Agree, agree. And this is why counseling skills are just as important
as knowledge. There are ways of providing information that can
validate a woman where she is at while at the same time encouraging
her to look at the big picture and reach for that next goal. And there
are ways of imparting that same information that can totally shut down
the counseling relationship. Some of that just comes through
experience, but it starts our own humility and respect for each mom
and baby dyad that allows us the privelege of working with them.

Sharon Knorr, IBCLC, CO


On 5/21/12, Susan Burger <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Dear all:
>
> The evidence base as well as the historical base are both in sync with
> weaning being premature if it occurs before 2 years of age. That is a fact,
> not an opinion and I have piles of research that I have read that back that
> statement up.  The World Health Organization, didn't just make that number
> up because it is dominated by "LACTIVISTS".  In fact, one of the members of
> that committee was an ANTI-Activist who demolished a graduate student in a
> presentation when both the authors of the study and the graduate student and
> the peer reviewers of the article MISREAD the data that actually showed an
> INCREASE in allergy SYMPTOMS among infants who were breastfeed compared to
> infants who were formula fed.  So, everyone so expected the symptoms to
> decrease that they completely and totally read what they wanted to see.  So,
> with this particular person on many of those committees, there is no way
> that he would not have challenged just about everything to make sure the
> recommendations were well founded in EVIDENCE.
>
> Why oh why are we so afraid to tell women the truth?   It is NOT being a
> LACTIVIST by telling the truth.  And being a LACTIVIST which is a passionate
> advocate is not something evil.
>
> There is a difference however between RECOMMENDATIONS intended for
> POPULATIONS, not as GOALS for INDIVIDUAL clients and their individual
> babies.   And when I discuss the EVIDENCE-BASED RECOMMENDATIONS that were
> developed by NUTRITIONAL SCIENTISTS AND EPIDEMIOLOGISTS, I explain to
> parents exactly that.  Then we move on to SPECIFIC suggestions and a day at
> a time or week at a time plan.  I have never yet had a parent upset by that
> explanation of how RECOMMENDATIONS are different than INDIVIDUAL goals and
> that focusing changing what they can in the here and now and forgetting what
> cannot be changed is better than fretting about some future that may be
> quite different than what they anticipate.
>
> Giving PLATITUDES to parents is really unacceptable.  It is disempowering.
> Giving specific concrete pragmatic suggestions based on in depth
> conversations with parents about what is feasible for them to do IS
> empowering.
>
> Really I am shocked that someone would IMPLY that the World Health
> Organization is putting out information that could be equated with
> "LACTIVISM". In fact I have had one friend have her job THREATENED by
> formula industry for kicking out the marketing representatives that they try
> to insert into what should be EVIDENCE-BASED committees. Fortunately, her
> supervisor prevailed and she wasn't fired for the outrageous behavior of the
> formula industry.
>
> I'm sure the formula industry is supremely happy with the term Lactivist and
> the conversations where even our own members are telling us that the TRUTH
> is something we should protect ADULT WOMEN from learning because they are
> too FRAGILE to hear the TRUTH.  They can handle the TRUTH as long as there
> is no BLAME and as long as their is ACCEPTANCE that they may be able to
> reach their own GOALS and not yet have enough support in a culture that has
> formula fed for several generations to meet a RECOMMENDATION for
> POPULATIONS.
>
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Susan E. Burger, MHS, PhD, IBCLC.
>
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