<< I think our job is to try to create an environment
 where it is *practical* to breastfeed and to continue to encourage moms to
 give their children the best available. >>

i just don't think its going to work to make it practical for people to not
smoke but to keep giving them cigarettes in the meantime. whoops, did i say
cigarettes? i meant, oh, you know.

i think now that i am going to do all the stuff i should do for my health
only when its practical, easy, and supported by everyone around me. i
certainly won't bother if somebody doesn't think i can do it unless its very
easy, and doesn't even make me feel guilty if i don't. why should i bother?

"In public health especially, you have to go with what will
work for the individual.  Though BF is the absoulte best nourishment, for
some it is not an option.  We need to be open minded about their decisions,
and agree to disagree the matter at hand."

i'm sorry, i don't agree to disagree. you speak of enabling someone to make a
clearly inferior health choice and then offer them the means to do it. when i
keep making these remarks about cigarettes i really mean it as an analogy
(its kathy dettwyler's analogy, actually).

if you are open minded about a mom's drug habit, do you provide her with some
of what she uses? i doubt it. i hope there is NO form of health, public or
otherwise, in which people who are in a position of authority/responsibility
make decisions based on what works for the individual rather than what is
clearly a choice based on good medical practice.

i refuse to be an apologist. i support my patients in the use of formula
occasionally -- i can briefly sum up the usual types of cases. one is "mother
is dead, no other lactating mothers around." the one case i helped with
involving a dead mother did NOT require formula. there were lactating mothers
around. the other is a baby who is so severely allergic (and guess what the
usual reason is, folks? yep, formula given at an early age to a susceptible
baby) that even donor milk causes too many problems, and only in the case of
a mother who cannot produce enough milk. have one of those right now. i am
not going to abdicate my responsibility to tell someone the truth about
formula. it would haunt me. why doesn't it bother everyone? hmmmmmm.

carol brussel IBCLC

             ***********************************************
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