASIN at RA Eight-One-Seven-Two, / Iodized salt for goiter it will subdue! / Add it to your food each day so true, / IDD prevention starts at the stew!' (ASIN = Filipino word for salt; RA 8172 = 8-1-7-2). To remember 8172: think '8 grains of SALT in a jar with ONE big mineral, SEVEN seas of iodine, TWO healthy thyroid lobes.'

Why it works

Using the Filipino word 'asin' (salt) in the rhyme creates an immediate bilingual memory hook. The rhyme's rhythm embeds the law number 8172 in a memorable verbal chain, and the visual of goiter prevention links the law to its health purpose.

Example usage

Question: 'Which Philippine law mandates the use of iodized salt?' → Asin rhyme → RA 8172.

Recall trigger

Say 'ASIN at RA 8-1-7-2, iodized salt!'

Memory aid

The '2-4 WORM RULE': 2 years old and above = 4-hundred (400 mg). Under 2 years (12–23 months) = HALF = 2-hundred (200 mg). Think: 2 years up = 4; below 2 = 2. Easy: the child's age group (2+) matches the first digit of the dose (4). Twice-yearly means April and October (paired with Vitamin A rounds). For pregnant moms: 'Wait past the FIRST' — skip first trimester, deworm after.

Why it works

The '2 = 4, below 2 = 2' number pattern creates a simple arithmetic relationship that is easy to verify mentally. Pairing deworming with the well-known Vitamin A rounds creates a dual-recall anchor (one program triggers memory of the other).

Example usage

Question: 'What dose of albendazole is given to a 15-month-old child?' → Under 2 years → 200 mg.

Recall trigger

Think '2-4 Worm Rule: age 2+ gets 400 mg, under 2 gets 200 mg.'

Memory aid

Visualize a COUNTDOWN CLOCK labeled '1,000 DAYS' starting the moment a sperm meets an egg (conception). The clock ticks through 9 months of pregnancy (roughly 270 days) and continues to the child's second birthday (approximately 730 more days). Total: ~1,000 days. This is the GOLDEN WINDOW — like the first 1,000 days of a building's foundation work. If you rush the foundation (poor nutrition), the whole building (child's lifelong health) is weak. After day 1,000, you can still repair, but the cost is much higher.

Why it works

The countdown clock creates urgency and a defined time window. The building foundation analogy makes the irreversibility (or high cost of correction) of early malnutrition concrete and architectural — a concept Filipino students encounter in construction-heavy environments.

Example usage

Question: 'Why is nutrition during pregnancy and the first 2 years of life especially critical?' → Countdown clock → 1,000-day golden window for lifelong health.

Recall trigger

Picture a countdown clock: 1,000 days from conception to 2nd birthday.

Memory aid

Use 'SWWG' — Sucks deeply, Wet diapers (6+), Weight gain, Gulp (audible swallowing). Say it as 'SWUG' (swug). 'If baby is a SWUGGER — deep sucks, 6 wet diapers, gaining weight, and you hear the gulp — feeding is PERFECT.' A baby who is not swugging (no gulping, few wet diapers, poor weight gain) needs assessment and possibly referral.

Why it works

Creating a playful non-word 'SWUG/SWUGGER' makes the acronym stand out in memory. The positive framing (what GOOD feeding looks like) is easier to recall than a list of problems, and the four indicators cover assessment comprehensively.

Example usage

Question: 'What signs confirm that an infant is feeding adequately?' → SWUGGER → sucks deeply, 6+ wet diapers/day, gaining weight, audible swallowing.

Recall trigger

Think 'Is baby a SWUGGER? — Sucks, Wet diapers, Weight gain, Gulp.'

Memory aid

Think of the Golden Hour at Fabella: right after the baby is born, before the cord is even fully clamped and cut, the midwife places the wet, crying newborn on the mother's chest. This is 'Unang Yakap' (first embrace). The baby, guided by smell and rooting reflex, crawls to the breast within the first 60 minutes. This is not optional — this is the FIRST ESSENTIAL NEWBORN CARE STEP. Missing this hour is like missing the first scene of a movie — you lose the setup for everything that follows: bonding, colostrum, uterine contraction, and long-term breastfeeding success.

Why it works

Naming the specific facility (Fabella) grounds the story in a real Philippine context. 'Unang Yakap' is already in the reviewees' vocabulary, and linking it to the 'first hour' creates a direct association. The movie analogy makes the temporal urgency vivid.

Example usage

Question: 'When should breastfeeding be initiated according to EINC?' → Unang Yakap → within the first hour of life.

Recall trigger

Think 'Unang Yakap — first embrace within the first hour.'

Answer

Colostrum

Memory link

A14 — Huwag itapon ang ginto (Liquid Gold micro-story)

Answer

RA 10028 (Expanded Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2009)

Memory link

A6 — Milk Room Ten mnemonic

Answer

11.5 cm (MUAC < 11.5 cm = Severe Acute Malnutrition — REFER)

Memory link

A12 — Traffic Light MUAC visual association

Answer

LAM — Lactational Amenorrhea Method

Memory link

A9 — 'Six below, breastfeed so, no blood flow' rhyme

Answer

No. High-dose Vitamin A is contraindicated in pregnancy because it is teratogenic. Advise the mother not to take it and document the counseling.

Memory link

A3 — PAW mnemonic (Pregnant women raise their PAW to stop Vitamin A)

Answer

Breast milk (Exclusive Breastfeeding — breast milk alone for 6 months)

Memory link

A5 — 'No water in the Jollibee gravy' analogy

Answer

RA 8172 (ASIN Law)

Memory link

A16 — 'ASIN at RA Eight-One-Seven-Two' rhyme

Answer

Probable normal breastfeeding with perceived low supply. Counsel: supply meets demand — more frequent feeding, both breasts, night feeds. Review latch (AMLAC). No formula needed.

Memory link

A19 — SWUGGER acronym (7 wet diapers + weight gain = adequate feeding)

Mnemonic

60-400-1: 'Six-ty iron, Four-hundred folate, ONE time daily.' Think of a SIXTY-FORTY (60-40) basketball score extended to 60 iron and 400 folate. Or: 'Six-Four-Zero-Zero — One a Day keeps NTD away!'

When to use

For every pregnant woman starting at the first prenatal visit, throughout pregnancy, and continuing for 3 months postpartum. Dose doubles to twice daily if anemia is diagnosed and per protocol.

What each part means

60 mg = elemental iron (to prevent/treat iron-deficiency anemia); 400 mcg = folic acid (to prevent neural tube defects); Once daily = frequency of administration.

Mnemonic

'The 2-1-2 Vitamin A Pattern': Postpartum mom = 2 (200,000), Baby 6–11 months = 1 (100,000), Child 1–5 years = 2 (200,000) twice/year. Say '2-1-2 like a waltz tempo' — the mom and older child share the 200,000 dose; only the youngest infant (under 1 year) gets the half-dose of 100,000.

When to use

Given during Garantisadong Pambata rounds (April and October). Postpartum mother receives dose within early postpartum period (first 4 weeks while still amenorrheic-lactating). NOT given to infants under 6 months routinely, and NEVER given in high dose during pregnancy.

What each part means

200,000 IU = dose for postpartum mother (within early weeks, not in pregnancy) and child 12–59 months; 100,000 IU = dose for infant 6–11 months; Every 6 months = frequency for children 12–59 months.

Mnemonic

'Eleven-five is the LIVE or REFER LINE.' Below 11.5 = RED = SAM = REFER. Think: '12.5 is the SAFE ZONE start.' Remember: 'Eleven point five = the critical FIVE, below it the child does not thrive.'

When to use

Measured at every growth monitoring visit for children 6–59 months. If MUAC < 11.5 cm or bilateral pedal edema (kwashiorkor sign) is present, the midwife REFERS — does not manage independently.

What each part means

MUAC = Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (measured on left arm of children 6–59 months); < 11.5 cm = Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) — requires referral to physician/TFP; 11.5–12.4 cm = Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM); ≥ 12.5 cm = Normal/well-nourished.

Mnemonic

'24-to-59 gets 400; 12-to-23 gets half (200).' Shortcut: '2 years up = 4 (400 mg); under 2 = 2 (200 mg).' The age group starting digit matches the dose's first digit: 2+ years → 4xx mg, under-2 → 2xx mg.

When to use

As part of the national deworming program twice yearly. For pregnant women: give AFTER the first trimester (not during first trimester). Children under 12 months are generally not included in standard deworming rounds.

What each part means

Albendazole = anthelmintic (deworming drug); 400 mg = full adult/older child dose; 200 mg = half-dose for youngest eligible children (12–23 months); Twice yearly = given every 6 months, usually paired with Vitamin A supplementation rounds.

Recall test

Without looking: What is the IFA dose? When to start? When to stop? What to take it with? What to avoid? What is the normal side effect?

Memory chain

Ate Nena holds a SIXTY-PESO bill (60 mg iron) and a FOUR-HUNDRED-GRAM bag (400 mcg folate) at her FIRST prenatal visit at the BHS. The midwife stamps her book: WHOLE PREGNANCY + 3 MONTHS AFTER. Ate Nena washes her pill down with CALAMANSI juice (Vitamin C boost) but her officemate warns her: 'Put down the BARAKO COFFEE — it blocks the iron! Also, don't panic at your BLACK STOOL tomorrow — that is the iron working!'

Items to remember

• 60 mg iron + 400 mcg folic acid once daily
• Start at first prenatal visit
• Continue throughout pregnancy and 3 months postpartum
• Take with Vitamin C (calamansi) for better absorption
• Tea/coffee reduce absorption; black stools are normal

Recall test

What dose for a 9-month-old? What about a 2-year-old? Can you give Vitamin A to a pregnant woman? When does a postpartum mother receive it?

Memory chain

Remember the 'Vitamin A Traffic Light Journey': RED LIGHT for Pregnant women (STOP — contraindicated). GREEN LIGHT for Postpartum moms within 4 weeks (GO — 200,000 IU). GREY ROAD for under-6-month babies (NOT on the route). SLOW (yellow) for 6–11-month infants (100,000 IU — smaller engine). FULL SPEED (green) for 1–5-year children (200,000 IU every 6 months in April and October).

Items to remember

• Pregnancy: NO high-dose Vitamin A
• Postpartum (within early 4 weeks): 200,000 IU
• Under 6 months: not routinely given
• 6–11 months: 100,000 IU once
• 12–59 months: 200,000 IU every 6 months (April and October)

Recall test

How many meals does a 7-month-old need per day? A 14-month-old? What type of food consistency is recommended at 6 months?

Memory chain

Picture a baby CLIMBING THE FEEDING LADDER: RUNG 1 at 6 months (start with 2 soft steps/meals). RUNG 2 at 8–9 months (move to 3 rungs/meals). RUNG 3 at 9+ months (4 rungs + two small pegs/snacks). The ladder is made of IRON BARS (iron-rich foods), COLORFUL RIBBONS (fruits, vegetables), and COOKED OIL POLISH (added fat for energy). Breast milk is the SAFETY ROPE that keeps the baby secure all the way to the top at age 2.

Items to remember

• 6 months: start complementary food (soft, mashed); 2–3 meals/day
• 6–8 months: 2–3 meals/day; mashed/pureed, iron-rich foods introduced
• 9–11 months: 3–4 meals/day + 1–2 snacks; finely chopped/mashed
• 12–23 months: 3–4 meals/day + 1–2 snacks; family foods, chopped
• Continue breastfeeding throughout up to 2 years+

Recall test

Which law bans formula samples in health facilities? Which law requires lactation breaks at work? Which law mandates rooming-in?

Memory chain

'MILK goes in the ROOM of a house numbered TEN-TWENTY-EIGHT': EO 51 = the MILK CODE (no marketing of formula). RA 7600 = the ROOM (rooming-in, baby with mom). RA 10028 = the whole HOUSE with a special LACTATION ROOM and BREAK ROOM (workplace lactation rights). Year memory: 7600 = 'Seven-Six' like 7 and 6, the two main breastfeeding numbers (within 1 hour and 6 months exclusive); 10028 = ten-thousand + 28 = 2009 expanded law.

Items to remember

• EO 51 (Milk Code): no formula advertising, no samples to HW
• RA 7600 (Rooming-In and Breastfeeding Act): baby stays with mom
• RA 10028 (Expanded BF Promotion Act 2009): lactation stations, lactation breaks in workplaces

Recall test

Name all 3 LAM conditions. If only 2 of 3 are met, is LAM still effective? What do you counsel when LAM conditions are no longer met?

Memory chain

The LAM TRIPOD: Leg 1 = AGE (under 6 months). Leg 2 = EXCLUSIVITY (breastfeeding only, nothing else). Leg 3 = AMENORRHEA (no period). Chant: 'Six below, breastfeed so, no blood flow — LAM can go!' Remove ANY ONE leg and the tripod falls — LAM fails. If the baby turns 6 months or mother gets her period or she gives formula even once — time to switch to another FP method!

Items to remember

• Baby is less than 6 months old
• Mother is exclusively breastfeeding
• Mother's menstruation has NOT yet returned