Dear all:

First, I think we need to have a huge amount of respect for those that are trying to 
uphold and enhance our knowledge of breastfeeding medicine.  There is no other body 
part that has suffered more neglect in medical science in terms of its true function than 
the breast.  I walked into Barnes and Nobles today and misread a title as "Dr. Susan 
LOVES Breast Book".  At first I thought it was a breastfeeding book - or maybe some 
weird psychoanalytic book  ---- or hopefully, some doctor celebrating the real purpose of 
the breast. The actual title was Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book.   It wasn't about 
breastfeeding at all, or any eroticization of the breast, it was about breast cancer.

Thankfully, I have access to a fabulous breastfeeding medicine specialist in our area that 
I can refer clients to without fearing that she is out of date with her breastfeeding 
knowledge.  In fact, she is constantly researching new ways to approach medical 
problems with the true function of the breast.  It is criminal that there is really only one 
of her in a metropolitan area as large as New York City.

At the same time, I just finished developing little mini care plans for the breastfeeding 
support group I run.  I got bored saying the same thing over and over again.  So, I took 
the little pictures I have been working on all these years and all the little body 
adjustments I make, and the "first aid" measures, turned them into 3-4 points, put a 
HUGE DISCLAIMER about how these miniplans are short-term and if things are not 
improving to consult an appropriate health care practitioner, copied these at Staples on 
card stock and chopped them up.  When I got done with the 12 little miniplans, it dawned 
on me that NOT ONE of these really falls into the realm of medicine by any stretch of the 
imagination (except ---- please forgive me and correct me those of you who are JDs --- 
perhaps in the minds of lawyers).  Basic first aid of the type I was taught as a Camp Fire 
Girl at age 8, simple body mechanics, visual aids of how to attach a baby, massage.  This 
is not rocket science.  The IBCLE has me so paranoid that I make all the moms sign 
another little card saying that they received whatever miniplans I gave them and then 
again the HUGE DISCLAIMER about these being short-term plans and to consult an 
appropriate health care practitioner if things don't improve.  Their signatures about the 
little miniplans they receive are being kept under lock and key in a file cabinet that no 
one else has access to.

Best, Susan Burger

             ***********************************************

Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
Mail all commands to [log in to unmask]
To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail
To start it again: set lactnet mail (or [log in to unmask])
To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet or ([log in to unmask])
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]