I periodically serve as an arbitrator, where three lawyers sit on a panel and play judge, in order to resolve civil cases. Before the case, when the panel is making small talk, I am usually asked, "Where do you practice?" You can imagine the fun I have, explaining that my private practice is as a lactation consultant. I sat on a panel yesterday. When one of the other panel members heard my story, she asked, "How long should a baby nurse?" I gave her my pat answer: I explained the AAP and WHO recommendations (for 1 and 2 years, respectively), and suggested mom-and-babe should nurse "for as long as they both want to." She responded, matter-of-factly, "Hmm. I nursed my daughter for 4-1/2 years." My eyebrows raised! We talked longer! This is a mom who simply nursed her baby "as long she seemed to need it." She returned to work, part-time, fairly soon after baby's birth. She never used a support group or counselor, though she did have friends who nursed their babies. I never would have heard about this long-term nursing mom from my "lactation channels." As IBCLCs, we work so much with the problems/roadblocks that it is easy to lose sight of the many unreported dyads who are happily BF as though it were ... well ... the most natural thing in the world. It put a smile on my face. Liz Brooks, JD, IBCLC Wyndmoor, PA, USA _________________________________________________________________ Find great local high-speed Internet access value at the MSN High-Speed Marketplace. http://click.atdmt.com/AVE/go/onm00200360ave/direct/01/ *********************************************** To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail To start it again: set lactnet mail (or digest) To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet All commands go to [log in to unmask] The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(R) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html