Please I would also urge anyone who complains about lactation consultants complaining to 
ALSO contact those who choose to make a blanket stereotypical response about lactation 
consultants.  For instance, a recent post in the last several months put me through to a 
link by the American Medical Students Association where they started off their whole 
section on breastfeeding not with how mothers should do it, but with a direct criticism 
about breastfeeding advocates not making mothers feel guilty.  Did these same medical 
students decide that their association statement on diabetes should start with a directive 
towards registered dieticians to "not make those who have Type II diabetes feel guilty"?  
No they did not. 

Furthermore, what about the trendy Tribeca pediatrician to the stars whose only criticism 
about any other profession in his whole entire book was to write a section defaming 
lactation consultants.  How did that get past a publisher?  How is it OK to brand an entire 
profession in a book without anyone putting any checks and balances into the picture.  

Furthermore, what about our entire profession being hit with what psychologists suffered 
when they were not permitted to be able to work as psychoanalysts.  Four psychologists 
sued and won under "restraint of trade" being imposed on their profession because they 
were not MDs.  Isn't that what our own profession just suffered when an attempt was 
made to reduce our scope of practice to the legally indefensible position that we cannot 
"contradict a health care practitioner" even though we supposedly are allied health 
professionals?  And what self-respecting health care practitioner doesn't have a difference 
of opinion with another professional if they are truly keeping up with the evidence and 
trying to do the best for their patients?

So, every time lactation consultants need to be reined in, I would suggest simultaneously 
sending a well thought out letter to the many professions at the same time as the letter 
goes to lactation consultants as a group.  

On the other hand, the criticism could be better directed individually to the person who 
did the stereotyping to begin with.  That might prove to be more productive altogether.

Best, Susan Burger

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