Kathleen we all sympathize with you.  Can I rant and rave a little too?

I see so many mothers who are "set up" and "done to".  One case that stands
out in my mind was a local doctor's wife.  She had the BEST care.  Her OB
(close friend and professional colleague of her husband)  made sure she did
not go past her due date, induced, looooooooooong epidural, (wouldn't want
any pain for this precious lady, heaven forbid she might have to actually
'cope' with some pain), prolonged labor, (wonder why?), heart rate decels,
emergency c-section, difficult recovery, baby that won't suck, ........won't
even root.  I have never seen a baby so completely oblivious to any
stimulation to root for over 2 weeks, but the mom and her physician husband
do not see this as abnormal even when I point it out.  They even have the
gall to tell me that not all babies root!!!!!!!!!!  Have any of you heard
that before??????????   Is my education so lacking?    Where did I get the
idea healthy, normal babies ROOT?  Needless to say with all of their
professional medical knowledge and resources, my advice went with the wind.

The amount of professional ignorance in this country, and some others it
seems from the sound of many of you,  continues to abound and completely
astounds me!  How can we have all this good sound research and studies and
have them completely ignored by the medical profession at large?  All of our
wonderful LACTNET doctors and those knowledgable and supportive not on
LACTNET are such a minority it seems.
HOW can we get it across to those with the authority and power?  The AAP is
so sloooooow and has clay feet it seems.  It would seem logical (is logic too
much to ask?) that doctors and insurance companies would jump on ways to
improve health, for families and our whole society, reduce financial stress
on families, reduce the long term stress of preventable diseases, etc., etc.,
etc.  Wouldn't it?
My very wise Father once told me "People run on emotions, not intellect."
 His words have been proven right to me over and over.  You can have all the
facts, overwhelming facts, and people will choose the opposite because it
feels right to them.
We must develop more strategies that convince AND move people to action so
they implement this information effectively into their practice.

Jane Bradshaw RN, BSN, IBCLC
Discouraged and frustrated, but still trying in Lynchburg, VA