On Sun, 15 Dec 1996, Anna wrote:

> The NICU staff were so enthusiastic - they really wanted me to
> succeed in bfing, but they were also horribly ignorant.
>
Same experience here! Medical students, in last year of medical school,
quite reluctant to study "another problem about breastfeeding", having
had four (4) lectures on the topic. "We know it is better", they say.
Realized, after a 4 questions quizz, that they knew NOTHING about the
management of common breastfeeding issues, that they will see in their
practice.
We tell Moms "breast is best". We don't expect impoverished Moms to
breastfeed because, somehow, we don't believe that they want/can/are good
enough to do it. But we are nowhere to be seen when "good" Moms run into
problems. Pitiful. But I am starting to wonder if bf is seen here as a
health issue. In any case, the topic is systematically shunned from any
discussion concerning public health intervention.
I am going to bed.

Louise Denhez, M.D., M.P.H
Chargee d'enseignement clinique
Departement de medecine sociale et preventive
Montreal, Quebec, Canada