I tend to agree with Ellen and Heather that mothers having problems should
initiate contacts with helpers.  My mantra has always been:  I can't want
the baby to breastfeed more than the mother does. People will sometimes call
me and ask me to make a contact with a friend or relative, and I tell them
it is my policy never to do so.  The mother has to call me herself.  That
way I know for sure she wants my help and will probably be at least
minimally receptive to it.

There appears to me to be a greater frequency of tongue-tie in Japan (as I
read their ENT lit).  Also, without seeing the breasts, there is no way to
determine whether the small breasts are merely the result of  petite body
formation or are perhaps resultant from hormonal disorders like PCOS which
would also be possible in Japanese women.  Maybe her mother and sister
really did have production problems.  Most likely the situation is just as
the LLL L assessed:  perceptions and unfortunate messages from the bottle
feeding culture.  But there is a real limit to what you can tell about low
milk supply issues over the phone, and in my experience, the mother and her
family begin to find unsolicited calls intrusive.

Barbara Wilson-Clay BSEd, IBCLC
Austin Lactation Associates
http://www.lactnews.com

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