Hi, Lactnetters,
At a (non-bf-related) business lunch recently, a client mentioned that she
had a friend at the US Environmental Protection Agency (in Research
Triangle Park, NC) who is a "lactation expert." All of us at the table did
a double-take when she said that, but she clarified that she actually did
say "lactation." She said she doesn't know exactly what he does, but that
he keeps telling her she should be breastfeeding her 4 month old son.
I thought it was pretty interesting that EPA has a lactation expert -- does
anybody here know anything about that, i.e., what sort of lactation
research might be going on at EPA? Curious minds want to know, and I
probably won't have an opportunity to follow up with the woman who
mentioned it.
As an amusing post-script to this conversation, after this woman told us
that her friend keeps telling her she should be breastfeeding her baby, she
looked around the table (all women) and said conspiratorially, "Hey, I DID
my time. I did it for two weeks, and that was ENOUGH."
I think she thought we would all jump in and congratulate her and say
"Yeah, right on, that nursing stuff is crazy." Imagine her surprise when
she found out she was sitting next to someone who's nursing a 2 year old
(me), and another woman (my colleague in a field unrelated to bf) who's
nursed 5, including twins for 1 year. You should have seen her face!
Well, of course, my friend and I had to address her remarks about nursing
(in a nice way!), especially because there was also a pregnant woman at the
table listening to all this --- so that's why I got sidetracked and
couldn't find out more about EPA's "lactation expert." Does anyone here
know more about it?
Betty Meeler
Durham, NC
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