> Gonneke, IBCLC, LLLL, in Southern Netherlands, where, on a Area 

> LLLleaders discussionboard, we are discussion ''medicalisation of 

> breastfeeding by professional and lay breastfeeding resourse persons''

 

Gonneke, I agree!  "Breastfeeding Medicine" is a term that irritated me when
I first heard it.  What does it mean?  Why does a natural function of a
woman's body, and the normal need of all babies, have to have medicalization
assigned to it?  Breastfeeding is not a medical condition or situation.
Often, I wished that the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine had chosen the
word Science instead of Medicine; the Academy of Breastfeeding Science is
what we are all about.  We are working to establish the science that proves
that breastfeeding is normal and optimal; and when there are medical issues
involved with breastfeeding, we rely on the science behind our professional
practices.  In many situations, it IS what common sense has shown for eons.
It is not too late for the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine to consider
changing their name before they become fully established in our society.

Even the change in the initials would be more palatable; it would be more
tasteful to talk about ABS (as in Abs in the gym) rather than ABM (as in a
BM in the toilet).  It irritated me to associate ABM with breastfeeding.  On
the other hand, I did not mind it at all when talking about Artificial Baby
Milk; I appreciated the association in that ABM.  BTW, in our profession,
the ABM for the latter (formula) was in use for several years (and the
formula company reps don't like it - good!) before the academy was started
so that was another issue to consider in our profession.

I do have a question for those who are involved with ABM:  Are IBCLCs who
are not physicians welcome on the ABM board or is it a physicians-only
board?  Hopefully, someone on LACTNET can respond.

Warm regards,

Lee Galasso, MS, IBCLC, RLC


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