Date:  March 20, 1996
From:  Pat Martens:  [log in to unmask]
re:  an introductory e-mail

It is so fascinating to be "on line" and in touch with so many
knowledgeable people about breastfeeding. Thanks to the "authors" of
LACTNET for the opportunity.
My first "introduction" to breastfeeding was with the birth of my first
child in 1979, and my first La Leche League meetings. In 1984, besides
giving birth to #2, I also became an accredited La Leche League Leader.
In 1987, I wrote the IBLCE examination (site: Vancouver, BC, Canada),
and have maintained my IBCLC status through CERPs. Having decided to
go to graduate school a few years ago, I decided to pursue my interest
in breastfeeding, and enrolled in the Department of Community
Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba. My Masters research
thesis, completed in 1994, was entitled, "Breastfeeding choice and
duration: a study of women and infants in four southern Manitoba First
Nations communities". In Canada, the term "First Nations" refers to
Aboriginal communities, for those of you unfamiliar with the term. I was
priviledged to be able to learn so much from the women of the four
communities. It was a multi-method research project, involving extensive
qualitative interviews and a prospective survey from prepartum to 3
months postpartum. A decision-making model of breastfeeding was tested,
and is presently being used to design a program intervention strategy on
one of the communities. I am presently working on a PhD in the same
department, looking at the outcomes of various program intervention
strategies within one First Nations community. Meanwhile, I also
co-chair a provincial intersectoral committee (The Breastfeeding
Promotion Steering Committee of Manitoba), which is presently conducting
a provincial-wide study on the policies (answered by hospital
administration), practices (random sample of maternity nurses), and
perceptions (all women in the province giving birth in a 5 week period)
of the breastfeeding support within the hospitals of Manitoba. We can
hardly wait for the results!
My areas of interest include biostatistics and breastfeeding - a weird
combination!  Looking forward to a world of breastfeeding information!

Sincerely,
Pat Martens (Patricia J. Martens)
B.Sc.(Chemistry), Cert.Ed., IBCLC, M.Sc.(Community Health)