Oops, I sent to the wrong place-- got back an amazing error message!!
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Forwarded message:
Subj:    Paying for LC services
Date:    95-09-30 17:09:39 EDT
From:    MGBrower
To:      [log in to unmask]

Dear Kathleen and all:

Marianne Neifert once said at a conference I attended: "I always tell my
prenatal patients that they should budget about $100 for breastfeeding help
in the first weeks after delivery.  That way, if they need it, they already
planned to spend the money.  If they don't need it, they can go out for a
nice night on the town."  I was doing this for a while, and just started
forgetting about it. I now will add it to my list of topics to cover!  I
probably would increase the amount of money, now, several years later.  I
think that if parents understood that it will cost them money before they
have the baby, that they might not be so resistant to the idea afterwards.

I also am a dietitian.  It is absolutely apalling the number of phone calls I
receive from people who think I should mail them diabetic diets, complete
with menus because I work in a hospital, oh yes, and they were patients there
back in 1962!  I guess they don't read the fine print on the hospital bill
that says there is no warranty!! (Snide humor here!)  They also are shocked
that we charge "so much" ($42.50 per hour for outpatient medical nutrition
therapy).

None of us do our professions a favor when we give ourselves away for free.
 All of us need to be working together toward getting insurance reimbursement
and toward getting recognition for the right that our infants have to the
healthy start afforded by human milk feeding.

Off my soapbox and back to the grindstone!
Martha Brower RD LD IBCLC