I tend to agree with Ellen and Heather that mothers having problems should initiate contacts with helpers. My mantra has always been: I can't want the baby to breastfeed more than the mother does. People will sometimes call me and ask me to make a contact with a friend or relative, and I tell them it is my policy never to do so. The mother has to call me herself. That way I know for sure she wants my help and will probably be at least minimally receptive to it. There appears to me to be a greater frequency of tongue-tie in Japan (as I read their ENT lit). Also, without seeing the breasts, there is no way to determine whether the small breasts are merely the result of petite body formation or are perhaps resultant from hormonal disorders like PCOS which would also be possible in Japanese women. Maybe her mother and sister really did have production problems. Most likely the situation is just as the LLL L assessed: perceptions and unfortunate messages from the bottle feeding culture. But there is a real limit to what you can tell about low milk supply issues over the phone, and in my experience, the mother and her family begin to find unsolicited calls intrusive. Barbara Wilson-Clay BSEd, IBCLC Austin Lactation Associates http://www.lactnews.com *********************************************** The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html