I've always thought that one of the purposes of LactNet was to "support the
people who support breastfeeding" if I may borrow that line.  The realities
of supporting, protecting, and promoting breastfeeding currently, at least
in the US, is that we fight a major uphill battle against the infant formula
companies on the one hand, and against uneducated (and often unwilling to be
educated) health care professionals, whether they be doctors, nurses, or
"lactation consultants" of one kind or another, or even people like the
doctor's secretary or appointments clerk, on the other hand.  I think we are
all sophisticated enough to realize that there are SOME health care
professionals who do know a lot about breastfeeding and are supportive, and
SOME who don't know a lot but are willing to be educated and/or to refer
patients to others with more knowledge.  We have some of those people on
LactNet, obviously, and they contribute immeasurably to the ongoing
dialogue.  Surely those who are on the list also realize that they are the
minority -- that most of their colleagues still tell women all sorts of
untrue and ridiculous things out of their own ignorance and lack of
education about breastfeeding.

In our various lines of work we all come across the ignorant/uneducable ones
who wreak havoc with the health and lives of women and children through
their ignorance and refusal to learn.  This is a long-term struggle, and the
odds are so stacked against breastfeeding, and the people who work to
counter this ignorance and to pick up the pieces after bad advice from
doctors, do tend to get discouraged.  I have said to my husband that if the
infant formula companies succeed in their grand scheme to hand out free
formula to all mothers in Africa "in case" they might have HIV and "in case"
they might transmit it to their children through the breast milk -- then
that will sound the death knell for breastfeeding in the enitre world, and I
am giving up.  I'll go open a restaurant, or go back to studying growth and
development, or become an architect or something.  It is *that*
discouraging, at times.

I think LactNet is one of the few places where the people who support
breastfeeding can come and rant and rave and vent our frustrations at the
set-backs in this very difficult task we are engaged in -- to change the
fundamental beliefs and behaviors of a large segment of the population.  It
is also one of the few places where we can come to crow about our successes,
and thereby to inspire others to continue the fight.

How do we balance the sensibilities of a few who might be offended against
the strength and courage and support that *many* get by being able to have a
place where we can discuss these issues, get support, get suggestions for
dealing with recalcitrant health care professionals, etc.  LactNet is a
wonderful source of inspiration, camraderie, support, suggestions, and
information.  I will be very disappointed if people feel so constrained by
"not wanting to offend any doctors on the list" that LactNet beccomes simply
a forum for the exchange of clinical information, and ceases to be a
broad-based, wide-ranging discussions of all the different aspects of
supporting, promoting, and protecting breastfeeding.

And that's my humble opinion.

Kathy Dettwyler,
who always calls a spade a spade and who always gives credit where credit is
due