Hello all, your resident beef-eating country girl here with some words of advice on the mammary glands of livestock... Just a thought for you nursing ladies of past and present...when was the last time you were stepping in, perhaps laying down in your own excrement with your breasts exposed to said dung? I know, a gross thought, but l just wanted to illustrate that even betadine on a cow's udder ain't gonna get it clean enough, why they are so prone to infection and another reason why I don't drink cow's milk! Humans aren't dragging the dirt or dung with their mammary glands either so it's not a like comparison. I hear it's best to use mild soap and water to cleanse a cow's udder before hooking her up to a milking machine twice a day. That's what I hear from my friends at the vet school at Kansas State University (GO WILDCATS!) and a friend who grew up on a dairy in Pennsylvania. I believe I'll go toss our boys some hay and grain and shovel some steer manure now. And wow, you ask for help with a BF problem amongst your colleagues and within minutes I've received several e-mails for help with my bottle feeding problem-thanks all! Have a nice day! Maurenne Maurenne Griese, RNC, BSN, CCE, CBE Birth and Breastfeeding Resources http://www.childbirth.org/bbfr Manhattan, KS USA [log in to unmask]