Dear all,
This is a plea to you to be especially thoughtful as you type acronyms -
medical and non-medical.

It is a very exclusive act to assume that worldwide we understand what you
have typed.  Over the past few days I have stumbled and never got up from OTC;
CNM; HMO; MILC; APL; HCP; SNJ (know its a place name but where oh where?);
JODM.

Cynthia Payne, on the otherhand, thoughtfully prefaced PTSD with post
traumatic stress disorder and was then able to use PTSD throughout her
posting.  On this side of the northern pond we call it PTSS - post traumatic
stress syndrome.

This is a biiiiig planet we live on and this is a biiiig circle of friends,
our lines of communication should be *as open* as they are when one is working
with mothers and their babies.  So, I end with a plea that we remember our
Lactnet colleagues outside of our own shores because we don't all share the
same acronyms - be inclusive and not exclusive.

On other off topic note - meeting lactnet pals from around the world from
lactnet postings makes looking at or listening to world news a new dimension.
On seeing the floods in Peru and Florida yesterday, I have been thinking of
Glennie and all who live in Florida - and I live in a village where this is
out of my realms of understanding ..

My kindest regards, Helen M. Woodman, National Childbirth Trust (NCT)
Breastfeeding Counsellor, UK.  - no ripe comments about not explaining the
last acronym :-D