Some are wondering about recommending fenugreek, sage tea, More Milk,
watermellon, Rescue Remedy, cabbage leaves, or a walk in the park as it
relates to their position as Lactation Consultant.  To recommend a product
or action for the success of breastfeeding sounds to them like prescribing.
I'm sure the pharmaceutical companies and their physician partners would
love to stamp out our effective advice.

As we have read here, in some places it is even out of order to encourage
breastfeeding.

What do you think?  What are you going to do with the knowledge that you
glean from Lactnet?  I know that some of you are in a bind, in more ways
than one, with supervisors and protocols and restrictions that are so abm
friendly.  One of the problems is that all of the rules in our US medical
communities were set when there was little breastfeeding. There has been a
lot written about the medicalization of breastfeeding, including limiting
the treatment of problems to those with "prescribing" credentials.  Can the
mother you are presently working with wait for the powers-that-be to move
from their PDR "text books" to the health-food store for the support for
breastfeeding?

There have always been breastfeeding problems and there have always been
treatments for them.  These are what our clients need today. Where can they
hear about them?

So what are your thoughts on what an LC really CAN do.  I know what I do,
but someone needs to speak for those whose situation is different from mine.

Patricia Gima, IBCLC
Milwaukee
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