You know, "research based" is a rather modern expression.  In
childbirth and lactation, I bet it is way less than 100 years old.

There is a lot to be said for good old common sense and street
sense rather than "book learning."

Many of us read and read and read and have done so life long,
even though we don't have degrees in the subjects of which we
read.  All the years that I did breast prosthesis fitting, women
asked me if I were a nurse or married to a doctor.  I alway said
"No, I just read a lot and ask a lot of questions."  In fact,
when nurses were my clients, I often knew more about their
oncology protocol than they did if they were working in a
different speciality.

What I shared with these women they often hadn't even received
as information from their own doc because the docs are so rushed.

Magazines such a Mothering have a wonderful place in our society
because it causes women to question what has been handed them as
"usual and customary."  They can say "Wait a minute, I don't
agree with what is being offered me.  It just doesn't *feel*
right."  I always wondered if what was offered me was
*best practice."  When reading how things were done in Sweden,
China (barefoot doctors) or somewhere *third world* or so-called
*primitive* I found they were often more on the right track than
we were here in the US.

We all have a "gut feeling" and I've learned over the years not
to override it as it is always right, evidence based or not.
Judy Ritchie

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