Hi all,
I'm a pediatrician who has actually been silently on lactnet for almost 2 mos
now (and it is getting overwhelming!), but I thought I'd break my silence and
introduce myself because I'm going to Chicago to the LLLI conference (and
physican's seminar) and then onto ILCA in Scottsdale and I want to meet any of
you here online who expect to be at one or the other.
I'm studying to take the IBLCE exam this summer, and then I plan to start a
private pediatric subspecialty practice focussing exclusively on breastfeeding
and lactation support, and serving as a resource to LCs, other docs, etc., as
well as a referral source to LCs. Since I have never been in private practice,
and now i'm inventing a specialty, I'm more than a little worried (read scared),
but I am getting tons of support (emotional) from local LLL, LCs, etc.
In addition, I'm only just now getting back to seeing breastfed babies in the
past six months, because for the previous 3 yrs, I was in another area
completely  (school based health clinics-- ie more time with my own kids, and
satisfying my need to be socially involved) so have seen no breastfed babies in
that time, altho' I did see plenty before that when I was in regular primary
care. However, at that time, I was operating pretty seat of the pants, learning
from my own kids, LLL, my patients, and a little reading (too little-- mostly
then LLL and Ruth Lawrence, but not enough of either, much less anybody else),
and I'm now pretty horrified to look back at some of the things I must have
done, so I'm doing a lot of unlearning.
Your discussions here on Lactnet are enormously helpful, but I don't feel I have
the expertise to as yet dive in, and join in the fray, hence my silent
"lurking"... but I do want to meet you all, and expect you will be a wonderful
resource to me as I get this practice started-- all of you, all over the world I
love hearing from all of you.  I know that Kathleen is arranging a get together
for those of us who will be at ILCA in Scottsdale, but I also want to meet any
of you who plan to go to either LLL conference in Chicago earlier in July, so if
you're going, please e-mail me.

Tina Smillie (MD)
46 Barnswallow Drive
Trumbull, CT 06611
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