Bravo for a well-said piece on the (insignificant) role of personal experience in lactation management knowledge and skills! It's a keeper for my files. Is it OK with you, Dr. Williams if I print your message and share it with professional colleagues? Physicians are not the only health professionals who should take your message to heart. I can think of several excellent RN-IBCLCs who have never breastfed. Likewise, I can think of nurse colleagues who have negative attitudes and poor knowledge/skills after some kind of personal experience. Also, a number abdicate their responsibility to care for nursing couples simply because they have never breastfed. Would I not take care of an ostomy patient or a diabetic simply because I've no experience with either of those conditions? Absurd! Uh, oh--I feel another soapbox coming on. Anyway, thanks for putting into written words what so many of us think or say. Karen