Karen: I appreciate the difficult position you must be in with the patients
of this doc. What he is doing is just as abhorrent as the judgement laid on
breastfeeding moms who make certain choices.
I wish I had some easy answers for you on how to handle the situation, but I
don't.

Now about your other statements. i think it interesting that you find our
chitchat smetimes radical. May I suggest some reframing? If we considered
breastfeeding as truly the norm, wouldn't the people who think feeding the
milk of another species to human babies be the radicals?  Wouldn't the people
who think it is disgusting or somehow unnatural to use the breasts as comfort
and nutrition for their babies be the fanatics?  wouldn't those who continue
to perpetuate the proven myth that formula feeds are adequate for babies and
just as good as breastmilk be the weird ones?

I fail to see how we are offensive. I really do. We are merely trying to
bring the pendulum back to the middle! If some people consider that to be way
out there, well, that's just their problem.

We have a lot of work to do to normalize our infant feeding situation in this
country. It is a matter of life or death. We need to have the support and
comfort of people who are likeminded or the job gets too overwhelming. i
enjoy having a place to let my hair down and share with others in and out of
my profession. i take pride in what we have accomplished and the great skills
we have as practitioners. For those lurking out there who might be offended,
well, let them unsubscribe. About those, like an Ohio department of Health
official who called me a zealot in a public forum, frankly my dear, i don't
give a d---!

My duty and pleasure is to help those mothers who want to succeed at
breastfeeding to meet their goals. I'll be darned if I let anybody stand in
the way of that duty. And it takes our collective knowledge , support of one
another, and sharing to make it all happen. i do not see it as my
responsibility to coddle and pacify those misguided folks who think
artificial feeding is just as good as mother nature's way.

By the way, the term zealot is a wonderful word. i urge you all to look it up
in the dictionary. I wear that name with pride!

Alison, the Zealot from Ohio who helps all her clients reach their
breastfeeding goals. And a radical to boot. Ain't life grand?