I'd like to start by saying that I agree that Dioxin is bad and that lactation consultation is very good. Let's continue with a very old joke: "The person with top grades in medical school is called the valedictorian. What do they call the person who graduates with the lowest possible grades? [pause for effect] 'Doctor!'" Letters after one's name and attendance of training programs do not confer wisdom and often don't even confer skill. We all knew that before this heated discussion began. Kathy, under whose auspices we all visit one another warned us to cool down this potentially "volatile" topic and I sure do agree with her. I have to admit that the IBCLC letters after a poster's name impress me but they don't impress me as much as the caring, thoughtful attitudes present in virtually EVERY post on this board. There is a pervasive desire to help and help some more. Compassion for the problems of people thousand of miles away. As this discussion goes on, I sense one overriding feeling: everyone here wants to protect nursing mothers from bad advice. No one is trying to protect a lucrative professional bailiwick or going on an ego-filled rant about how much better or more important their group is than the others. Caution is being urged and the points are well-taken. Medical care can be fragmented because we doctors compete too much. We lactation experts (yes, we are all experts here in one way or another) are different. Personally, I think that IBCLC has gotten too hard to get but I understand the reasons why. All in all, I am very proud to be on this list with all of you. Jay Gordon Proud Father to a Teenage Daughter Fairly Good Husband on My Good Days Pediatrician in Private Practice for 21 Years Lactation . . . Expert (Practical Aspects Only, I do not know squat about prolactin levels even though I used to--I refer to others for that type of issue) Website proprietor *********************************************** The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html