I would like to quickly introduce myself.  I am an LC in private practise on
Vancouver Island, BC, Canada.  I serve a rural and small town population
(combined total <35,000) of diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds,
predominantly native north american (Coast Salish), caucasian, oriental
(vietnamese, chinese) and Indian (sikh and hindu). The community is typical
"west coast" with a strong arts community, and a very wide economic mixture.
Primary industries are farming, logging and associated businesses, tourism
(we get hundreds of thousands of visitors a year) and marjuana cultivation
(with all of the associated problems). Breastfeeding initiation rates are
high (80++) but maintenance of those rates continues to be a problem. We are
fortunate to have had strong and active La Leche League groups for the past
25 years with a nursing mothers group prior to this. In addition to high
risk pregnancy outreach programs which do breastfeeding education and some
follow-up there is a drop-in clinic at the public health unit once a week
and a lactation consultant funded part time through the unit. There is also
a health unit operated and funded by the native band which operates a strong
support program under extremely difficult funding conditions. I have been on
LACTNET for the better part of a year but have until now been a lurker.
Thank you to all of the regular contributors.  I have greatly enjoyed the
flow of information.  Thank you to the owners for keeping us all disciplined
as well!
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                    People are not for hitting.  Children are people too.

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