Finally I am on-line and able to participate in this wonderful forum. My
name is Maire Clements-Miranda. I am a registered nurse in New York
City.  I worked for 6+ years in NICU before creating the Lactation
Clinical Specialist role in my hospital.  Unfortunately, the position
was only part-time and was not fully supported by the Director of
MCH-Nursing. She came on board after I had been in my self-directed role
for almost 2 years.  I had been wearing a button produced by Florida
Lactation Consultant Association on my lab coat for years without
incident.  For those of you not familiar with it, it was a cow with a
red slash through it.  The new director told me to remove my button as
it might offend formula feeding mothers.  I could hardly contain my
laughter as her edict made me recall an incident when I had been asked
about its meaning.  The people on the hospital elevator had asked me was
I a vegetarian or Hindu?  It was pointless to argue with such ignorance
and when I realized I could do more to help breastfeeding families on
the outside, I took the plunge and went completely into private practice
in the summer of 91.

During these past 6 years, I have served three terms on the Executive
Board of NY Lactation Consultant Association finishing my term as
President in June 1996. I relish this opportunity to learn from esteemed
colleagues and share with friends of breastfeeding throughout the world.

This leads to my question.  I have so thoroughly sold a mother on the
superiority of human milk that she very much wants that to be the only
fluid her baby receives during her week long absence while on a European
business trip.  Unfortunately, it is not possible to bring her baby
along on this trip. She has asked me to find out the feasability of
Federal Express or another company shipping it back during the week.
She will only be 10 weeks post-partum and has not had a lot of
opportunity to stockpile as she is already returning to work and using
the supply almost as fast as she saves it.  She will be pumping on the
trip. Plan A: she would love to send it back as she goes through the
week. This would better ensure that her milk would be the exclusive
diet.  Plan B:  she would save it for the week on dry ice and bring it
all back at once.

Does anyone have experience with this that you could share with me?
Which plan would be more feasible in terms of safe handling of human
milk? She needs this information quite soon (before 2/24).

I apologize for the length of this first posting.  Thanks in advance for
your help.

Maire Clements-Miranda, RN, IBCLC

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