>To: [log in to unmask]

>First for Women magazine:
>
>I am writing about your 6/21/99 "Ask the Doctor" column.  I am sure you
>will get lots of letters on this one, as Dr. Linda Marraccini is obviously
>way out of date on this subject.  In fact, I think she completely missed
>what this mother was really asking.
>
>The mother was "very upset" about not being able to breastfeed due to
>having inverted nipples and wondered about the safety of using donor milk.
>The doctor tried to soothe her, by saying "don't feel bad" about this.
>This concerned mother never learned that many, many women can indeed
>breastfeed with inverted nipples.  Pumping her own milk would be another
>option.
>
>Dr. Marraccini states "I don't like the idea of purchasing someone else's
>breast milk because I'm not sure it can be tested for potentially harmful
>germs." She's not sure? Doesn't she do a little checking before answering a
>question that she is not sure of? Has she never heard of milk banks and the
>Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA)? Their protocols
>and processing are similar to blood banking, and their product very safe,
>and far superior to cow or soy milk formula.
>
>Unfortunately, commercial infant formulas DO NOT "have the same nutritional
>content as mothers' milk," nor do "bottle-fed babies grow up perfectly
>healthy."  The research on this is OVERWHELMING, with reams of journal
>pages out there to be read.
>
>I wish this mother had called a board certified lactation consultant or a
>La Leche League leader instead of writing to your column for help. She
>would very likely be breastfeeding now.
>
>Laurie Wheeler, RN, MN, IBCLC
>International board certified lactation consultant
>Louisiana Breastfeeding MediaWatch Campaign



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