Greetings from Vermont. I have not clarified a few points for a while here,
and so with a wish for a very Happy New Year to you all, I would like to
address the issue of who is welcome to participate in this Lactnet forum.

1. Facebook Lactnet pages are unrelated to this Lactnet listserv. The
administrative volunteer team that works to maintain the list and its
archives and daily communications are not the same volunteer team who works
to maintain the FB pages with the name Lactnet.  They are, for all intents
and purposes, separately maintained entities. I started these pages in 1995
when FB did not exist...and could not have foreseen the existence of social
networking, as having a computer was a new thing to me, and to everyone I
knew at the time. Remember, folks, I went to college with a typewriter and
a hall telephone. : )

2. The Lactnet list is a list that was  started in 1995. Its purpose is to
promote connections and information and communication between those who are
professional, and working in clinical areas with moms, or in academic
fields working on lactation science, etc, but ALSO for those who are
interested in helping mothers and who are interested in learning more about
what is really true regarding lactation science and practice.

This has been the way it has been since 1995, and this is the way it will
stay as long as I am alive and in a position to administer this list, along
with my colleagues who so generously assist me with time and talents, and
without whom I could not keep the list going. We all run into frustrating
situations when we cannot help mothers because of a situation that is out
of our control, where someone with more "power" than we have has the
control over the situation,... this happens in all fields. It's a reality.
We can only do our best at all times, strive to learn, and help others to
learn in a respectful way if asked to do so. One mother, one learner at a
time.

As I grow older, the only thing I am  100% sure of is that I need to learn
more, and that what I thought was correct is usually what I believe to be
correct, not what is actually proven to be correct in a scientific way.  We
all are looking at situations through our own filters, and I know that my
beliefs regarding breastfeeding practice is based largely on my own
experience, based on an "n" of one. I need to open up and learn more every
day if I am going to help mothers to the best of my ability. I need to
teach if asked, and to learn from those I am "teaching," as there is so
much to learn at all times if we only open our eyes.

 If Lactnet can help people to open up to breastfeeding science, and to the
ideas that there is always so much to learn, ...that what we think may not
be the case many times, and that we need to continue to learn and to
practice to improve our knowledge base, then I am deleriously  happy to
have anyone be part of Lactnet if they are genuinely  interested in
learning and do behave with decorum and respect, one learner to another, no
matter what the letters are after our names.

 There are a lot of things that could be improved upon in the field/world
of lactation . For instance,  I wish that we had a practice part of the
IBCLC exam so that we could be sure of a baseline of physical skills when
it comes to lactation practice.  Perhaps this, as well as other needs, will
be addressed as more information comes to light and more people become
"professional" and work towards helping the skillset of  lactation science
grow. I only hope that Lactnet remains a venue to assist growth wherever
growth is needed. Welcome to everyone who considers themselves a learner
and a resource, in that order.

These are my thoughts, I guess. Have a good day, and Happy New Year to all.
Warmly, from freezing Vermont. Kathleen

-- 

Kathleen B. Bruce RN, BSN,  IBCLC
Listmother Lactnet, c. 1995
Williston, Vermont
LRV, Inc. (Lactation Resources of Vermont).
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