I think that it is a mistake for any person, lay midwife or not, to
recommend a goat's milk formula, made by people from a recipe that is
untried and unscientifically produced.   This is DANGEROUS...high renal
solute loads, etc.  I also do not ever use the word "poison" when I am
referring to ABM either. Now, you all know me, and you know that I am the
world's biggest breastfeeding proponent [evidenced by the existence of
LACTNET] but I would take the white stuff, ie abm any day over any goat's
milk formula, and to suggest that formula is poison, and to recommend to any
client that goat's milk concoction is natural, etc, just cause it comes from
a goat, and is organic, or whatever, is pure nonsense.

I wonder if there is any type of association of midwives [lay] , surely
there is, ..perhaps they need to adopt a statement about this  to inform the
uninformed?


Speaking of this type of thing, I was helping a set of adoptive parents,
both women...who were contemplating nursing their adopted infant.  I asked
them, after they had possession of the infant, if they had tried, either of
them, to put baby to breast. One had, and they also informed me that a good
friend of theirs, who happened to also be a lay midwife, had nursed the
adopted baby of the lesbian couple, and that she reported that the baby
nursed "just fine."  I of course was appalled that anyone would blithely
nurse someone else's baby. I come from a place where I worry about
transmission of HIV and Hepatitis...and I do not recommend that people cross
nurse babies.  They assured me that this person was "fine" and just as
"clean as you or I", and I said I meant no offense to the midwife/friend,
but that as a midwife, who comes into contact with LOTS OF BLOOD PRODUCTS,
that it was fairly irresponsible to breastfeed an infant that was not hers,
friend or not.

THis is not meant as a flame to all lay midwives.  However, it is an
indication that there is a gap of knowledge for some, as there is for many
of us in certain circumstances.

Sigh.

Kathleen
Kathleen B. Bruce, BSN, IBCLC co-owner Lactnet,Corgi-L,TLC, Indep. Consultant
http://together.net/~kbruce/kbbhome.html
LACTNET Archives http://library.ummed.edu/lsv/archives/lactnet.html