In my most humble opinion, I am not sure Powerpoint is the style and  format 
that would motivate, stimulate and educate expectant parents. I know it  is 
popular for large audiences, conferences, and auditoriums, but whenever you  
look around in those sessions, many people are fighting back yawns, looking  
bored and sleepy, due to the dim light, and lack of interaction. I am very  guilty 
myself of using Powerpoint when presenting to large groups, but I always  try 
to make it as interact as possible, because I feel people learn best by  
absorbing the information, processing it, and translating/acting upon that  
information.
Whenever I have taught Peer Couselors, I tell them that they have to be  
"breastfeeding cheerleaders" and make classes fun and exciting, and create an  
environment where parents want to learn, change behaviors, and most of all,  
return to another class. We have to be the sales reps for breastfeeding.  Whenever 
you go to a Maternity Fair with ABM sales representatives ( or just  notice 
them at the hospital or MD office), you see they are beautiful to look  at, 
interesting to talk with, energetic, brilliant about their  product, and create 
an interesting, creative, energetic environment--being  cheerleaders for their 
product. That is what we have to be.  I believe that  the difference between a 
great breastfeeding  peer counselor, LLL leader, or IBCLC and just another  
county/hospital/MD office personnel is the passion/spirit/enthusiasm/energy  
given to breastfeeding.
I think that is why LLL has been so successful. They have made learning  
about breastfeeding fun by using interactive meetings, and have been passionate  
about breastfeeding.I think most of us who attended LLL as new moms remember 
the  fun activities, and interaction which hooked us on breastfeeding.  I have  
not attended many PowerPoint Presentations which I would label as "fun" or  
"passionate".
When developing classes, I have always encouraged peer counselors to think  
about why they got "hooked" into breastfeeding, what motivated them to attend  
classes, and then build on those thoughts.

Barbara Whitehead, BS, IBCLC, RLC
eastern NC

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