MaryAnn O'Hara wrote, in part: - >I'm a family physician and medical anthropology student starting a >research project to gain insight on why, despite evidence about the >health importance of BF and strong professional guidelines urging >physicians to support BF, physician involvement with BF is not >infrequently ambivalent and poorly informed. We know it is in part due to >lack of education on the subject. I want to explore what else are >factors, so they can be redressed. I would love to see this discussion remain on-list, so perhaps people could copy the list when responding privately to MaryAnn? IMO and IME, this is the area that lactivists need to address most. As a rule, women do **have no idea** that their healthcare providers are not well (and sometimes at all) educated about breastfeeding. Everywhere I look I find breastfeeding relationships sacrificed on the infamous altar of ignorance by their OBs, by their children's doctors, and by hospitals. What would be an effective strategy to address this? I've thought many times about writing a book or article to inform women about the altar of ignorance so they can brace themselves for the sabotage to their breastfeeding relationships that they will undoubtedly experience. Heck, I'd do it without financial reward and stand on corners giving it out if I thought it would make a difference. Perhaps an equally important message is that we as mothers should not be handing over parenting decisions to anyone else, regardless of the initials after their name. I only take MEDICAL advice from my children's doctor. Their opinions on sleep, breastfeeding, crying, and a myriad of other issues are simply one data point. Obviously, of course, the other side is important too: changing things so that HCPs are better educated and more committed to BF (thus passing on less misinformation, imposing fewer mindless "rules," etc.) Janice Berry Mother, editorial consultant, and lay BF counselor Westerville, OH *********************************************** 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